In an effort to stay within the sportfishing catch allocation, the state has ordered that nonresidents may not take king salmon anywhere in Southeast Alaska this month.
The catch limit for residents will remain at generally one king in possession.
Last week’s order took effect Sunday.
The restriction on nonresident sportfishing probably will not mean too much to most visitors, said John Yeager, of Alaska Charters and Adventures. “I don’t think it’s a big surprise for anybody,” he said. The king run “is pretty well over.”
From now into September, most sportfishing will target coho salmon, Yeager said.
“They should be hitting anytime,” he said of coho returns, adding that he has heard of good runs from fishermen around Coffman Cove, about 40 miles southwest of Wrangell.
For those visitors not looking for salmon, there’s halibut.
“I’m finding much more of my clients are targeting halibut,” Yeager said, adding that charter customers have been trending toward the flatfish the past four years or so.
Jeff Angerman, of Angerman’s sporting goods store, has seen the same shift.
Visiting sportfishermen “would love to be able to catch and keep a king salmon,” Angerman said. But with the restrictions to protect king salmon stocks, “it’s pretty much a halibut show,” he said. “People down south pretty much fantasize about halibut.”
In its announcement closing Southeast king salmon to nonresidents, the state reported “the harvest rate in the sport fishery continues to be higher than anticipated,” risking that the sport fishery “could exceed its king salmon allocation by approximately 2,000 fish.”
The king allocation for Southeast sportfishing is 37,900 this year.
The department said the August closure is expected to keep the catch within its allocation. The state had reduced daily bag limits in June to help slow down the sport harvest.
“The Southeast Alaska king salmon fishery will be monitored in-season and additional management action will be taken if needed,” the department said last week.
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