Fish and Game to ban sport fishing on Deshka Friday

MAT-SU — Citing this season’s low numbers of king salmon, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game will close the Deshka River king salmon fishery to sport fishing at 11p.m., Friday.

The department said the river will be closed from its mouth, upstream to a marker near Chijuk Creek. Also, all waters of the Susitna River within a half-mile radius of the Deshka River confluence will be closed to sport fishing.

The move comes nearly a week after fish and game banned bait fishing on the river in an attempt to reduce the harvest amid dismal numbers of salmon this year.

The river’s typical biological escapement goal is anywhere from 13,000 to 28,000 fish by the end of the season, according to Sam Ivey the department’s assistant area management biologist for the Northern Cook Inlet.

“Based upon late run timing, which this run appears to be displaying, approximately 50 percent of the escapement should have passed the weir by June 20,” a fish and game news release said.

By Thursday morning, only 2,009 fish have passed the weir, according to the news release.

Ivey said fish and game is only projecting a run of 4,000 fish.

“That’s pretty grim,” Ivey said.

He added Alaska Wildlife Troopers will be enforcing the no fishing rule.

Fish and game said if it appears the escapement goal will be met before July 13, the sport fishery will be reopened.

The Frontiersman will follow this story as it develops.