2014 Mat-Su salmon fisheries summary

The Matanuska Susitna Borough Fish and Wildlife Commission invites the public to an informational meeting with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game from 6 to 8 p.m., Oct. 28 at the Legislative Information Office, 600 E. Railroad Ave., Wasilla. Top billing for the meeting is the state of Mat-Su and Northern Cook Inlet Salmon fisheries with ADF&G providing specific information in regards to the 2014 season.

The Fish and Wildlife Commission has hosted annual meetings with the department for several years now in hopes of providing the public an opportunity to learn more about important Mat-Su Valley fisheries. This annual event allows the public to ask questions and provide suggestions on how Mat-Su fisheries could better be managed. This is a rare opportunity for public conversation directly with the management team that issues inseason emergency orders for these salmon fisheries.

Last winter, through the public Alaska Board of Fisheries process, several changes were made to Upper Cook Inlet salmon management plans that had positive impacts for Mat-Su salmon fisheries. Some of those positive impacts include the first personal use opportunity for Alaskans to harvest salmon at Fish Creek in three years. In Knik Arm, sport coho salmon fishing opportunities were liberalized to allow an extra day of fishing per week and an increased coho salmon bag limit on Fish Creek, Cottonwood Creek, and Wasilla Creek/Rabbit Slough. The Fish Creek salmon fishery was subsequently expanded to seven days per week of sport salmon harvest opportunity in the salmon fishing area near the stream’s confluence with Knik Arm, and ADF&G attained more than two times the Fish Creek coho salmon spawning escapement goal range. The Little Susitna River coho salmon sport fish bag limit was also expanded to three fish in mid-August, with ADF&G exceeding the Little Susitna River coho salmon spawning escapement goal range for the first time in six years. All these expanded Mat-Su fishing opportunities occurred during a rather mediocre season for commercial coho salmon harvests. Does ADF&G expect similar Mat-Su personal use and coho salmon fishing opportunities to occur in 2015?

Mat-Su anglers may also be curious to learn what the actual personal use harvest of salmon at Fish Creek was? Did the expanded subsistence fishery on the Upper Yentna River achieve a higher harvest level than has occurred in the recent past?

ADF&G has been conducting studies on Susitna/Yentna River coho salmon for the past few years. What are the latest population estimates for this salmon stock? And which tributary streams harbor the largest spawning populations of Susitna/Yentna coho?

While an engaged public has resulted in positive changes for some Mat-Su fisheries, other fisheries have not been faring so well. In particular the coho salmon fishery at Jim Creek was restricted by Board of Fisheries action last winter, however, despite that regulation change, reduction in commercial drift coho salmon harvest area aimed at passing more coho salmon north, and generally good coho returns throughout Knik Arm streams, the McRoberts Creek (Jim Creek) coho salmon spawning escapement index count was less than one third of the number necessary to achieve the spawning escapement goal in 2014. This makes four out of the past five years this particular escapement goal has not been attained. The obvious question here is how will this fishery be affected next year and farther in the future?

Although Susitna River Sockeye Salmon have been listed as a Stock of Concern for several years now, I have been told, but have not confirmed, that minimum spawning escapement goals may have been missed at both Judd Lake and Larson Lake this year. I know there was a sport fishing emergency order that closed the area near the mouth of Larson Lake to sport fishing for sockeye salmon in early August. Even though the goal level was attained at Chelatna Lake, how does ADF&G plan to address the issue of low sockeye salmon escapement counts at the other two measurements of Susitna River sockeye salmon status?

King Salmon

Mat-Su Valley king salmon fisheries have been managed by inseason emergency orders for the past 3 years now, yet even with restrictive emergency regulations ADF&G failed to attain minimum spawning escapement goals from half of the 17 Northern Cook Inlet streams in 2014 and Little Susitna River was entirely closed before later being reopened in early July. With six of these Northern king salmon stocks currently listed as Stock of Concern, and with several additional Northern king salmon stocks failing to attain even minimum escapement goal levels it is not only probable — but highly likely — ADF&G will once again manage Northern King salmon fisheries by emergency order starting early in the 2015 season. What further adaptive management changes does ADF&G plan in an effort to stabilize fisheries and meet king salmon spawning escapement goal levels in 2015?

With a good turn out and public participation at this Oct. 28 meeting, in order for the public to have an opportunity to participate each individual may only get to ask one or two specific questions of the Department. As you can see, I likely have more questions than can be answered at the meeting, so I will attempt to prioritize with one or maybe two questions. Even so, I plan on attending, participating, and learning. Hope to see you there!

Andy Couch owns and operates Fishtale River Guides and is a member of the Mat-Su Borough Fish and Wildlife Commission and Matanuska Valley Fish and Game Advisory Committee. For more information, visit fish4salmon.com.