With king salmon having largely reached their spawning grounds, gillnet restrictions on the Kuskokwim are lifting.
Several gillnet restrictions on the Kuskokwim River mainstem will lift at 12:01 a.m. on Aug. 1. At that time, subsistence gillnets can be any size mesh, and can stretch 300 feet in length above and below the Johnson River, from the Kuskokwim River mouth to the headwaters. Also, the closed waters around the Aniak River, known as “the Aniak box,” will open to gillnets.
At the end of August, more fishing restrictions will loosen. At 11:59 p.m. on Aug. 31, gillnet restrictions and live release requirements for king salmon will lift in the following Kuskokwim River tributaries: the Eek River, Kwethluk River, Kasigluk River, Kisaralik River, Tuluksak Rver, and Aniak River.