Kuskokwim subsistence fishing reopens without a final coho count

Subsistence fishers on the river may use all legal gear again as of 5 p.m. Friday, and both salmon and non-salmon species may be retained. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game lifted the restrictions under Emergency Order 3-S-WR-06-26, covering the river from its mouth to the headwaters.

The reason it gave was not that the run recovered. "The coho run is mostly complete for the 2026 season and restrictions to the subsistence fishery are no longer necessary," the department said in Kuskokwim River Salmon Fishery Announcement #7, issued at 4 p.m. Friday. Sonar operations finished for the season with about 164,000 coho counted through August 25, against a historical average of about 268,000 fish for 2020 through 2023 and 2025.

Of the Kogrukluk River weir, a counting fence across the river, the reopening order says coho passage "is below average and a total count is unavailable at this time due to high water events throughout the season." That weir carries a sustainable escapement goal of 13,000 to 28,000 coho, the number that must reach the spawning grounds. The reopening order does not say whether the goal was met, and no total appears in the department's Kuskokwim announcements or escapement pages. Six weeks of closures were built on that benchmark.

The first closure took effect at 4 p.m. Friday, August 7. ADF&G shut gillnets, fishwheels, beach seines and dip nets in Sections 1 through 3 from the mouth to Aniak, after sonar counted about 43,000 coho through August 5 against an average near 106,500. The stated reason was missing data. "Given the current lack of escapement information and the well-below average coho salmon passage at the Kuskokwim River sonar, it is warranted to take action to limit subsistence harvest of coho salmon until a greater portion of the run has been assessed," Announcement #5 said. Coho had not yet reached the weir.

The department extended the closure upriver into Sections 4 and 5 on August 20. By then the weir had produced a figure: "As of August 16th, approximately 112 coho salmon have been counted at the Kogrukluk weir, which is below average for this date," Announcement #6 said. The amount necessary for subsistence, set by the Alaska Board of Fisheries through the public process, is 27,400 to 57,600 coho. "It is unlikely that harvest will meet ANS this year," the department wrote. That order also named the condition for lifting the restrictions: "If abundances increase to levels likely to achieve escapement goals, then restrictions to subsistence harvest opportunities may be liberalized." Sonar added roughly 8,000 fish between August 19 and the end of counting.

Both August orders said the department would seek consultation from the Kuskokwim River Salmon Management Working Group. The group's published 2026 meeting summaries stop at August 19, the day before the second closure, with none since. At that meeting, "Six full voting members were present and a quorum wasn't established." Sam Decker, a Kuskokwim area management biologist, "discussed recent state management actions and asked the Working Group for comments on proposed management actions." The summary's comments section is blank.

Barbara Carlson, in the Upriver Subsistence seat, reported operating her set net and finding success catching coho. Tad Lindley reported few coho caught and fishers primarily catching whitefish. Kevin Whitworth, in the Headwaters seat, relayed a Kuskokwim River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission teleconference at which fishers asked for more openers.

Alida Trainor of the Division of Subsistence told the group the survey project likely will not operate this fall.

Gillnets may run up to 50 fathoms, 45 meshes deep at 6-inch or smaller mesh and 35 meshes deep above that, and gear must carry a red buoy with the fisher's first initial, last name and address. Gillnets also may not obstruct more than half the width of any stream, channel or side channel. The Bethel office takes questions at 1-855-933-2433.