Alaska’s statewide stocking plan for sport fisheries

Every year the Alaska Department of FIsh and Game (ADF&G) Statewide Sportfish Stocking Plan comes up for public review. On January 5, 2026 the department issued a public announcement that the 2026 public comment period would occur during the month of January with a comment deadline of Saturday January 31, 2026 at 5 p.m.

There is plenty to read if a sport fisher goes to the departments public announcement and then reads all or even some the linked material. Reading that material brings up some questions. For example, the stocking plan lists some of the objectives of specific programs within the stocking plan, however, how well those specific stocking programs have been achieving the objectives is complicated by different criteria and / or different methods in which the objectives are measured. This makes it difficult for members of the public to compare the effectiveness of different stocking programs / locations in order to make science-based suggestions or recommendations. For those reason I contacted 3 different ADF&G staff members, last week, seeking guidance of what type of public comment might be useful to the stocking plan — and I was specifically interested in the stockings going on in the Mat-Su Valley / Northern Cook Inlet Area.

Most of the stocking locations within the Mat-Su Valley are to landlocked lakes with freshwater species or salmon that will not be migrating to and from the ocean. There currently is one Mat-Su Valley location where anadromous (ocean-running) Chinook / king and coho / silver salmon are scheduled to be stocked on an annual basis. I also learned from 2 of the 3 ADF&G staff members I talked with last week, that they were particularly interested in how to better serve Mat-Su / Northern Cook Inlet anglers who have experienced significantly lower returns of both Chinook and coho salmon to Mat-Su Valley streams. Those low salmon returns have resulted in annual restrictions / closures of two of Mat-Su’Valley’s historically highest participation salmon fisheries. Not surprisingly, participation in terms of annual angler days, sport salmon harvests, and the economic output from Mat-Su Valley salmon fisheries has dropped significantly. The question ADF&G staff posed to me was, how can we use our stocking program to help restore Mat-Su sport fisheries?

One has to keep in mind that all or nearly all of the hatchery space in the state-run Jack Hernandez hatchery is currently fully utilized or nearly fully utilized. In addition, hatchery programs with strong measurable results for king or coho salmon in this part of Alaska mostly involve rearing king salmon or coho salmon to a large smolt size before release — a condition that can be cost prohibitive, and especially if done on a wide-spread basis. Remember, there is currently only one Mat-Su location where the State of Alaska is allowing the release of anadromous Chinook and coho salmon smolt. Another issue is regulations for determining which could be an appropriate stock of Chinook salmon to use for a new stocking location / approved stock may take up to 10 years before full age class cohorts of Chinook salmon may return at that new location.

Because of the conditions mentioned above, the most feasible way to rebuild Mat-Su Valley Chinook and coho salmon returns to the Mat-Su Valley and to rebuild the economic impact from historical participation levels in high value salmon sport fieheries in the Mat-Su Valley may simply be managing the commercial fisheries and ocean conditions to achieve Chinook and coho salmon spawning escapement goals for major Mat-Su salmon producing systems like the Susintna River drainage (as measured by achieving Deshka River Chinook and coho salmon spawning escapement goals) and the Little Susitna River (as measured by achieving Chinook and coho salmon escapement goals in that system as well). Management of ocean conditions and commercial fisheries that would achieve salmon spawning escapement goals at those two Mat-Su Valley / Northern Cook Inlet Chinook and coho salmon producing systems would also produce larger salmon returns / spawning escapements throughout Northern Cook Inlet. It could produce measurable results similar to stocking all the salmon producing systems in Northern Cook Inlet — rather than just one of two systems that may be achievable with adjustments ( possible cuts to other programs) of the 2026 Statewide Stocking Plan for Sport Fisheries.

In my humble opinion, with Alaska’s current limitations in hatchery space and funding, I see no possible way to achieve the annual angler days of participation, salmon harvest levels, and economic impact formerly provided by Mat-Su sport fisheries with abundant wild salmon returns. In addition to my comment of what might be achieved by state management to achieve our wild Chinook and coho salmon escapement goals on a regular basis— the following ideas to adjust the Stocking Plan may provide a much lower, but possible increased level of participation, Chinook / coho harvest, and economic impact.

Consider stocking late-run coho salmon at the already established Eklutna Tailrace terminal fishery — this could provide significant additional days of participation / harvest / and economic impact after most Mat-Su sport salmon fisheries have concluded in late August / early September. Turnagain Arm may provide an acceptable late-run coho salmon stock source.

II. If it may take additional time to develop a late-run coho salmon stocking program at Ekllutna Tailrace — I would suggest increasing the current stocking level of the Ship Creek Hatchery coho stock currently released at the Tailrace. Chinook returns throughout the State of Alaska have been abysmal, while coho salmon returns have maintained at a somewhat higher level. Therefore, more days of angler participation, salmon harvest, and economic impact may be provided by increased coho salmon stocking levels at Ektlutna Tailrace. Whether the stockings of coho salmon at Eklutna Tailrace are adjusted or not — ADF&G should conduct a stock assessment / harvest program to better determine the impact of stocked coho salmon at this location in relation to wild coho stock harvests that occurred before this location was ever stocked with coho and likely continue to contribute to coho salmon harvests at the tailrace and in the Knik River side-channel below the tailrace. In addition, following research from other stocking programs, imprinting coho released at Eklutna Tailrace should be utilized as a tool to more fully utilize surplus returning hatchery coho salmon from Eklutna Tailrace — while diminishing hatchery impacts on wild Knik River coho salmon stock(s).

III. If necessary to provide a late-run coho stocking / increased coho stocking level at Eklutna Tailrace, reduction to the high level of Chinook salmon stocked at the Tailrace should be considered. A stock / harvest assessment of stocked Eklutna Tailrace Chinook salmon compared to wild Knik River or Matanuska River Chinook salmon should be conducted by ADF&G. Early season angler participation, Chinook harvests, and economic impact appear to be lower from this fishery compared to the same measurements formerly provided by the wild fisheries occurring at Deshka and Little Susitna River. This appears to at least partially be caused by May / early June low water levels in the Knik River side-channel leading up to Eklutna Tailrace that may inhibit early season Chinook migration into the side-channel / fishing area. In 2024 ADF&G opened the “terminal” fishery for hatchery fish downstream from the side-channel to the Knik River railroad bridge. Additional early season fishing and some Chinook harvest occurred in this expanded area, however the expanded area has been subsequently closed to Chinook salmon fishing, because of concerns for low Matanuska River drainage returns of wild Chinook salmon. A department assessment / creel census of Chinook catches / harvests form the current area open to Chinook fishing, as well as the expanded area down to the railroad bridge, would better inform management of both this stocked hatchery return and the wild Chinook salmon that may also be present.

Public Comment Welcome and Requested!

Although Andy Couch is a member of the Matanuska - Susitna Borough Fish and Wildlife Commission and the Matanuska Valley FIsh and Game Advisory Committee the thoughts and opinions expressed in this column are his own - unless noted otherwise.