News

Fish and Game asks fishermen to report Atlantic salmon catches

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game is asking that fishermen around the state report any Atlantic salmon they catch. Damage to a salmon farm… Continue reading

Alaska Department of Fish and Game Commissioner Sam Cotten (left) and Board of Fisheries member Reed Morisky (right) testify during a Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation field hearing on the reauthorization of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, hosted by Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), on Wednesday, Aug. 23, 2017 in Soldotna, Alaska. (Photo by Elizabeth Earl/Peninsula Clarion)

Sullivan hosts field hearing on Magnuson-Stevens in Soldotna

Sportfishing groups and advocates want to see the federal government separate the management of sport and commercial fishing in the upcoming renewal of the Magnuson-Stevens… Continue reading

Alaska Department of Fish and Game Commissioner Sam Cotten (left) and Board of Fisheries member Reed Morisky (right) testify during a Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation field hearing on the reauthorization of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, hosted by Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), on Wednesday, Aug. 23, 2017 in Soldotna, Alaska. (Photo by Elizabeth Earl/Peninsula Clarion)
Larger commercial coho harvest sparks concern in Mat-Su

Larger commercial coho harvest sparks concern in Mat-Su

Upper Cook Inlet’s drift gillnet and east side set gillnet commercial fishermen saw a larger harvest of coho than in recent years this season. Not… Continue reading

Larger commercial coho harvest sparks concern in Mat-Su
A drift boat rests at anchor in this July 2016 photo in Kenai, Alaska. (Photo by Elizabeth Earl/Peninsula Clarion, file)

Conclusion reached in UCIDA lawsuit

The United Cook Inlet Drift Association’s lawsuit against the federal government has finally reached its conclusion, though its repercussions are far from over. Alaska U.S.… Continue reading

A drift boat rests at anchor in this July 2016 photo in Kenai, Alaska. (Photo by Elizabeth Earl/Peninsula Clarion, file)
A salmon leaps above the surface of the Kenai River as it makes its way upstream near Centennial Park on Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2017 in Soldotna, Alaska. (Photo by Elizabeth Earl/Peninsula Clarion)

Fishing report: Silvers hit Kenai Peninsula rivers, fishing improves

Despite the sunshine, the surface of Resurrection Creek was dark — an enormous school of pink and silver salmon headed up the creek colored the… Continue reading

A salmon leaps above the surface of the Kenai River as it makes its way upstream near Centennial Park on Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2017 in Soldotna, Alaska. (Photo by Elizabeth Earl/Peninsula Clarion)
Commercial fishing boats sit anchored near the mouth of the Kenai River on Friday, July 28, 2017 in Kenai, Alaska. Commercialset gillnet fishermen and drift gillnet fishermen were able to go out for a fishing period Saturday after the Alaska Department of Fish and Game opened an additional period from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. (Photo by Elizabeth Earl/Peninsula Clarion, file)

Most commercial fishing ends Monday

Most commercial fishing in Upper Cook Inlet ended Monday, with the set gillnet fishermen in the Kasilof section getting one extra day Tuesday. The east… Continue reading

Commercial fishing boats sit anchored near the mouth of the Kenai River on Friday, July 28, 2017 in Kenai, Alaska. Commercialset gillnet fishermen and drift gillnet fishermen were able to go out for a fishing period Saturday after the Alaska Department of Fish and Game opened an additional period from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. (Photo by Elizabeth Earl/Peninsula Clarion, file)
Raindrops disturb the surface of the Kenai River as it riffles over a rock near Soldotna Creek Park on Wednesday, Aug. 9, 2017 near Soldotna, Alaska. The family of a man who went missing after falling into the Kenai River near Soldotna last week is still searching the water and banks downstream for traces of him and plans to continue the search Thursday. (Photo by Elizabeth Earl/Peninsula Clarion)

Missing man’s family continue search on Kenai River

The family of a man who went missing on the Kenai River last week coordinated a search effort on the river Wednesday to look for… Continue reading

Raindrops disturb the surface of the Kenai River as it riffles over a rock near Soldotna Creek Park on Wednesday, Aug. 9, 2017 near Soldotna, Alaska. The family of a man who went missing after falling into the Kenai River near Soldotna last week is still searching the water and banks downstream for traces of him and plans to continue the search Thursday. (Photo by Elizabeth Earl/Peninsula Clarion)
Jordan Goldthwaite, 15, caught this 75 pound halibut Monday, Aug. 7, 2017 while fishing out of Homer, Alaska on his fathers boat, Dad’s Dream. (Photo courtesy Frank Goldthwaite)

