Youth-only fishing Saturday at Eklutna Tailrace

PALMER — Saturday will be all about the young anglers fishing the Eklutna Tailrace.

A section of the fishery, from the confluence with the Knik River up to the pedestrian bridge will be open to only anglers ages 15 and younger Saturday from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The remainder of the tailrace will be open to anglers of all ages.

“We encourage adults to bring young anglers out to the Eklutna Tailrace to give them a shot at catching coho salmon,” Samantha Oslund, an assistant area management biologist based in Palmer, said in a press release issued by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.

According to the press release, the daily bag and possession limit for the fishery, located at Mile 3.5 of the Old Glenn Highway, is three coho, or silver, salmon. Anglers are allowed to use bait and multiple hooks (no more than two single hooks or two treble hooks per line). Adults can assist young anglers in baiting the hook and casting, but the catching must be done by anglers 15 and under.

Youth fisheries were established by the Alaska State Legislature and implemented by the Alaska Board of Fisheries to provide special opportunity for young people to catch fish.

Jim Creek closed to all salmon fishing Saturday

Thursday, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game issued a press release alerting the public that the Jim Creek drainage — which includes all waters downstream to the Knik River and continuing downstream on the Knik River within 100 yards of its confluence with Bodenberg Creek — will be closed to all fishing for salmon starting at 12:01 a.m. Saturday.

“While there are still a few sockeye salmon in Jim Creek, the intent of this closure is to protect coho salmon and give more fish an opportunity to reach the spawning grounds,” Sam Ivey, a sport fish area management biologist based in Palmer, said in a press release issued by ADF&G.

According to Ivey in the release, as of Aug. 17 the department has counted 196 silvers through the weir. At this time in 2015, the department had counted 1,500 silvers through the weir.

“We will continue to monitor the coho salmon run using daily weir counts and boys surveys of upper Jim Creek and Leaf Lake,” Ivey said.

In the release, Ivey said the sustainable escapement goal for Jim Creek is 450-1,400 coho salmon. Since 2010, that goal has only been met in 2013, and again in 2015 after a closure to the fishery late in the season.