2026 Fishing Season Openers
State-managed waters of the Kuskokwim River:
Yukon River salmon fishing closure/opener information:
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The State of Alaska's battle over managing fisheries on the Kuskokwim River has a big price tag. The state must pay $1.8 million to cover the legal costs of four Native groups that joined the federal government's lawsuit against the state. -
Despite not being a licensed guide, 36-year-old Michael Beans used Facebook to advertise trophy hunts that took in nearly $60,000 in advance payments from dozens of out of state clients. The hunts were canceled before they started. -
The Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge announced a 30-day closure for all migratory bird species. The closure will be in effect from June 6 through July 6 and applies to the entire region. The only exception is scoters, which have their own closure from June 11 through July 11.
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Subsistence fishermen are fighting the attorney general’s decision to overturn the board’s action. -
The management strategy aimed at protecting vulnerable chum and chinook stocks on the river and its tributaries is nearly identical to the previous two years. The key difference this time around is that federal managers do not plan to restrict the harvest of coho. -
The Aleutians East Borough was among four plaintiffs who argued the Alaska Board of Fisheries violated the state’s ethics laws.
