KYUK AM

Hunting & Fishing

Stories related to subsistence/commercial/sport hunting, fishing, gathering activities.

Fish Talk: Fishing Openings, Regulations, And Why Two Government Agencies Are Managing The Kuskokwim

By • Jun 13, 2019
Kuskokwim King Salmon
Katie Basile / KYUK

Guests: 

  • Aaron Tiernan: Alaska Department of Fish and Game - Kuskokwim Area Manager
  • Ray Born: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service - Yukon Kuskokwim Delta National Wildlife Refuge Manager
  • Aaron Moses: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service - Yukon Kuskokwim Delta National Wildlife Refuge Subsistence Specialist

Find Out Kuskokwim Subsistence Fishing Openings And Regulations

By • Jun 12, 2019
A fisherman soaks a gill net in the Kuskokwim River near Napaskiak on June 12, 2018.
Katie Basile / KYUK

Find out the dates, times, and regulations for subsistence fishing openings along the state and federal waters of the Kuskokwim River.

Troopers Confiscate 18 Nets During Kuskokwim Subsistence Opening

By • Jun 12, 2019
A gillnet on the Kuskokwim River on June 12, 2018.
Katie Basile / KYUK

State law enforcement is cracking down on fishing violations this season. During the Saturday, June 8 Kuskokwim subsistence opening, Alaska Wildlife Troopers confiscated 18 nets. Most of the nets were longer than regulations allow, or had mesh sizes that were too big. Troopers cited one person for driftnetting during a set-net opener.

In Quinhagak, A Small Sport Fishing Industry Thrives

By • Jun 11, 2019
Krysti Shallenberger / KYUK

When most people think of sport fishing in Alaska, they think of Homer, Bristol Bay, or the Kenai River. They don’t think of Quinhagak, a small remote village near the Kuskokwim Bay in Southwest Alaska. But people from all over the world come to Quinhagak, lured in by its vast selection of salmon and trout. 


Kuskokwim State Waters Open To Fishing Beginning June 12

By • Jun 10, 2019
Gillnet fishing on the Kuskokwim River near Aniak.
Dave Cannon

Subsistence fishing will open full-time in the Upper Kuskokwim River on Wednesday. Starting at 10 a.m. on June 12, subsistence fishermen will be able to fish around-the-clock until further notice. The opening applies to state waters, starting from the federal refuge boundary at Aniak, upstream to the Kuskokwim headwaters.

Kuskokwim Harvest Estimates From June 1 Set Net Opening

By • Jun 7, 2019

Harvest numbers are in from the June 1 set net fishing opening on the Kuskokwim River. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife service estimates that 190 king salmon were taken, along with 250 non-salmon species: sheefish and other whitefish. No other salmon species, like reds or chums, were harvested.

Kuskokwim June Fishing Openings Announced

By • Jun 6, 2019
A subsistence fisherman harvests a king salmon from the lower Kuskokwim River during a gillnet opening on June 12, 2018.
Katie Basile / KYUK

Subsistence families along the Kuskokwim River can mark their calendars for upcoming fishing openings in June.


June Fishing Openings In Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge

By U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service • Jun 6, 2019
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will manage the federal waters of the lower Kuskokwim River during the king salmon run of 2018.
Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge

The following notice applies to the waters within the boundaries of Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge from the mouth of the Kuskokwim River to the refuge boundary at Aniak.

Fishing Opportunities:

TIME:

·      June 8, 2019. 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. (SET NET ONLY, DRIFT GILLNETS ARE PROHIBITED)

·      June 12, 2019, 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. (set and drift net)

·      June 15, 2019, 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. (set and drift net)

·      June 19, 2019, 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. (set and drift net)

Lower Kuskokwim 12-Hour Set Gillnet Opening Saturday, June 1

By • May 29, 2019
A gillnet soaks in the Kuskokwim River during a subsistence fishing opener on June 12, 2018.
Katie Basile / KYUK

Federal managers have announced a set gillnet opportunity for Saturday, June 1 to give subsistence users a taste of king salmon. The 12-hour opening runs from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. within the Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge, from the Kuskokwim River mouth upstream to the refuge boundary at Aniak.

Subsistence Fishing Opportunities In Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge

By U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service • May 29, 2019
Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge

These restrictions apply to users fishing from Yukon Delta boundary at Kuskokwim River mouth to ADF&G regulatory marker ½ mile above Tuluksak River:

  • May 28 – June 1, 2019: 6 inch or less gillnets for federally qualified users.
    • When using 6 inch or smaller mesh, gillnet depth may not be more than 45 meshes deep. Also, net length may not exceed 50 fathoms (300 feet). 
  • June 1 – June 11, 2019: Harvest of Chinook Salmon allowable with Dip Nets, Beach Seines, Fish Wheels & Rod and Reel in mainstem Kuskokwim River.
    • **Gillnets in mainstem not allowed until announced**
    • **Gillnets and all other methods in salmon spawning tributaries not allowed for Chinook Salmon**
    • **Gillnets in non-salmon spawning tributaries allowed above 100 yards**

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