Kodiak king salmon bag limit cut to one fish as Karluk runs collapse

Alaska Department of Fish and Game reduced the Kodiak Area king salmon bag limit to one fish per day for the 2026 season and closed west side salt waters from May 1 through June 30 after only 93 king salmon were counted in the Karluk River last season.

The island-wide restriction, which took effect April 1 and runs through September 15, aligns Kodiak with Gulf of Alaska regulations. The west side closure between Outlet Cape and Cape Ikolik protects king salmon returning to Karluk and Ayakulik rivers. Both river drainages, including the Karluk lagoon and its outlet stream, remain closed to king salmon fishing entirely.

Alaska News previously covered the Karluk River king salmon collapse, noting that the 2024 count of 76 fish was well below escapement goals. The 2025 count of 93 fish represents a marginal increase but remains far below targets. Federal subsistence managers closed Karluk River Chinook harvest in 2017 due to conservation concerns, and the stock has not recovered.

King salmon caught incidentally while fishing for other species in the closed west side salt waters may not be removed from the water and must be released immediately. Tyler Polum, Kodiak Area Management Biologist for ADF&G Sport Fish Division, authored the June 1 fishing report detailing the restrictions.