All Cook Inlet coho goals behind projections

Little Susitna River, Fish Creek and Jim Creek are the only streams with coho salmon spawning escapement goals in all of Upper Cook Inlet.

With its latest sportfishing emergency order prohibiting coho salmon fishing on these and all other Knik Arm drainage streams (except for the Eklutna Tailrace hatchery coho fishery), the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) has acknowledged that each of these streams is in jeopardy of failing to get sufficient coho salmon spawning escapements to fully seed each stream. For further information read emergency order 2-SS-2-53-12 .

With emergency order 2S-37-12, the ADF&G commercial fisheries division closed the entire Northern District commercial set gillnet fishery for Aug. 16, in light of the same shortages of coho salmon. For conservation’s sake, it is good to see the commercial division finally make this emergency regulation change on the entire Northern District fishery; however, it is interesting that the emergency order was still only made for one commercial fishing period, while the sport fishing emergency order was made for the rest of the 2012 fishing season.

With historical run timing on the Little Susitna River placing 61 percent of the coho salmon from that system above the weir by Aug. 14, and with only 2,587 coho having passed the weir by Aug. 14, it seems the emergency orders issued now and earlier this month may be too little, too late for ADF&G to attain the 10,100 minimum range of the Little Susitna River coho salmon spawning escapement goal this year. Such an event combined with failure to attain the Little Susitna River coho salmon spawning escapement goal in 2009, 2010 and 2011 should trigger a stock of concern status for Little Susitna River coho salmon during the upcoming Board of Fisheries cycle.

Stock of concern status calls for the development of an action plan on how to manage the situation. Such a plane could trigger future restrictions on harvest of Little Susitna River coho salmon by some (or all) harvesting user groups.

The thought of potential future regulation restrictions on some of the most popular coho salmon stocks in all of Upper Cook Inlet is a bitter pill for both sport and commercial harvesters to swallow. Yet, such change may be the only way to rebound salmon escapements to these important coho salmon producing streams.

Health of Deshka River coho salmon

While monitored with a salmon counting weir, and although the coho escapement is lower than normal for this time of year at 5,473 coho past the weir as of Aug. 14, the ADF&G sport fish managers have decided to allow the Deshka River coho salmon fishery to continue unrestricted, at least for now. From discussion with area sport fisheries management biologist Sam Ivey, this decision to continue with an unrestricted fishery at the Deshka River seems to be at least somewhat of a default decision based on the fact that ADF&G has not formally set a coho salmon spawning escapement goal for the Deshka River.

At least for now, coho salmon fisheries on other Susitna River tributary streams will continue without restriction for two reasons — lack of established escapement goals and lack of precise inseason measurements of coho salmon escapements to these other streams.

Last of 2012 Mat-Su coho fishing coming soon

Every indication I’ve seen suggests Mat-Su coho salmon runs may be winding down sooner than normal this year — exactly what one might expect from a poorer than normal coho salmon return year. In the meantime, for those still interested in fishing for coho salmon in areas that will likely have low fishing pressure for the remainder of 2012, consider fishing Parks Highway tributary streams to the Susitna River, the Talkeetna River or Deshka River. Another good bet for those living close to Palmer would likely be Eklutna Tailrace to target hatchery coho salmon.

Fresh or home-cured salmon roe are top coho salmon producers as are Mepps and Vibrax spinners in sizes 3-5. Hope to see you soon on one of Mat-Su Valley’s prime fishing rivers, and good luck!

Andy Couch owns and operates Fishtale River Guides (fish4salmon.com) is a Mat-Su Anglers Club member (matsuanglers.org) and member of the Mat-Su Borough Fish and Wildlife Commission.