2025 Federal Preseason Subsistence Fishery Management Outlook for the Yukon Area

For Immediate Release:

May 23, 2025

2025 Salmon Outlooks:
• The Chinook salmon run is forecasted to be about 72,000 fish drainage wide. The Canadian-origin component of the run is projected to be about 30,000 fish, which is well below the Canadian Border objective of 71,000 fish.
• The summer chum salmon forecast is for 1.1 million fish which would be within the drainage-wide escapement goal of 500,000 to 1.2 million fish. However, the parent years contributing to the returning 4- and 5-year-old fish experienced heat stress, in-river mortality, and very poor escapements, so a cautious management approach will be required early in the run until a harvestable surplus is projected.
• The fall chum salmon forecast is for a run size of 218,000 fish. This is below the drainage-wide escapement goal of 300,000–600,000 chum salmon. The Canadian-component of the run has been weaker than average recently and the projected run size is 22,000 fall chum salmon, which is well below the Canadian Border objective of 70,000–104,000.
• The forecast for coho salmon is for a below average run. Harvest restrictions are likely necessary for this species.

2025 Federal Management Strategy:
After hearing feedback on the proposed Federal management strategy through discussions at a public hearing, Tribal Consultations, Yukon River Intertribal Fish Commission (Fish Commission) meetings, the Yukon River Panel, and the preseason fishermen meeting; and after coordination with staff from the Office of Subsistence Management (OSM) and the management team from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G), the Federal management strategy will be as follows:

Summer Season:
• The Federal manager will close all Federal public waters of the Yukon River Drainage to Chinook and chum salmon fishing beginning June 1 in the Coastal District and lower river and these closures will move upriver based on salmon run timing and assessment data. During these closures, salmon gillnets will not be allowed.
• Fishing for nonsalmon will be allowed with 4-inch gillnets limited to 60 feet in length and operated as set nets only. There is not a conservation concern for nonsalmon species, so fishing opportunities for nonsalmon will not be limited to federally qualified subsistence users.
• We will likely close the use of 4-inch or smaller mesh gillnets from the approximate first quarter point through the third quarter point of the Chinook salmon run to reduce the number that are incidentally harvested in these gillnets. This closure will follow Chinook salmon as they migrate up the Yukon River.
• Other nonsalmon selective gear types, including hook and line, longline, jigging gear, hand line, beach seine, fyke net, spear, or lead may be used to fish for nonsalmon species all year, even during salmon fishing closures. All Chinook salmon incidentally harvested with nonsalmon selective gear types must be released alive. Pink and sockeye salmon may be retained.
• If a harvestable surplus of summer chum salmon becomes available, opportunities to subsistence fish for summer chum salmon with selective gear may be allowed (hook and line, dip nets, beach seines, and manned fish wheels). These opportunities would be limited to federally qualified subsistence users in Federal public waters in order to provide a rural preference.
• There will be no commercial or sport fishing for Chinook and chum salmon this season in Federal public waters.
Fall Season:
• The fall season will likely begin closed for fall chum and coho salmon beginning July 16 in the Coastal District and District 1, and these closures will move upriver based on run timing.  Subsistence fishing restrictions may be in place until October 1 in the lower Yukon drainage and this date will be transitioned upriver to fishing districts based on salmon migration timing. Important fall chum salmon spawning tributaries may remain closed through December (Koyukuk, Teedriinjik, Porcupine rivers, and tributaries of the Tanana River).
• To reduce the number of Chinook, fall chum, and coho salmon that are incidentally caught or killed (and drop out) we will restrict the use of 4-inch or smaller mesh gillnets to a 3-day weekend schedule.
• In select areas without migrating salmon, we may consider allowing nonsalmon fishing with 6- inch and smaller mesh gillnets during fall season to improve the efficiency of catching the large whitefish species.

Actions implemented under the management strategy outlined above are based on the provisions of Title VIII of the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA) and the delegation of authority letter from the Federal Subsistence Board (Board).

Federal Management Overview and Coordination:
• The Federal Yukon River inseason manager is delegated authority to issue management actions if necessary to ensure the conservation of a healthy fish population, to continue subsistence uses of fish, and for public safety reasons in Federal public waters of the Yukon River drainage.
• The Board requires that Federal subsistence fisheries management be coordinated with the Regional Advisory Councils (Councils), OSM, and ADF&G, to the extent possible.
• It is necessary to align Federal and State management actions to prevent conservation concerns and fishing competition. Misaligned regulations may cause a conservation concern for species as they move through the patchwork of State and Federal waters if harvest is allowed in some areas but not others. Additionally, if fishing is allowed in one area but not another, there could be increased competition as fishers crowd the open area. Therefore, coordinating between management agencies and aligning regulations benefits subsistence users and the sustainability of the runs.
• The Federal management team actively manages the fishery by bringing the Indigenous and local knowledge from fishers and Tribes to the decision-making process, prioritizing subsistence fishing when commercial fisheries for other abundant species are being considered, and advocating for as much annual subsistence harvest as can be sustained biologically to maintain important cultural and spiritual practices.
• The Federal management team hopes to continue to build relationships and capacity with the Fish Commission to coordinate on in-river management decision making and co-stewardship.

For additional information concerning Yukon River Federal Subsistence fishery management contact Holly Carroll at (907) 351-3029 and Shane Ransbury at (907) 456-0550.

For information concerning State management actions, contact Yukon River Summer Season Manager, Deena Jallen, and Acting Fall Season Manager, Matthew Olson, in Fairbanks at (907) 459-7274 or in Emmonak at (907) 949-1320.

See the News Release for Detailed Maps of Federal Public Waters in the Yukon River Drainage:
Communities and streams adjacent to the boundary of Federal lands are part of Federal waters, even on the opposite side of the river.