2017 Yukon River Fall Salmon Fishery News Release # 57 Fall Update # 9, Yukon Area Salmon Fishery

The fall chum salmon run that entered in July has reached the upper portions of the Yukon River drainage and the spawning grounds. The largest pulse of fall chum salmon that entered August 12 expected to be near the Canadian border around September 20. The pulse that entered on August 19 is expected to be near Circle around September 19, and the Canadian border around September 27. The Tanana River should have fall chum salmon throughout common fishing areas for the remainder of September.

Coho salmon entered the river in roughly four pulses from mid-August to September 8. The coho salmon preliminary estimate of index run size is 288,000 fish which is above the historical median of 198,000 fish through this date.

Fall Assessment Projects

Lower Yukon River Cooperative Fall Drift Test Fishing/ADF&G, YDFDA

The project completed operations for 2017 season on September 10. The cumulative fall chum salmon CPUE for the project through September 10 was 3,821.69, which is above the historical median of 1,923.23 for this date. The cumulative coho salmon CPUE for the project through September 10 was 784.40, which is above the historical median of 535.76 for this date.

Mountain Village Drift Test Fishing/Asacarsarmiut Traditional Council

The project completed operations for 2017 season on September 12. The cumulative fall chum salmon CPUE for the project through September 12 was 6,430.97, which is above the historical median of 2,034.82 for this date. The cumulative coho salmon CPUE for the project through September 12 was 1,669.82, which is above the historical median of 1,111.91 for this date.

Sonar Project near Pilot Station/ADF&G

The mainstem sonar near Pilot Station completed operations for 2017 season on September 7. The cumulative fall chum salmon passage estimate through September 7 was 1,829,791, which is above the median passage of approximately 688,000 fish for this date. The cumulative coho salmon passage estimate through September 7 was 166,499, which is above the median passage of approximately 160,000 fish for this date.

Chandalar River Sonar/USFWS

The cumulative fall chum salmon passage estimate as of September 17 was 330,928, which is well above the median passage of approximately 140,700 fish for this date. Based on median timing, 64% of the fall chum salmon run is at this project by this time. The upper end of the biological escapement goal range of 74,000 to 152,000 was exceeded on September 12.

Sonar Project near Eagle/ADF&G, DFO

The cumulative fall chum salmon passage estimate through September 17 was 121,006, which is well above the median passage of approximately 54,022 fish for this date. The escapement goal range after U.S. and Canada harvests above the sonar project is 70,000 to 104,000 fall chum salmon. This project has likely surpassed the lower end of the escapement goal after U.S. and Canada harvests.

Upper Porcupine River Sonar near Old Crow, Canada/DFO

The cumulative fall chum salmon passage estimate through September 16 was 35,495 fish. For comparison between August 21 and September 9, the cumulative passage of 33,042 is well above the median cumulative passage of 16,231 for this same time frame.

Fishing Branch River Weir/Sonar/DFO

The estimated passage of fall chum salmon through September 16 is 12,582 which is slightly above the historical median of 9,447 for this date. The interim escapement goal range for this system is 22,000 to 49,000 fall chum salmon.

Stock Identification

Genetic mixed stock analysis (MSA) on chum salmon for the strata from August 29–September 7 that passed the mainstem sonar consisted of 14% Border/US (Chandalar/Sheenjek), 9% Canadian and 73% Tanana stocks.

Fall Season Management Strategies

Subsistence fishermen may use 7.5 inch or smaller mesh size gillnets and fish wheels in all areas of the Yukon River. Subsistence fishermen using four inch mesh or less gillnets may use an aggregate length of set gillnet not exceeding 150 fathoms in length, and drift gillnets not exceeding 50 fathoms in length. In the upper portion of Subdistrict 4-A, drift gillnets may not exceed 150 feet in length.

Current Management

Coastal District, and Districts 1, 2, and 3 including the Innoko River:

Subsistence fishing is open 24 hours a day, seven days per week, with 7.5-inch or smaller mesh gillnets.

District 4 including the Koyukuk River (from ¾ mile downstream of Old Paradise Village upstream to Illinois Creek, which includes all adjacent tributaries and the mainstem Yukon River communities of Anvik, Grayling, Kaltag, Nulato, Koyukuk, Galena and Ruby):

Subsistence fishing is open 24 hours a day, seven days per week with 7.5-inch or smaller mesh size set gillnets and fish wheels.

Drift gillnet fishing is open in the upper portion of Subdistrict 4-A only (Stink Creek to the tip of Cone Point and includes Kaltag, Nulato, and Koyukuk) for the remainder of the fall season.

Drift gillnets may not exceed 150 feet in length.

District 5 (from the western edge of the mouth of Illinois Creek to the U.S./Canada border, including all adjacent tributaries and the communities of Tanana, Rampart, Stevens Village, Beaver, Venetie, Fort Yukon, Chalkyitsik, Circle, and Eagle):

Subsistence salmon fishing is currently open 24 hours a day, seven days per week with 7.5-inch or smaller mesh gillnets and fish wheels.

Porcupine River:

Subsistence salmon fishing will be open on a 96-hour per week fishing schedule from 12:00 noon Mondays to 12:00 noon Fridays in the Porcupine River. This includes those portions of the mainstem Yukon River around the 3 mouths of the Porcupine River (see attached map). Subsistence fishermen may use 7.5-inch or smaller mesh gillnets and fish wheels during the fishing periods. During the closures, fishermen may fish for non-salmon species using gillnet gear with a mesh size of 4 inches or less. Subsistence salmon fishing in tributaries such as the Sheenjek, Black, Coleen, and Salmon Trout rivers remains open 24 hours a day, seven days per week.

