King salmon restrictions announced

MAT-SU — The Alaska Department of Fish and Game released its 2014 season king salmon sport fishing restrictions for the Valley in a series of emergency orders and news releases last week.

Some of the restrictions are a direct result of Board of Fisheries actions at its February meeting in Anchorage and the rest stem from Fish and Game authority to impose restrictions based on conservation concerns.

Most of the restrictions are aimed at trying to make minimum escapements in Valley river systems for broodstock purposes.

King salmon restrictions include:

• The starting date when bait is allowed by regulation on the Deshka River was moved from May 15 to June 1.

• A youth-only (15-years and younger) fishery was established at the Eklutna Tailrace for the third Saturday in June from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. from the confluence with the Knik River to the pedestrian bridge.

• Only one unbaited, single-hook artificial lure is allowed for any king salmon fishing, and king salmon harvest in the Little Susitna River is restricted to Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays only.

In the Susitna River drainage, king salmon harvest of any size (including fish shorter than 20 inches) is prohibited within Unit 1 (except the Deshka River), on the Parks Highway systems within Unit 2, the upper Susitna River (Unit 3), the Talachulitna River in Unit 4, the Talkeetna River in Unit 5 and the Chulitna River in Unit 6.

King salmon harvest is allowed seven days a week on the Deshka River and on specific days within the Yentna River drainage (Unit 4), except for the Talachulitna River. Harvest on those systems within Unit 4 open to king salmon will be restricted to Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays only. For those water systems where harvest is only allowed on specific days, fishing is allowed on the other days, but no retention of kings is permitted. King salmon caught but intended to be released may not be removed from the water and must be released immediately.

The total annual limit of king salmon 20 inches or longer taken from fresh waters of Cook Inlet remains at five; however, of those five, only two kings 20 inches or longer may be harvested in combination from the Susitna River and/or Little Susitna River drainages.

Anyone harvesting a king salmon more than 20 inches long may not fish for any species of fish on the same day in flowing waters open to king salmon in the Susitna River and Knik Arm drainages.

The Eklutna Tailrace is excluded from all these restrictions because that fishery is totally hatchery supported and Fish and Game wants all fish harvested, if possible.

Restrictions begin May 1 in the Susitna River and Knik Arm drainages.

Other sport fishing restrictions announced in the emergency orders and news releases include a youth-only fishery for coho at the Eklutna Tailrace that will be held the third Saturday in August from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. from the pedestrian bridge down to the confluence with the Knik River. On Jim Creek, sport fishing is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays from Aug. 9 through Dec. 31; Leaf and Mud Lakes were added to the closed waters for salmon fishing; and once a bag limit of salmon is taken, a person may not fish for any species in waters open to salmon fishing that same day.

After Jan. 1, 2017, folks fishing from boats on the Little Susitna River can only use four-stroke or direct fuel injected two-stroke motors.

The almost three-year delay on imposing this requirement is to allow anglers to upgrade their motors to comply with the regulation.

Fish Creek, in the Talkeetna River drainage upstream from the Fish and Game marker a quarter-mile upstream from its confluence with the Talkeetna River, is closed to sport fishing for all salmon year-round.

To review these and the other sport fishing regulations in the Valley and surrounding areas, read a copy of the 2014 Southcentral Alaska Sport Fishing Regulations summary booklet, which should be available in April. The Palmer Fish and Game office should have summaries of the regulation changes mentioned above and can answer any questions anglers might have.

Howard Delo is a retired fisheries biologist with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. You can leave him a message by emailing sports@frontiersman.com.