King salmon fishing in the Little Su, Susitna River drainage to close Friday

WASILLA —All king salmon fishing in the Little Susitna and the Susitna River drainage will close Friday at 6 a.m., according to a pair of press releases issued by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game Wednesday morning.

“King salmon stocks throughout Cook Inlet, including the Susitna River drainages, are experiencing a period of low productivity. This was not an easy decision,” area management biologist Sam Ivey said in the release. “ADF&G staff understands the frustrations and tremendous impact closing this fishery down has on anglers, local businesses, and guides, as we are also fishermen and women. Nonetheless, ADF&G has a duty to protect, maintain, and improve our sport fisheries and without these further restrictions we more than likely will not meet our escapement goals.”

The Susitna River drainage including popular Parks Highway-area fisheries such as Willow Creek, Montana Creek, Sheep Creek and Deshka Landing.

The order is effective Friday at 6 a.m. through July 13 at 11:59 p.m. Restrictions also include sport fishing gear limitations when fishing for other species in the Susitna River drainage, according to the release. It includes only the use of single-hook, unbaited, artificial lures. Anglers can fish for other species seven days per week, 6 a.m. to 11 p.m., according to ADF&G.

The department also announced Wednesday the closure of king salmon fishing in the Little Susitna River. This order is also in effect Friday at 6 a.m. through July 13 at 11:59 p.m.

“Since mid-June, high water conditions have prevented ADF&G staff from counting king salmon as they pass through the weir. Nonetheless, substantiated reports from guides and anglers in conjunction with an observed low abundance of five-year king salmon, which typically make up about half of the run on any given year by ADF&G staff, indicates that the Little Susitna River is experiencing a weak run of king salmon,” Ivey said in a press release. “To sustain the king salmon brood stock, it is imperative that ADF&G close the Little Susitna River to king salmon fishing. Low king salmon productivity is being felt not only in Southcentral Alaska, but statewide and every fish counts towards achieving our escapement goals in 2018.”

The closure includes catch-and-release fishing from the mouth of the Little Susitna to the Parks Highway.

Yentna River subsistence fishery to close

In addition to closing king salmon fishing in the Susitna Rive drainage and the Little Susitna River, ADF&G also announced the Yentna River subsistence fishery will be closed to king salmon fishing Monday at 4 a.m. through June 30 at 11:59 p.m.

“Cook Inlet is experiencing a low productivity run of king salmon stocks, and reports from guides, anglers and fish wheels indicate that the run strength in the Susitna River drainage is lower than expected at the outset of the season,” deputy director Tom Taube said in the release.

Taube said department staff was cautiously optimistic that the king salmon run would increase as the season progressed.

“That is not the case,” Taube said.

According to the release, the sustainable escapement goal for king salmon in the Deshka River is 13,000 to 28,000 fish, and is measured in a weir at Mile 7 of the river. Department staff said about 50 percent of the escapement should have already passed through the weir. Wednesday’s release stated only 3,974 fish had passed through the weir. The total projection now is 8,255, well below the goal.