2019 Yukon River Fall Salmon Fishery News Release #42 District 1 Commercial Period 13 and Subsistence Fishing Schedule

Districts Affected: Lower Yukon Area

District 1 Commercial Fishing:

Commercial fishing will be open for one period in District 1, from 2:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. Saturday, August 31. This will be a 6-hour commercial fishing period with the use of gillnets 6-inch or smaller mesh size. Chinook salmon may be sold during this commercial opening. All Chinook salmon sold or retained for subsistence during commercial openings must be recorded on a fish ticket.

09/03/2019
Last edited 01/25/2022
Contact Information

Jeff Estensen, Area Management Biologist

Christy Gleason, Asst. Area Management Biologist

ADF&G, Lower Yukon Area Office

(907) 949-1320

Toll free fishing schedule hotline: (866) 479-7387

Fishing schedule hotline in Fairbanks: 459-7387

The department does not anticipate any more commercial openings in Districts 1 or 2 for the remainder of the 2019 season. A coho salmon directed commercial fishery can be prosecuted in Districts 1 and 2 from September 1 through September 10 if inseason run assessment indicates there is a surplus of coho salmon available for harvest. At this time the coho salmon run appears to be well below average at all assessment projects. Through August 29, coho salmon passage at the sonar project near Pilot Station is 79,954 fish, well below the historical median of 127,078 fish for that date, and the second lowest on record. It is unlikely there will be any coho salmon directed commercial openings in Districts 1 and 2 in 2019. However, the department will continue to monitor the coho salmon run through the middle of September at the test fishery projects in the Lower Yukon. The department will consider providing coho salmon directed commercial openings in Districts 1 and 2 if run strength improves.

The preliminary commercial harvest in District 1 is 147,830 fall chum and 39,238 coho salmon, and 100,668 fall chum and 13,687 coho salmon in District 2. The Lower Yukon River commercial harvest is 248,498 fall chum and 52,925 coho salmon. This year’s fall chum salmon harvest ranks 6th largest and coho salmon is trending to be 14th. The department congratulates the fishermen for their hard work this season.

District 1 Subsistence Fishing:

Subsistence salmon fishing in District 1 is open 7 days per week, 24 hours per day with 7.5-inch or smaller mesh gillnets, except for 12 hours before, during, and 12 hours after each commercial fishing period. Subsistence salmon fishing, including the Pastolik and Pastoliak Rivers, will close at 2:00 a.m. Saturday, August 31, and reopen at 8:00 a.m. Sunday, September 1.

Subsistence fishermen must remove both tips of the tail fin of Chinook salmon before concealing from plain view or leaving the fishing site.

The Emmonak Field Office will be closing for the season at 5:00 p.m. Friday, August 30. For further information, please contact the Fairbanks ADF&G office at 459-7274.

This is an announcement by the ADF&G in cooperation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. To reach the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Fairbanks call 455-1849.

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