The State Department of Fish and Game on Tuesday published a dozen advisory announcements closing fisheries and restricting gear throughout Cook Inlet to protect king salmon returns. The forecast return for both early- and late-run Kenai River kings is the second lowest in the last 38 years.
The announcements describe closures for king salmon fishing on the Kenai River and areas of Cook Inlet, bait and gear restrictions for the Kasilof and Ninilchik Rivers and a closure of all sport fishing on the Anchor River and Deep Creek.
King salmon sport fishing in the Kenai River, including catch and release, is closed until the recovery escapement goal and stock of concern delisting criteria are achieved. Kenai River king salmon were designated a stock of management concern in 2023, and an action plan for the stock approved by the State Board of Fisheries in 2024 says that the recovery goal for the late run is 14,250-30,000 kings longer than 34 inches. The projection for the run is only 8,742 large fish.
Similarly, the Kenai River’s early-run king salmon forecast is only 1,531 large kings, far short of the optimum escapement goal of 3,900-6,600.
Closures for king salmon fishing are effective for west Cook Inlet from May 1 through June 30 and for Cook Inlet saltwaters north of Bluff Point from May 1 through Aug. 15.
“King salmon runs in Cook Inlet are anticipated to be especially poor in 2025,” says Area Management Biologist Samantha Oslund in an announcement. “Major king salmon fisheries in this area of Cook Inlet have been closed in regulation since 2011.
On the Kasilof River, fishers are restricted to only one unbaited, single-hook artificial lure from May 1 to Aug. 15. There are also restrictions on the number of hatchery-produced king salmon, identifiable by the scar where their adipose fin should be. Naturally produced kings that have their adipose fin may not be removed from the water and must immediately be released.
All sport fishing is barred from the Anchor River and Deep Creek from May 17 to July 15.
Bait is prohibited in the Ninilchik River from May 24 to July 15. While fishers can retain hatchery king salmon from the Ninilchik River that are missing the adipose fin, the announcement says that if a fisher catches their bag limit of two hatchery kings they may not continue to sport fish in the river for the rest of that day.
“Since we’ve missed the Ninilchik River king salmon escapement goal for the last three years in a row, we are taking a more precautionary approach with the start of this season,” says Area Management Biologist Mike Booz in one release. “We will be monitoring this year’s run very closely and will further adjust the regulations inseason, if necessary.”
The Kasilof River’s personal use set gillnet fishery will be open for reduced days, only 6 a.m. June 18 to 11 p.m. June 24.
Other restrictions are described for fisheries in Anchorage and the Matanuska-Susitna region.
Closures of the king salmon sport fisheries have long been tied to closures of the east side setnet fishery, which since 2011 has not had an unrestricted season and has not been able to fish in the last two years. Gov. Mike Dunleavy and the federal government have recognized disaster declarations for Upper Cook Inlet salmon fisheries in 2018, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023. Local governments in recent months have asked the governor to again recognize a disaster for 2024.
While low returns of king salmon are closing fisheries on the Kenai Peninsula and beyond, the State Department of Fish and Game last month said they’re projecting “excellent” runs of sockeye salmon, including 3.4 million to the Kenai River and 1.1 million to the Kasilof.
For more information about fishing regulations and forecasts, visit adfg.alaska.gov.
Reach reporter Jake Dye at jacob.dye@peninsulaclarion.com.
