2021 Yukon River Salmon Fall Fishery Announcement # 19 Fall Update # 7, Yukon Area Salmon Fishery Districts Affected: Yukon Area

The Yukon River fall chum and coho salmon runs are projecting to be the lowest on record (1974–2020), see Figures 1 and 2. The fall chum salmon run is projected to be 99,000 fish compared to a historical run size of 870,000 fish based on median timing. The coho salmon run size is projected to be near 37,000 fish and run timing is late. Both the fall chum and coho salmon runs are nearly complete entering the Yukon River. According to the Fall Chum Salmon Management Plan, the inseason projections did not meet the threshold of 300,000 fish needed to allow subsistence, personal use or commercial fishing. A run of this size did not meet the drainagewide escapement goal of 300,000-600,000 fall chum salmon, tributary escapement goals and Canadian treaty objectives are not expected to be achieved as well.

09/10/2021
Last edited 09/10/2021
Contact Information

Christy Gleason, Acting Area Mangement Biologist

Bonnie Borba, Fall Season Research Biologist

(907) 459-7274

Toll free fishing schedule and counts: (866) 479-7387

In Fairbanks fishing schedule hotline: 459-7387

Fall chum salmon typically take 39 days to migrate from the mouth of the Yukon River to the U.S./Canada border, with estimated travel rates of 35 miles per day. The last identified fall chum salmon group that entered the Yukon River on September 3 should be approaching the U.S./Canada border around October 12. Monitored lower Yukon River and tributary water levels and water temperatures are near average most of the season and should not adversely affect the migration of fall chum and coho salmon. Some of the upper Yukon River water levels in Canada are still above average for this time of year but are dropping at this time. As the waters flow into Alaska the Eagle area water levels on the mainstem Yukon River are only slightly above average currently.

The coho salmon run came in late and was extremely weak (Figure 2). Coho salmon are smaller fish than fall chum salmon and typically travel about 30 miles per day. Coho salmon continue to enter the Yukon River in September.

View full news release : http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/static/applications/dcfnewsrelease/1332877088.pdf

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