Fish and Game Opens Two-Week King Salmon Fishery at Gunnuk Creek

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game will open a limited king salmon fishery at Gunnuk Creek near Petersburg and Wrangell from June 1 through June 14, targeting surplus hatchery fish while most surrounding waters remain closed to king salmon retention.

Emergency Order 13-1-KS-C-13-26, issued April 27, sets a bag and possession limit of two king salmon 28 inches or greater for Alaska residents fishing the Gunnuk Creek Special Harvest Area. Nonresidents may keep one king salmon per day, with an annual limit of three fish.

The order gives local anglers a narrow window to harvest hatchery-produced kings in terminal waters while broader restrictions remain in place across Southeast Alaska. Most Petersburg management area waters prohibit king salmon retention until June 14. Waters adjacent to the Stikine River stay closed until July 14.

Gunnuk Creek flows into Anita Bay, about 30 miles south of Petersburg on Wrangell Island. The special harvest area designation under state regulation 5 AAC 40.071 allows targeted fishing for hatchery fish returning to spawn without affecting wild king salmon stocks in nearby systems.

Jeffrey Rice, area management biologist for the Division of Sport Fish, signed the emergency order under authority granted in 5 AAC 47.021(m)(5) for the Petersburg and Wrangell vicinity.

The two-week opening reflects the timing of hatchery king salmon returns to Gunnuk Creek. Fish and Game managers use emergency orders to adjust harvest limits based on run strength and timing, particularly in terminal areas where hatchery and wild fish can be separated.

The 28-inch minimum size applies to both resident and nonresident anglers. King salmon smaller than 28 inches must be released immediately.

Nonresident anglers face tighter restrictions than residents, limited to one fish per day and three fish for the entire year across all Alaska waters. The annual limit applies statewide, not just to the Gunnuk Creek fishery.

The opening comes as Fish and Game maintains protective measures for wild king salmon stocks throughout Southeast Alaska. King salmon populations have declined across much of the region in recent years, prompting managers to restrict harvest in most areas during early summer when wild fish migrate through coastal waters.

Hatchery programs at facilities like the one serving Gunnuk Creek produce surplus fish that can be harvested without affecting wild stocks, provided fishing occurs in terminal areas where hatchery fish concentrate before spawning.

Anglers fishing Gunnuk Creek must follow standard Southeast Alaska sport fishing regulations in addition to the emergency order limits. A valid Alaska sport fishing license is required. All fish must be recorded on harvest cards.