Beginning at 12:01 on Monday, Aug. 14, salmon fishing restrictions on federally managed portions of the Kuskokwim River will be rescinded, returning management to the jurisdiction of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G).
Gillnets are limited to 300 feet in length, while mesh size will be unrestricted from the mouth of the Kuskokwim River up to the headwaters.
Gillnet fishing will remain closed until 11:59 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 31 on the following tributaries:
- Eek River to its confluence with the Kuskokwim River.
- Kwethluk River drainage to its confluence with the Kuskokuak Slough.
- Kasigluk and Kisaralik River drainages to their confluence with the Old Kuskokuak Slough.
- Tuluksak River drainage, including its confluence with the Kuskokwim River, and downstream approximately 1 mile to ADF&G regulatory markers.
- Aniak River drainage to ADF&G regulatory markers at its confluence with the Kuskokwim River.
Live release requirements remain in place for chinook salmon using hook and line, dip nets, fish wheels, and beach seines within the Eek, Kwethluk, Kasigluk, Kisaralik, Tuluksak, and Aniak Rivers until 11:59 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 31.
Past gillnet openers:
- Set net opener on Saturday, June 3 from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.
- Set net opener on Tuesday, June 6 from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.
- Set net opener on Friday, June 9 from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.
- Drift net and set net opener on Monday, June 12 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
- Drift net and set net opener on Saturday, June 17 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
- Drift net and set net opener on Friday, June 23 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
- 24-hour set net opener from June 30 at 9 a.m. to July 1 at 9 a.m.
- 48-hour set net opener from July 4 at 9 a.m. to July 6 at 9 a.m.
- 24-hour set net opener from Friday, July 7 at 5 p.m. to Saturday, July 8 at 5 p.m.
- 6-hour set and drift net opener on Tuesday, July 11 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- Set net opener on Monday, July 17 from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
- Set net opener on Wednesday, July 19 from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
- In the Aniak Box (upstream boundary of the YDNWR), limited rod and reel salmon fishing opens on July 7 at 12:01 a.m.
Chinook salmon under 20 inches (as measured from the mid eye to the tail fork) may be retained with no bag or possession limits.
Chinook salmon exceeding 20 inches (as measured from the mid eye to the tail fork) may be retained with a 2 per day, 2 in possession limit.
Sockeye and pink salmon may be retained with no bag or possession limits.
Chum and coho salmon may not be retained and must be returned to the water alive and unharmed.
- In the Aniak Box (upstream boundary of the YDNWR), limited rod and reel salmon fishing opens on July 7 at 12:01 a.m.
- 12-hour set net opener:
- Friday, July 21 from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
- 6-hour set net openers:
- Monday, July 24 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Wednesday, July 26 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- 12-hour drift net and set net opener on Thursday, Aug 3 from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
- 12-hour drift net and set net opener on Wednesday, Aug. 9 from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
- 12-hour set and drift net opener on Saturday, Aug. 12 from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
- Coho salmon rod and reel opener:
- 24/7 rod and reel opener to target silver salmon starting Tuesday, Aug. 1 at 12:01 a.m. in all tributaries within the Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge (YDNWR).
The openings are occurring in the midst of a period where the Kuskokwim and salmon spawning tributaries are otherwise closed.
The following tributary gillnet fishing closures under state regulations went into effect beginning 12:01 a.m. Thursday, June 1, 2023, until further notice:
• The Eek River drainage to its confluence with the Kuskokwim River.
• The Kwethluk River drainage to regulatory markers at its confluence with Kuskokuak Slough.
• The Kasigluk and Kisaralik River drainages, including Old Kuskokuak Slough, to ADF&G regulatory markers at the confluence of Old Kuskokuak Slough with Kuskokuak Slough.
• The Tuluksak River drainage including its confluence with the Kuskokwim River and downstream approximately 1-mile to Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) regulatory markers.
• The Aniak River drainage to ADF&G regulatory markers at its confluence with the Kuskokwim River.
• All Kuskokwim River tributaries not specifically mentioned above that are within the YDNWR will close to subsistence fishing with gillnets from their confluence with the Kuskokwim River upstream 100 yards. Subsistence fishing with gillnets will remain open upstream of that 100-yard closure area.
The following subsistence fishing restrictions also went into effect in the Kuskokwim River drainage under state regulations beginning 12:01 a.m. Thursday, June 1, 2023, until further notice:
Subsistence fishing with hook and line for chinook and chum salmon will close until further notice. Any chinook or chum salmon caught must be returned alive to the water. Subsistence fishing with fish wheels will be allowed until further notice. Fish wheels are required to have a live box with no less than 45 cubic feet of water, must be checked at least every six hours. Fish wheels may be equipped with a chute and must be closely attended while in operation. All chinook or chum salmon must be returned alive to the water.
Subsistence fishing with dip nets and beach seines will be allowed until further notice. Any chinook or chum salmon caught in a dip net or beach seine must be returned immediately to the water alive.
Further announcements will be made from the Bethel Fish and Game office, on the State of Alaska website, local radio stations, and the Kuskokwim River Facebook page. Advisory Announcements will be faxed to area villages.
For information regarding federal subsistence fishing regulations and any announcements, please contact the Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge at (907) 543-3151 or (907) 543-1021.
Correction: An earlier version of this story stated an incorrect location for the openers and an incorrect day for the June 17 drift net opening.
