Showing management districts in the Wrangell and Petersburg area, this Department of Fish and Game map outlines when districts will reopen to sport harvest of king salmon. The blacked-out sections of water are terminal harvest areas, which are scheduled to reopen first on June 1. The hashed sections of water will come next, reopening on June 15. Finally, most of District 8 and a portion of District 7 will reopen on July 15, being closest to the Stikine River.
The Alaska Department of Fish and Game announced late last week the extent of its expected king salmon sport fishing restrictions for this season.
The region wide closure to retention of Chinook began on Sunday, April 1, to last through the first half of the summer for some waters. Citing a poor preseason forecast, ADFG has decided to close the majority of marine waters within the Petersburg-Wrangell area, not only in District 8 but also in 6, 7 and 10. (see map)
The lengthiest closure will focus on districts 7 and 8, lasting through July 14.
"That goes one step farther to provide some additional protection for the Stikine River and Andrews Creek," explained Patrick Fowler, ADFG management biologist for the Petersburg and Wrangell area.
In the waters adjacent to the Stikine River, which include District 8 and a portion of the Back Channel in District 7, the retention of king salmon will be prohibited through July 14. Any king salmon caught must be released immediately.
Districts 6, 10 and portions of districts 5, 7 and 9 are off limits to the retention of king salmon as well, but only through June 14.
Fowler explained the reopenings to Chinook are staggered between districts to allow harvest where possible. The June 15 reopening for district sections in 7 and 6, for example, take into account the return of Andrews Creek broodstock coming from Crystal Lake hatchery. The terminal harvest areas at Anita Bay, Blind Slough and Petersburg's City Creek will likewise reopen even sooner, starting June 1. However, a separate release regarding those areas is anticipated later this month.
The Stikine River itself will be given more closure time, compared to other sections. The 2018 preseason forecast for king salmon on the Stikine River is 6,900, down from the department's escapement goal range set between 14,000 to 28,000. Forecasts for other wild king salmon stocks in Southeast are below goal as well. By reducing the harvest of specifically wild king salmon, it is hoped that spawning escapement will be increased for future production.
"Essentially this was part of a region-wide effort to reduce our total harvest" of wild king salmon, Fowler explained. To his knowledge, Southeast Alaska has never before had a closure for king salmon on such a large scale.
Management actions are being taken across all Southeast Alaska fisheries, including sport, commercial, personal use and subsistence. In the waters around Ketchikan, retention of kings has been closed most stringently in South Revillagigedo Channel and the Southeast and West sections of Behm Canal. These have been shut down through August 14, while the waters of Clarence Strait in districts 1 and 2 have been closed through June 14. North and Northeast Behm Canal are closed to salmon sportfishing year round.
In Juneau waters, its districts in Stephens Passage, Chatham Strait, Icy Strait and adjacent inlets have been closed to king salmon retention through June 14. The section of Lynn Canal south of Sherman Rock is included in this, while north of that point up to Skagway and Haines has been closed for significantly longer, through December 31. An exception is Chilkat Inlet, which is only closed through June 30.
Excluded from this series of closures for king salmon are Southeast's outside waters, starting near Lemesurier Island and Point Carolus at Icy Strait in the north, the point between Patterson and Ellis points in Chatham Strait and Point Baker to the west, and at Dixon Entrance in the south. Also excluded from emergency management is a portion of Hoonah Sound, northwest from Nismeni Point.
Taking effect for all regions in Southeast on Sunday as well, residents will no longer be allowed to use two rods while sport fishing for king salmon, until the announcement of new regional regulations are announced later this month.
Another news release dealing with bag and possession limits is expected later this week.
"That's associated with our regional abundance index," said Fowler.
Prior to Sunday's closure, the residential bag and possession limit was two king salmon, at 28 inches or greater in length. Nonresidents were limited to one king, up to three for the year.
For further information concerning this announcement, Fowler can be contacted at his Petersburg office at 772-5231.
"We have gotten a lot of questions," he said. While understandably disappointed, most people apparently understand why the measures are being taken. "Mostly it's explaining what we're doing and why."
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