(Soldotna) – The passage of sockeye salmon into the Kenai River has achieved the sustainable escapement goal (SEG) of 700,000 to 1,200,000 Kenai River late-run sockeye salmon, so the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) is reopening sport fishing for sockeye salmon on the Kenai River and restoring the bag limit of three fish […]

The Kenai River Sportfishing Association will be hosting the ‘Classic Roundtable on Fisheries’ on Wednesday, August 22. There will be keynote speaker and panelists to address how fiscal, social, and ecological changes are impacting the ability to research, conserve and allocate fishery resources. Ricky Gease, Executive Director, Kenai River Sportfishing Association: “It will feature the […]

As the summer winds down, Outdoor Explorer looks at one of the worst years of salmon fishing in memory in southcentral Alaska. The Susitna drainage was expected to be bad and was worse. Kenai king fishing continued a bad trend of 10 years. And Cook Inlet sockeye numbers were the worst in many decades. We’ll […]

KRSA hosts the Classic Roundtable on Fisheries featuring keynote speaker Chris Oliver, the Asst. Administrator of NOAA Fisheries. Oliver is the former executive director of the North Pacific Fishery Management Council who was appointed the top federal fisheries administrator last year. He will talk about funding pressures to fisheries research at the national level that […]

REEL NEWS FROM ALASKA and OUTSIDE Reminder: Deadline Wednesday August 15 to return Cook Inlet Personal Use Dip Net and Set Net permits to ADFG The Alaska Department of Fish and Game reminds 2018 Cook Inlet Personal Use permit holders that the deadline to return the permit to ADFG is Wednesday, August 15. These fisheries […]

Little Susitna River Coho Salmon Limits Increased (Palmer) – The Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) is increasing the bag and possession limits for coho salmon to three per day and three in possession in the Little Susitna River. These provisions are effective 12:01 a.m. Wednesday, August 8 through 11:59 p.m. Monday, December 31, […]

REEL NEWS FROM ALASKA and OUTSIDE   Troopers Seize 16 tons of illegally caught salmon in Lower Cook Inlet commercial fisheries Alaska State Troopers seize more than 16 tons of illegally caught salmon by a handful of vessels south of Homer. The commercial fishing seine vessels were working cooperatively to drive salmon out of area […]

Kenai  Kenai sockeye counts continue to lag with just 516,562 counted thru Friday August 3. At the normal 86 percent point in run timing, it is now unlikely that the minimum inriver goal of 900,000 will be reached. Current mathematical projections are for a final sonar count of around 600,000. With the fisheries closed to […]

Through Thursday, Aug 2, 10,855 large kings have been counted at the sonar at the normal 67 percent point in the run. After a slow start, numbers appear to be following a normal run timing. At normal run timing, escapement projects to be around 17,000 which is comfortably above the 13,500 minimum goal. Restrictions and closures […]

FISH ALERT – Sockeye are returning the Kasilof River is good numbers, and the Alaska Department of Fish and Game is increasing the bag and possession limits to six fish per day and twelve fish in possession, starting Saturday, August 4. No more than two salmon per day and two in possession can be silvers. […]