Copper River king salmon closed to sport fishing; Chitina dipnetters barred from keeping kings all season

King salmon fishing in the Upper Copper River drainage is closed, and Chitina personal use dipnetters will not be allowed to keep a single king salmon this season, under emergency orders that restrict king salmon harvest across the region during what ADF&G describes as a weak Copper River Chinook run.

What the Orders Cover

Emergency Order 3-KS-I-15-26 closed the Gulkana, Klutina, and Tonsina Rivers to king salmon targeting effective July 10; incidentally caught kings must be released without being removed from the water. All flowing waters in the Upper Copper River drainage are also restricted to no bait and single-hook artificial lures. A separate order eliminates king retention at Chitina for the full season. "Due to concerns that the king salmon escapement goal will not be met, closing the Upper Copper River king salmon sport fisheries is warranted," ADF&G said. Dipnetters can pursue sockeye only during the current openings: one running July 16–19 under Emergency Order 3-RS-I-14-26 and another running July 20–26 under Emergency Order 3-RS-I-19-26. ADF&G was direct about what that means: "personal use dipnetters won't be provided any opportunity to retain a king salmon this season."

In its July 16 fishing report, the department listed the Chitina dip net fishery as open continuously from 12:01 a.m. Thursday, July 16 through 11:59 p.m. Sunday, July 26, the same span the two emergency orders divide into back-to-back sockeye openings.

The Numbers Behind the Closures

ADF&G cited preseason forecasts and sonar counts in support of the closures. The agency's preseason forecast put the 2026 Copper River Chinook run at a weak 33,000 fish, 27% below the 10-year average of 45,000, and Miles Lake sonar passage as of July 6 was the lowest on record since species apportionment began in 2019. Sockeye fishing remains open throughout the drainage, with Klutina River fishing improved and daily bag limits being filled. For questions on the Chitina Personal Use Fishery, ADF&G's hotline is (907) 822-5224.

The closures do not touch the Glennallen Subdistrict subsistence salmon fishery, which opened by regulation June 1 and remains open through Sept. 30, with no emergency orders specific to it.

Local conditions were mixed. The Copper River was flowing below average in response to cooler air temperatures, and the flow gauge at Chitina has been offline since June 15 because of equipment problems. Gulkana River flow remained above average but fishable, while the Klutina ran below average for this time of year.