2019 Yukon River Salmon Fishery News Release # 4 Coastal District and District 1 Subsistence Fishing Schedule

Districts Affected: Lower Yukon Area

Based on preseason projections, the 2019 Chinook salmon run on the Yukon River is anticipated to have average run timing, and similar run size to last year. Consistent catches of Chinook salmon have been detected in the Lower Yukon River Test Fishery; therefore, the subsistence fishing schedule is being reduced to half the regulatory (windows) fishing schedule. This is intended to limit the harvest on early groups of Chinook salmon while more information about the timing and strength of the run is collected. Because Chinook salmon tend to enter the south mouth early in the season and shift to the north mouth later in the season, the reduced subsistence schedule will be delayed in the north mouth around the village of Kotlik for one week (please see map below).

06/05/2019

Last edited 01/25/2022

Contact Information

Holly Carroll, Area Management Biologist

ADF&G, Emmonak Field Office

Phone: (907) 949-1320

Fred Bue, Yukon Area Inseason Manager

Fairbanks Fish and Wildlife Field Office

Phone: (907) 949-1798 or (800) 267-3997

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

Fishing schedule hotline in Fairbanks: 459-7387

Subsistence Management Actions

South Coastal District (from the Naskonat Peninsula north to 62 degrees North latitude which includes Hooper Bay and Scammon Bay): Subsistence fishing will remain open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Subsistence fishermen may use 7.5 inch or smaller mesh gillnets.

The South Coastal District will remain on their full regulatory schedule because of the typically low abundance of Chinook salmon in this area.

District 1 (including the Black River and the South and Middle mouths, but excluding the North mouth and village of Kotlik):

Subsistence fishing is currently open 24 hours a day with 7.5 inch or smaller mesh gillnets.

Effective 2 p.m., Monday, June 10 subsistence fishing will close. Subsistence salmon fishing will reopen 2 p.m. Tuesday, June 11, with 7.5-inch or smaller mesh gillnets on a reduced regulatory schedule consisting of two 18-hour periods per week from:

2 p.m. Tuesdays to 8 a.m. Wednesdays
2 p.m. Fridays to 8 a.m. Saturdays

Subsistence salmon fishing is closed between the 18-hour fishing periods. During subsistence salmon fishing closures, fishing for non-salmon species is allowed. However, only gillnets with 4-inch or smaller mesh may be used.

North mouth of District 1: Subsistence fishing is currently open 24 hours a day with 7.5 inch or smaller mesh gillnets. Because of the delayed arrival of Chinook salmon to the North mouth (Kotlik), the reduced regulatory schedule will be delayed by one week for this mouth only.

Effective 8 a.m., Monday, June 17, subsistence fishing will close. Subsistence salmon fishing will reopen 2 p.m. Tuesday, June 18, with 7.5-inch or smaller mesh gillnets on a reduced regulatory schedule consisting of two 18-hour periods per week from:

2 p.m. Tuesdays to 8 a.m. Wednesdays
2 p.m. Fridays to 8 a.m. Saturdays

Beginning June 18, the subsistence schedule for the North mouth will be the same as District 1 in all future announcements for the remainder of the summer season.