Fishing report: River traffic quiets as sockeye taper off, silvers begin

The crowds on the Kenai River fishing docks have thinned out for the time being as the river’s salmon runs transition from red to silver.… Continue reading

Jordan Goldthwaite, 15, caught this 75 pound halibut Monday, Aug. 7, 2017 while fishing out of Homer, Alaska on his fathers boat, Dad’s Dream. (Photo courtesy Frank Goldthwaite)
A sign warns visitors about a recent bear sighting near the Russian River on Sunday, Aug. 6, 2017 near Cooper Landing, Alaska. Bears frequent the area, a highly productive sockeye salmon fishery and one of the most popular sportfisheries in the state. (Photo by Elizabeth Earl/Peninsula Clarion)

Look out for bears at Russian River

As salmon crowd into the Russian River, so do the people — and the bears. A black bear was spotted at the Russian River Falls… Continue reading

A sign warns visitors about a recent bear sighting near the Russian River on Sunday, Aug. 6, 2017 near Cooper Landing, Alaska. Bears frequent the area, a highly productive sockeye salmon fishery and one of the most popular sportfisheries in the state. (Photo by Elizabeth Earl/Peninsula Clarion)

Man missing following boat malfunction on Kenai River

A Colorado man is still missing after four boaters were ejected from an out-of-control boat on the Kenai River on Friday night. Three of the… Continue reading

Commercial fishermen see more pinks, chums than expected

It’s been an oddly large year for chum and pink salmon in Upper Cook Inlet’s commercial fisheries. Odd-numbered years are usually pretty thin ones for… Continue reading

An angler flips for sockeye salmon from the bank of the Kenai River near its confluence with Soldotna Creek on Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2017 in Soldotna, Alaska. (Photo by Elizabeth Earl/Peninsula Clarion)

Fishing report: Reds still running, some silvers showing

Editor's note: This article has been corrected to show that the bag and possession limit has been increased to 25 fish in the China Poot… Continue reading

An angler flips for sockeye salmon from the bank of the Kenai River near its confluence with Soldotna Creek on Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2017 in Soldotna, Alaska. (Photo by Elizabeth Earl/Peninsula Clarion)
Alinna Granados of the Kenai Parks and Recreation Department takes down beach signs after the end of the personal use dipnet fishery on Tuesday, August 1, 2017 on Kenai’s north beach. Granados and fellow Parks and Rec employee Randy Dodge, who used a loader to pull the signs from the sand, took down signage and barriers after the beach had been cleaned of trash and fish waste earlier that morning. Alinna Granados of the Kenai Parks and Recreation Department takes down beach signs after the end of the personal use dipnet fishery on Tuesday, August 1, 2017 on Kenai’s north beach. Granados and fellow Parks and Rec employee Randy Dodge, who used a loader to pull the signs from the sand, took down signage and barriers after the beach had been cleaned of trash and fish waste earlier that morning.

Signs of the end

Signs of the end Alinna Granados of the Kenai Parks and Recreation Department takes down beach signs after the end of the personal use dipnet… Continue reading

Alinna Granados of the Kenai Parks and Recreation Department takes down beach signs after the end of the personal use dipnet fishery on Tuesday, August 1, 2017 on Kenai’s north beach. Granados and fellow Parks and Rec employee Randy Dodge, who used a loader to pull the signs from the sand, took down signage and barriers after the beach had been cleaned of trash and fish waste earlier that morning. Alinna Granados of the Kenai Parks and Recreation Department takes down beach signs after the end of the personal use dipnet fishery on Tuesday, August 1, 2017 on Kenai’s north beach. Granados and fellow Parks and Rec employee Randy Dodge, who used a loader to pull the signs from the sand, took down signage and barriers after the beach had been cleaned of trash and fish waste earlier that morning.
A drift gillnet fishing vessel makes its way into the Kenai River on Friday in Kenai. (Photo by Elizabeth Earl/Peninsula Clarion)

