Little Susitna River coho fishing closed for season

With Emergency Order 2-SS-2-50-12, the Alaska Department of FIsh and Game (ADF&G) closed coho (silver) salmon fishing on the Little Susitna River for the remainder of the 2012 fishing season. When fishing for any other species of fish on the Little Susitna River downstream of the Parks Highway, anglers will remain restricted to using artificial lures.

Popular Jim Creek coho fishery limit reduction and fishing hours closure

With Emergency Order 2-SS-2-51-12, ADF&G reduced the coho salmon bag limit on Jim Creek from two fish to one fish, and also closed sport fishing on Jim Creek to all fishing between the hours of 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. daily. This is a 50 percent reduction in bag limit and a 50 percent reduction in the amount of hours open to fishing each day. With fishing only open between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m., many employed sport anglers will undoubtedly find it more difficult to participate in the fishery without taking time off from work.

Portion of Northern District commercial fishery closed for one day

With Emergency Order 2S-32-12, ADF&G closed commercial fishing in a portion of the Northern District for one day, Aug. 9, because of the lack of coho salmon escapement to the Little Susitna River.

Regular readers of this column know that I have been calling for more responsible management by ADF&G concerning coho and other salmon species returning to Mat-Su Valley/Northern District streams. While I am overjoyed to see the department finally make its first restriction to commercial fishing in the Northern District based on lack of coho salmon abundance in the past two years of extreme coho shortage to both Little Susitna River and Jim Creek, closing the commercial fishery for only one day in only a portion of the Northern District is inadequate to say the least.

All those interested in the health and long-term sustainability of Mat-Su Valley/Northern District coho salmon stocks can remain hopeful that ADF&G may make further restrictions to Northern District commercial fishing in light of the extreme coho salmon shortages that are occurring. But why does the commercial fish division manager even imply that a one-day closure to only a portion of the Northern District commercial fishery meets the requirements of managing for Northern District coho salmon?

When ADF&G sport fish division closes an entire sport fishery for the remainder of the season and reduces the bag limit and closes hours on another popular sport fishery for the entire remainder of the season, it is totally unacceptable that the commercial fish division only makes a one-day closure. From a public relations and communications standpoint, ADF&G should make the remainder of the season restriction(s) and or closure(s) to the entire Northern District commercial fishery.

There are only three ADF&G established coho salmon escapement goals in all of Upper Cook Inlet, an area that sees its southern border start down at Anchor Point near Homer. Those coho goals are for Little Susitna River, Jim Creek and Fish Creek, all located on the northern end of Upper Cook Inlet. Both Little Susitna River and Jim Creek have documented shortages of coho salmon necessary to meet spawning escapement needs, thus the sport fishing closure of Little Sustina River and bag limit reduction and sport fishing hours closure on Jim Creek. As the season moves later into August, commercial salmon harvests in the Northern District show higher and higher percentages of coho salmon harvest.

According to ADF&G commercial fish staff testimony before the Board of Fisheries in 2011, the significant portion of sockeye salmon harvest is done in the Northern District by Aug. 1. So why does the department continue to allow unrestricted commercial fishing in the Eastern Subdistrict of the Northern District, when that fishery only lessens the likely hood of meeting ADF&G established escapement goals?

Past ADF&G studies have clearly shown that harvests of Knik Arm salmon stocks (such as Little Susitna River, FIsh Creek, Jim Creek and others) occur in the Eastern Subdistrict of the Northern District commercial fishery.

Remaining coho sport fishing opportunities

Fish Creek, Cottonwood Creek and Rabbit Slough/Wasilla Creek remain open to coho salmon fishing with a two-fish limit — but remember sport fishing for salmon is only allowed on a small portion of these stream and restricted to the hours of 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekends only.

Desha River remains open to coho salmon fishing with a three fish daily coho salmon limit, but from discussions with Ben Allen of Miller’s Riverboat Service, I’ve learned that Deshka River coho salmon fishing has slowed down recently along with weir passage of coho salmon near Mile 7, Deshka River. One has to wonder if Deshka River had an established coho salmon spawning escapement goal, would ADF&G be restricting and/or closing sport coho salmon fishing at that location as well?

Conversations with Jeff Boatright at Susitna Landing and Bob Meals of Tri River Charters in Talkeetna have shown anglers were catching coho salmon along the Parks Highway streams and in the Talkeetna River drainage. A simple call to either of these individuals should reveal current water and fishing conditions for coho salmon.

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