King salmon sport fishing closed in Norton Sound fresh waters

Sport anglers fishing Norton Sound fresh waters can no longer target king salmon, and any king hooked incidentally must be released immediately without leaving the water, under an emergency order issued by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.

The closure covers all fresh waters along the Norton Sound coast from Bald Head to Point Romanof, including the Unalakleet, Shaktoolik, Koyuk, Ungalik, Inglutalik, and Golsovia drainages. ADF&G stated: "All king salmon caught incidentally in the waters described above while fishing for other species may not be removed from the water and must be released immediately."

Separate ADF&G measures address other fisheries in the same area. In Norton Sound Subdistricts 5 and 6, marine waters are closed to subsistence gillnet fishing while fresh waters remain open to beach seining with non-retention of king salmon. Chinook conservation measures also shape commercial fishing schedules in Norton Sound through closed waters and timed openings tied to Chinook abundance. The closure fits a broader 2026 pattern of ADF&G Chinook conservation orders across Western Alaska, including a westside Kodiak Island closure that ran through June 30.