Copper River coho periods stretch to 36 hours next week

Copper River drift gillnetters get half again more time next week: the Alaska Department of Fish and Game is opening the district for 36-hour periods starting at 7 a.m. Monday, Sept. 21, and 7 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 24, up from the 24-hour periods fished earlier this month.

Announcement #53 gives no reason for the longer periods. It reports the Sept. 12 week's Copper River Delta survey count, 40,780 coho salmon against an anticipated range of 18,286 to 38,285, and stops. When it shortened periods the department said why: on Aug. 26 it closed the district to "improve escapement," the fish that reach the spawning grounds, after delta counts fell below target.

The Bering River District counted 17,200 coho, inside its anticipated range of 6,969 to 17,691, and gets matching 36-hour openings on the same two days. Harvest from the 24-hour period that started Sept. 14 came to 12,300 coho on 130 deliveries, boat loads landed, in the Copper River District and 2,550 coho on 29 deliveries in the Bering River District.

The closure line across Little Softuk stays extended: waters north of it, in sloughs and within Boswell Bay are closed to commercial and subsistence salmon fishing during all periods.

ADF&G's 2026 Prince William Sound fishery information says "the standard management strategy for coho salmon is one or two 24-hour commercial fishing periods per week, depending on escapement and harvest levels," and puts the district's coho commercial harvest at a 10-year average of 184,000 fish.

Miles Lake sonar counted 317,769 salmon by June 28, the lowest cumulative count on record for the date in 40 years. The Chitina Subdistrict personal use dip net fishery closed a week in July and ran 48 hours a week through August. The next gillnet announcement is due by 2 p.m. Friday, Sept. 25.