Federal fisheries managers have announced the first five openers of the 2025 Kuskokwim River salmon fishing season.
The opportunities are limited to federally qualified subsistence users, which includes permanent residents of all Kuskokwim River communities.
The management strategy for waters within the Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge (YDNWR), from the mouth upriver to Aniak, is nearly identical to that seen in 2024. Through mid-June, that will include three set net-only opportunities followed by a pair of drift and/or set gillnet openers.
On the state side, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game assists with management decisions within the refuge, and manages the river outside of refuge boundaries. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game has projected near average to above average returns this year for all four species of Kuskokwim salmon, in order of appearance on the river: chinook, chum, sockeye, and coho.
As in past years, both state and federal managers have agreed on a conservative management approach for chinook salmon – the longest-running conservation concern on the river – to account for uncertainty with preseason forecasts.
The preseason uncertainty comes with special management challenges, according to Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge Manager Spencer Rearden.
"There is pressure to have fishing in June, and at the same time chinook numbers don't really increase until close to the middle of June and that's also the critical time period for in-season information," Rearden said.
In a federal hearing in April, lower river residents voiced concerns about the hardships of putting away enough salmon during this critical time period, racing against the onset of the rainy season and increased threats of spoilage.
To gather in-season data this year, managers will have one less tool in their toolbelt. After four decades, the state-run Bethel Test Fishery has been shut down following concerns around its effectiveness at assessing run strength.
"We heard from [the Alaska Department of] Fish and Game that Bethel Test Fish[ery] will not be running this year," Rearden said. "And I guess what that changes is that we will put more emphasis on the [Kuskokwim River Sonar] that the state is going to continue to run, and fisher reports will also be at hand trying to understand the health of the runs."
Rearden said that first-hand harvest data gathered by Bethel’s tribe, the Orutsararmiut Traditional Native Council (ONC), as well as the Kuskokwim River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission (KRITFC) have been vital for managers. He said that the groups have also stepped up where the refuge has been short a pilot to conduct aerial surveys to count nets in the water.
"That's showing where a partnership is needed, because where we can't fill in, they come in and help support that whole effort. Because they realize, we all realize the importance of this information, especially in June," Rearden said.
To catch the latest updates on management decisions, join the preseason meeting of the Kuskokwim River Salmon Management Working Group at 9 a.m. on May 28 by teleconference at: 1-800-315-6338, passcode: 58756#. The working group holds weekly public meetings every Wednesday during the salmon fishing season.
You can also stay informed by joining weekly teleconferences hosted by the Kuksokwim River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission by phone or online at 10 a.m. every Tuesday during the salmon season. Dial into the first teleconference of the season on May 27 at: 1-888-788-0099, meeting ID: 884 5587 4219.
Kuskokwim River salmon openers
All chinook, chum, and coho salmon caught may be retained during the following Kuskokwim River mainstem openers:
Set gillnet:
• Tuesday, June 3, from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.
• Friday, June 6, from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.
• Monday, June 9, from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.
During these three opportunities, gillnets are restricted to set gillnets, which must be 6-inch or less mesh, 60 feet or less in length, and not exceed 45 meshes in depth. Additionally, set gillnets must be attached to the bank, oriented perpendicular to the river, and may not be operated more than 100 feet from the ordinary high-water mark.
Gillnet (drift and/or set):
• Thursday, June 12, from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
• Monday, June 16, from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
During these two opportunities, gillnets are restricted to 6-inch or less mesh and may not exceed 45 meshes in depth. Below the Johnson River, gillnets must not exceed 50 fathoms (300 feet) in total combined length (set and drift gillnet). Above the Johnson River, gillnets must not exceed 25 fathoms (150 feet) in total combined length.
Throughout the summer, harvest using dip nets, beach seines, fish wheels, and rod and reel will remain open throughout the closure and retention of all salmon (and other non-salmon species) is allowed within the main stem of the Kuskokwim River.
The following salmon-bearing tributaries will remain closed to all harvest, by gillnet or otherwise, of chinook, chum, and coho salmon:
• The Eek River.
• The Kwethluk River drainage, beginning at its confluence with Kuskokuak Slough.
• The Kasigluk and Kisaralik River drainages, including Old Kuskokuak Slough, to Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) regulatory markers at the confluence of Old Kuskokuak Slough and Kuskokuak Slough.
• The Tuluksak River drainage, including its confluence with the Kuskokwim River and downstream approximately 1 mile to ADF&G regulatory markers.
• The Aniak River drainage to ADF&G regulatory markers at its confluence with the Kuskokwim River.
• The Aniak Box, defined as: the waters of the Kuskokwim River main stem from the Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge boundary at Aniak downstream to a line formed from the northwest corner of the runway (latitude 61° 35’ 16” N, longitude 159° 33’ 28” W), due north to a point on the southeast corner of the sandbar (latitude 61° 35’ 37” N, longitude 159° 33’ 16” W).
Fishing from tributaries not listed above is restricted to fishing 100 yards (300 feet) upriver from the mouth of the river (confluence with the main stem Kuskokwim River).
