Kodiak king salmon capped at 1 fish daily as two river drainages stay closed through July 25

Two emergency orders restrict Kodiak's king salmon fishing. A one-fish daily bag and possession limit, with no annual limit, applies across all Kodiak Area salt waters through Sept. 15, and the Karluk and Ayakulik River drainages are closed to king salmon fishing through 11:59 p.m. Saturday, July 25. During the closure, gear in those drainages is restricted to one unbaited, single-hook artificial lure.

The saltwater limit is part of a Gulf of Alaska-wide 2026 conservation order. Area Management Biologist Tyler Polum described it as "in alignment with the rest of the Gulf of Alaska for the 2026 season." ADF&G issued the order citing the need "to reduce harvest of king salmon stocks that are experiencing a period of low productivity."

The Karluk closure reflects low escapement counts: Chinook counts were 379 fish in 2023, 76 in 2024, and 93 in 2025, against a biological goal of 3,000 to 6,000. A May 2026 subsistence order barred Chinook retention in the Karluk subsistence fishery through Dec. 31, 2026. Federal subsistence rules near the Buskin River allow a bag and possession limit of two king salmon for subsistence harvest in that area.