Division of Sport Fish
Dave Rutz, Director

Anchorage Headquarters Office
333 Raspberry Road
Anchorage, AK 99518


Alaska Department of Fish and Game
Doug Vincent-Lang, Commissioner

P.O. Box 115526
Juneau, AK 99811-5526
www.adfg.alaska.gov


Advisory Announcement
(Released: February 10, 2022 - Expired: July 25, 2022)

CONTACT: Tyler Polum
(907) 486-1880
(907) 486-1880

Ayakulik River Closed to King Salmon Fishing

(Kodiak) - To protect returning king salmon and ensure fishing opportunities in the future, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) is closing sport fishing for king salmon in the Ayakulik River drainage effective 12:01 a.m. Wednesday, June 1 through 11:59 p.m. Monday, July 25, 2022. This closure prohibits sport fishing for king salmon, including catch-and-release. During the closure, king salmon may not be targeted, possessed, or retained; king salmon that are caught incidentally while fishing for other species may not be removed from the water and must be released immediately. In addition, as a measure to reduce incidental hooking of king salmon, the use of bait is prohibited and only one unbaited, single-hook artificial lure may be used in the Ayakulik River drainage.

“Even with management actions to reduce king salmon retention in sport, commercial, and subsistence fisheries in the last several seasons, the king salmon escapement goal has not been achieved since 2016, and weir counts continue to be low,” stated Area Management Biologist Tyler Polum. “The Board of Fisheries designated this fishery a stock of concern during the 2020 meeting in Kodiak and the continued poor king salmon runs warrants closing fishing for king salmon in the Ayakulik River drainage.”

King salmon angling opportunities may be restored in the Ayakulik River drainage by a subsequent emergency order if in-season assessment indicates the king salmon run is stronger than anticipated. Beginning late May, ADF&G staff will closely monitor this fishery at the Ayakulik River salmon counting weir.

For additional information, please contact Area Management Biologist Tyler Polum at (907) 486-1880.

#22-3291