Early harvests indicate good 2013 Cook Inlet coho return

Commercial drift net coho salmon harvest of 11,165 cohos in the Central District, and a Northern District set net harvest of 676 through July 8, show there could be substantial coho salmon available for harvest this year.

After poor Mat-Su king salmon returns in 2011 and 2012 and four years of poor coho to the Little Susitna River, such news could not come any too soon for Mat-Su anglers. The big question is if adequate numbers of coho salmon will make it past commercial gill nets and into Northern Cook Inlet steams to provide adequate spawning escapements and enough fish for sport fish opportunities unrestricted by Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) emergency order regulations.

ADF&G has forecasted large returns of Kasilof and Kenai River sockeye salmon to Upper Cook Inlet as well, and sockeye escapement numbers to the Kasilof River and a commercial sockeye harvest of more than 250,000 fish on July 8 show large numbers of sockeye are already available.

Large numbers of harvestable surplus sockeye salmon is often the justification used by ADF&G managers to allow extra commercial harvest opportunity in Upper Cook Inlet. Some harvest opportunity increases commercial exploitation of all salmon species present — including Stock of Concern-bound Susitna River sockeye salmon and Little Susitna River coho salmon, which are teetering on the brink of a Stock of Concern designation after failing to meet ADF&G’s established minimum spawning escapement number of 10,100 fish for each of the past four years.

Further complicating this equation is ADF&G’s low forecast for late-run Kenai River king salmon. According to ADF&G commercial manager Pat Shields, the department will be making its first in-season assessment of Kenai king salmon run strength on July 12. According to Shields, the two most likely outcomes from that assessment are:

• ADF&G could make a restriction to the Kenai River king salmon sport fishery — which could then cause a restriction to the Central District set net fishery and corresponding expansion of the Central District gill net fishery (which harvests relatively few Kenai River bound king salmon, but larger numbers of coho salmon).

• ADF&G may also put off making a management decision on Kenai River king salmon until a later date.

Drift harvest and salmon returns

Many advocates for management to increase salmon escapements to Northern Cook Inlet and Mat-Su streams, including retired area ADF&G sport fisheries manager Larry Engel, believe drift harvests in the Central District far from the Kasilof and Kenai Rivers may be having a strong negative impact on other salmon stocks.

Shields seemed to have an entirely different view when he told me on Wednesday that, “On a strong coho salmon year, I don’t believe the drifters can catch enough coho salmon to affect sport fisheries in the Mat-Su Valley.”

Shields at this point is thinking 2013 may be such a year — one that will provide great coho salmon fishing in the Mat-Su — regardless of commercial drift harvests. He further indicated that 2013 may be a strong year for Mat-Su chum salmon returns.

Stock of Concern Susitna River sockeye salmon were a species that he seemed less positive about, and he mentioned that more will have to been seen from them. At this point in the season, the department will be following the Central District Drift Gillnet Fishery Management Plan in restricting the drifters to the expanded Kasilof and Kenai corridors on the regular period scheduled for July 11. This should provide a limited opportunity for northern-bound sockeye, chum and coho salmon to swim through the Central District and possibly make it to northern streams.

As of July 9, Upper Cook Inlet drift harvests total 437,855 sockeye salmon, 29,032 chum salmon, 11,137 coho salmon, 1,776 pink salmon and 145 king salmon. In contrast, escapement numbers monitored through the Deshka River weir show 17,910 king salmon and 45 pink salmon. On Little Susitna River, escapement numbers counted through the weir are 1,836 king salmon, 175 sockeye salmon, 53 chum salmon and four pink salmon. No coho salmon have been counted through either weir at this time.

The good news is July Upper Cook Inlet salmon runs are materializing. Will significant corresponding Mat-Su sport fisheries materialize as well? Time will tell.

Current Mat-Su salmon opportunities

Sport fishing for king salmon in Mat-Su streams (except Eklutna Tailrace) closes on July 13. On July 14, the emergency king salmon regulation issued by ADF&G reverts back to regular fishing regulation printed in the regulation booklets. Most of the king salmon fishing is now over for the season. But for those waiting to fish the Parks Highway tributaries of the Susitna River between Willow and Talkeetna, they will all reopen in the lower section starting July 14, and in many location the use of bait will be allowed. e sure to read the regulation for the specific fishery in which you are interested in fishing.

In last week’s column, I mention that the first chum and coho salmon could be caught over the holiday weekend. I did not hear of any such catches, but on Monday, two guests in my guide boat caught one silver (coho) salmon each. These are the first two Mat-Su coho catches that I know about, but some may have happened earlier, and many more are sure to follow. I have not heard of any chum salmon yet being taken, but as mentioned earlier, 53 chum salmon have already made it past ADF&G’s Little Susitna River salmon counting weir.

Correction

In last week’s column I made an error in stating that sport fishing on Little Susitna River would be restricted to one artificial lure with one single hook until Aug. 5. The correct statement should have been that sport fishing between the river terminus and the Parks Highway bridge will be restricted to artificial lures only through Aug. 5.

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