Commercial fishermen harvest 1.8M sockeye so far, no fishing Tuesday

Upper Cook Inlet’s commercial drift gillnet commercial fishermen got to fish throughout the waters of the central district during their regular period Monday. It’s the… Continue reading

A drift gillnet fishing vessel makes its way into the Kenai River on Friday in Kenai. (Photo by Elizabeth Earl/Peninsula Clarion)
In this July 2016 photo, a commercial drift gillnet boat makes its way out of the Kenai River early in the morning in Kenai, Alaska. (Photo by Elizabeth Earl/Peninsula Clarion, file)

Kenai sockeye run late, biologists say

Cook Inlet east side set gillnet fishermen and drift gillnet fishermen will get their first chance to fish in more than a week on Saturday.… Continue reading

In this July 2016 photo, a commercial drift gillnet boat makes its way out of the Kenai River early in the morning in Kenai, Alaska. (Photo by Elizabeth Earl/Peninsula Clarion, file)
The muddy sand of the south Kenai beach traps Armin Schmidt’s pickup truck on Thursday, July 27, 2017 in Kenai, Alaska. Schmidt, a commercial set gillnet fisherman, was driving the truck Wednesday when it sank into the spongy mud in the intertidal area of the south Kenai beach near the jersey barrier designating the legal personal-use dipnet area. He was working with the city of Kenai’s Parks and Recreation Department, which coordinates the dipnet, to get it it out Thursday. No one was hurt in the incident. (Photo by Elizabeth Earl/Peninsula Clarion)

Owner, Kenai Parks and Rec work to retrieve truck stuck in south beach

Update, 7/28/17, 1 p.m.: The truck's owner was able to pull the vehicle out of the beach with the help of other private commercial set… Continue reading

The muddy sand of the south Kenai beach traps Armin Schmidt’s pickup truck on Thursday, July 27, 2017 in Kenai, Alaska. Schmidt, a commercial set gillnet fisherman, was driving the truck Wednesday when it sank into the spongy mud in the intertidal area of the south Kenai beach near the jersey barrier designating the legal personal-use dipnet area. He was working with the city of Kenai’s Parks and Recreation Department, which coordinates the dipnet, to get it it out Thursday. No one was hurt in the incident. (Photo by Elizabeth Earl/Peninsula Clarion)
Fish waste accumulates along the tide line at the Kenai River’s north beach on Wednesday, July 27, 2016 in Kenai, Alaska. The City of Kenai rakes the waste out to ocean every night and local groups contribute to cleanup efforts, but the waste still builds up on the tideline when the water washes it back in. (Photo by Elizabeth Earl/Peninsula Clarion, file)

Properly get rid of your fish waste this weekend

The final weekend of the Kenai River personal-use dipnet fishery kicks off Friday. With sockeye salmon passage increasing into the Kenai River — nearly 72,000… Continue reading

Fish waste accumulates along the tide line at the Kenai River’s north beach on Wednesday, July 27, 2016 in Kenai, Alaska. The City of Kenai rakes the waste out to ocean every night and local groups contribute to cleanup efforts, but the waste still builds up on the tideline when the water washes it back in. (Photo by Elizabeth Earl/Peninsula Clarion, file)
An angler fillets his sockeye salmon caught on the Kenai River near the confluence with the Russian River on June 11. Many successful fishermen can their catches to preserve them for the winter. The Cooperative Extension Service has some helpful suggestions to ensure the process is done safely. (Elizabeth Earl/Peninsula Clarion)

Canning your catch

If the fishing is good, it’s important to keep in mind how to preserve salmon for when the fishing is bad. Canning provides a good… Continue reading

An angler fillets his sockeye salmon caught on the Kenai River near the confluence with the Russian River on June 11. Many successful fishermen can their catches to preserve them for the winter. The Cooperative Extension Service has some helpful suggestions to ensure the process is done safely. (Elizabeth Earl/Peninsula Clarion)

East side setnets, drifters closed again Thursday

Commercial fishermen in Upper Cook Inlet’s central district will stay on the beaches again Thursday to allow more sockeye to enter the Kenai River. The… Continue reading

US Senate looks to renew ‘Frankenfish’ import ban

With support from Sen. Lisa Murkowski, Congress is preparing to renew a ban on the importation of genetically engineered salmon. On Friday, the U.S. Senate… Continue reading