Chignik Bay District gets 48-hour window before Chinook plan closes it again Monday

The Chignik Bay District reopened to commercial salmon fishing Saturday at 12:30 p.m., but only until Monday. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game issued Advisory Announcement No. 11 on Thursday, July 9, opening the district for exactly 48 hours before it closes again at 12:30 p.m. on July 13 under the Chignik Chinook Salmon Action Plan.

That rhythm is not accidental. The action plan sets a hard structure: commercial openings run no longer than 48 hours, followed by closures of no less than 72 hours, until Chinook escapement reaches 1,300 fish. The Chignik River Chinook run has failed to meet its biological escapement goal in six of the last seven years, hitting a record low of 267 fish in 2023, according to ADF&G's 2026 management report. That history is why seiners are fishing in two-day windows during July.

Geographic Restrictions

Two geographic restrictions remain in place regardless of district status: all Bay District waters south of a line from the tip of Oly's Point to a point approximately midway between Rocky Point and Jerry's Point are closed through July 31, and East Mitrofania (statistical area 273-77) is also closed through July 31. Purse seine operators must release live Chinook 28 inches or longer unharmed but must retain and record on a fish ticket any Chinook that are visibly injured or dead.

The Eastern, Central, Western, and Perryville Districts remain open until further notice. Commercial permit holders may not subsistence fish for salmon during the 12 hours before a commercial fishing period or the 12 hours after it closes. Local commercial fishermen and community representatives, including those in the Perryville community, have argued that repeated short openings and long closures under the Chinook action plan impose severe economic hardship on Chignik Bay seiners and the broader community. Fishers can monitor VHF Channel 6 at 9:15 a.m. and 5:15 p.m. daily for updates.