Kuskokwim coho fishing slow in early August as Bethel sonar counts run low

Coho fishing in the lower tributaries of the Kuskokwim River has been very slow through the first week of August, a period when coho fishing is normally very good, and counts at the Bethel sonar have been low. That is the assessment in the Alaska Department of Fish and Game's Kuskokwim fishing report, issued Thursday by John Chythlook, the area management biologist for the Kuskokwim Goodnews Area.

"Coho salmon fishing in the lower tributaries of the Kuskokwim River is normally very good in early August, but so far has been very slow and sonar counts at Bethel have been low," Chythlook wrote. Most Kuskokwim River drainages have seen very high water this early August following remarkably wet and windy weather. Middle-river coho fishing is usually still good in late August, he wrote, so conditions may improve. Sockeye fishing will be largely over soon.

The high water is shaping resident-species fishing too. Anglers will find northern pike in shallow, weedy waters adjacent to cooler, deeper water, and pike fishing should improve if warmer temperatures and lower water return. Rainbow trout fishing is generally very good in August in the lower Kuskokwim tributaries, including the Kwethluk, Kisaralik/Kasigluk and Aniak rivers, though those rivers are prone to washing out during heavy rain.

The Bethel sonar estimates daily and cumulative coho passage upriver and serves as the core in-season tool for judging run strength and timing. A year ago, cumulative sonar passage had reached 333,160 coho by Aug. 11, 2025, far above the 2020-2023 average for that date. Even so, the Kuskokwim River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission's postseason review described the 2025 coho run as weak against long-term abundance despite that strong showing.

Slow early fishing does not by itself signal trouble for the run. "The current run assessments indicate that the coho salmon escapement goals will likely be met," the Kuskokwim River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission said in a post summarizing its in-season run assessment and management outlook. "Based on this current assessment there is no conservation concern for coho salmon."

Still, timing matters on the river. Lower-river subsistence households rely on coho arriving when people traditionally fish, and a delayed or weak run can mean fewer fish available in that window, reducing harvest opportunities in lower-river communities. The commission has said Chinook, chum and coho stocks broadly remain in decline relative to long-term subsistence needs, even where immediate escapement goals have been met. Alaska News previously covered the mainstem's return to state management on July 13 after strong chum passage.

Sport fishing for other salmon species remains open in Kuskokwim River tributaries. Kuskokwim Bay tributaries, including the Kanektok, Goodnews and Arolik rivers, should fish very well for coho in early August, Chythlook wrote, tapering later in the month, particularly if high water continues. King salmon fishing closed by regulation July 26 in Kuskokwim Bay, though sport fishing for other species there remains open, and Emergency Order 3-KS-V-06-26 keeps the Aniak River drainage closed to king salmon sport fishing. The department advises anglers to review current regulations, emergency orders and advisory announcements before heading out.