King salmon fisheries show poor returns, face closures

According to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) June 8 fishing report, unless king salmon counts increase significantly through the Deshka River Weit, the king salmon fishery faces a sport king salmon fishing closure in less than a week.

Poor angler success rates on other Mat-Su king salmon fisheries indicate low returns elsewhere and could also lead to king salmon fishing closures throughout most of the Mat-Su steams open to sport king salmon fishing.

Readers may remember that last week I predicted a dramatic increase in king salmon fishing success by this time, and to some extent that has occurred. In particular it occurred on the Deshka River, where recent rains and cloudy weather cooled water temperatures, helping draw king salmon into the river and increasing angler harvest rates and participation in the fishery. While fishing success has been good for nearly a week now, the Deshka River weir counts of king salmon have lagged far behind what is normally needed to reach the minimum ADF&G escapement level of 13, 000 king salmon.

Many Deshka River anglers know that large numbers of king salmon often return clear into July on what in many years is the Mat-Su’s largest sport king salmon fishery; however, by June 10 at least a few daily weir counts in excess of 1,000 kings per day usually occur on years with good king salmon returns. This year the total number of king salmon passing the Deshka River weir through June 8 has only been 544 fish. At this time, it is easy to see escapement levels have been far from what is necessary to reach the previously mentioned minimum goal of 13,000. At the same time, ADF&G Area Sportfish Management Biologist Dave Rutz has attempted to allow the Deshka River king salmon fishery to proceed long enough to see if perhaps the run may simply be just a bit late. Closing this and other Mat-Su king salmon fisheries for a second year in a row would have a large negative economic and recreational impact for Mat-Su Valley residents, businesses and the whole Mat-Su tourism industry.

On the other hand, failure by ADF&G to make emergency restrictions or closures could result in poor enough king salmon escapement levels to impact future Mat-Su Valley king salmon returns as well. Thus, ADF&G is in that proverbial position between a rock and a hard spot. Either decision ADF&G makes, at this point, seems to have negative impacts, but that is why Alaska pays professional managers to make such decisions. The state desires and invests money into managing fisheries for maximum benefits.

While ADF&G has allowed Mat-Su sport king salmon fisheries located nearest the saltwater areas to proceed long enough to get an indication of how king salmon returns are occurring, and also has provided some positive economic activity to occur, I wonder if ADF&G plans to provide a similar amount of time before making decisions for the Mat-Su king salmon fisheries with later run timing because of their distance from saltwater areas. Specifically, I refer to the Parks Highway, Talkeetna River and upper Yentna and Susitna River tributary fisheries. A very professional reporter would likely have the answer to such a question before writing about it in a newspaper. As a sport fishing guide, my professional obligations have not allowed me the time for such research at this point. I do believe it should be considered, however, and that is why I mention it here.

For Mat-Su residents who would like to see changes in how Mat-Su king salmon fisheries are managed, the Upper Cook Inlet Board of Fisheries meeting, occurring next winter in Anchorage, allows public participation in the making of such decisions. This is notable, since fishery issues from the Mat-Su area are only heard once every three years, during the normal Board of Fisheries cycle.

To those who were expecting me to write about free fishing information sources this week as was my intention mentioned in last week’s column, I still plan on writing that information, but decided that possible restrictions or closures of Mat-Su king salmon fisheries should take precedence this week.

E-mail this column at sports@frontiersman.com if you have Mat-Su fishing questions or information readers should know. Andy Couch owns and operates Fishtale River Guides www.fish4salmon.com is a Mat-Su Anglers Club member, and member of the Matanuska-Susitna Mayor’s Blue Ribbon Sportsmens Committee.