*A fishing permit is required to fish for all species in the following locations: the portion of Subdistrict 5-C and 5-D from the western most tip of Garnet Island upstream to the mouth of Dall River, between the western tip of Garnet Island and the Dall River (Dalton Highway bridge area) and from the upstream mouth of 22 Mile Slough to the U.S./Canada border. Subsistence fishermen outside of the permit area are encouraged to fill out their subsistence salmon catch calendars. Calendars and subsistence fishing permits are available from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game office in Fairbanks.

Subdistricts 6-A and 6-B (from the mouth of the Tanana River upstream to the regulatory marker at the mouth of the Wood River, which includes the communities of Manley, Minto, and Nenana):

Subsistence fishing is open on the regulatory fishing schedule of two 42-hour periods per week with 7.5-inch or smaller mesh gillnets and fish wheels:

• 6 p.m. Fridays to noon Sundays
• 6 p.m. Mondays to noon Wednesdays

Kantishna River:

Subsistence fishing is open 24 hours a day, seven days per week with 7.5-inch or smaller mesh gillnets and fish wheels.

Old Minto Area:

Subsistence fishing is on the regulatory subsistence fishing schedule of 5 days per week from 6 p.m. Fridays until 6 p.m. Wednesdays with 7.5-inch or smaller mesh gillnets and fish wheels.

*Subsistence fishermen are reminded that a subsistence fishing permit is required to fish for salmon in the Tanana River drainage. Permits are available from the ADF&G office in Fairbanks. Subsistence fishermen fishing in the upper portion of Subdistrict 6-B, from three miles upstream of the mouth of Totchaket Slough to Wood River, are required to report their harvest catches to the department by 4:30 PM Thursday each week by contacting the department at (907) 459-7388. When you call, please provide your name, permit number, fishing location, and daily catch by species for that week.

Subdistricts 6-C (Personal use fishery from the regulatory marker at the mouth of the Wood River upstream to the downstream mouth of the Salcha River, which includes the communities of Fairbanks, North Pole, and Salcha):

Personal use fishing is open on the regulatory fishing schedule of two 42-hour periods per week with 7.5-inch or smaller mesh gillnets and fish wheels:

• 6 p.m. Fridays to noon Sundays
• 6 p.m. Mondays to noon Wednesdays

A reminder to fishermen that a personal use salmon fishing permit and a sport fish license are required to fish in Subdistrict 6-C of the Tanana River. Fishermen are required to report their harvest catches to the department by 4:30 PM Thursday each week by contacting the department at (907) 459-7388. When you call, please provide your name, permit number, fishing location, and daily catch by species for that week.

Upper Tanana Area (the Tanana River from the confluence with the mouth of Volkmar River on the north bank and the mouth of the Johnson River on the south bank upstream to the Tanana River headwaters, including the communities of Healy Lake, Dot Lake, Tanacross, Northway, and the Tok area):

Subsistence fishing is open 24 hours a day, seven days per week with 7.5-inch or smaller mesh gillnets and fish wheels.

*A subsistence fishing permit is required to fish in the Upper Tanana River Drainage.

Fall Season Commercial Salmon Fishing

The fall chum directed commercial fishery ended by regulation on August 31 in Districts 1 and 2. In accordance with the Yukon River Coho Salmon Management Plan, the coho salmon directed commercial fishing season opened in District 1 on September 1 and closed by regulation after September 10.

In the Upper Yukon, the fall chum salmon commercial fishing season is open in District 4, Subdistricts 5-B and 5-C, and District 6. All commercial fishermen must make sure they have a buyer before fishing each opening. Commercial fishermen may use fish wheels and gillnets restricted to 6-inch or smaller mesh size.

The sale of incidentally caught Chinook salmon in the fall chum salmon directed commercial fisheries is prohibited. Commercial gillnet fishermen can release live Chinook salmon or use them for subsistence purposes. Chinook salmon retained from commercial gear must be recorded on a fish ticket as retained but not sold.

Processors, catcher sellers, or direct marketers intending to operate in the Yukon Area must notify the department of their intent prior to operating by contacting the Fairbanks office at 459-7274.

Subdistrict 5-B, and 5-C Commercial Fishing Schedule:

Commercial fishing in Subdistricts 5-B and 5-C, is open 24 hours per day, seven days per week until further notice. Each commercial fishing period will be 7-days and will end at 12:00 p.m. Mondays each week until further notice. Fishermen may use fish wheels or gillnets with 6 inch or smaller mesh size. Commercial fishermen must confirm their market before they fish.

The preliminary cumulative commercial harvest through August 14 is 1,952 fall chum salmon.

Subdistrict 6-A, 6-B, and 6-C (from the mouth of the Tanana River upstream to the downstream mouth of the Salcha River, which includes the communities of Manley, Minto, Nenana, Fairbanks, North Pole, and Salcha):

Commercial fishing is open for two 42-hour fishing periods per week on the following schedule with 6-inch or smaller mesh gillnets and fish wheels:

• 6 p.m. Fridays, until noon Sundays
• 6 p.m. Mondays, until noon Wednesdays

The preliminary cumulative commercial harvest through September 17 is 1,952 fall chum and 270 coho salmon.

All Yukon Area commercial fishermen should confirm their market prior to commercial fishing. Processors, catcher sellers, or direct marketers must notify the department of their intent to operate by contacting the Fairbanks office at 459-7274. All salmon harvested during commercial fishing operations must be recorded on a fish ticket at the time of sale. All fish species harvested and not sold must be recorded on the fish ticket as “caught but not sold”.

Fishing schedules are available 24 hours a day at (866) 479-7387 (toll free outside of Fairbanks); in Fairbanks, call (907) 459-7387.

If you have any questions, please call ADF&G in Fairbanks at (907) 459-7274 or the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Fairbanks at (907) 455-1849.

This is an announcement by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game in cooperation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 

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