Nome subsistence salmon fishers face new weekly schedule, 25-fish limits

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game issued its 2026 Norton Sound Salmon Management Outlook on May 12, establishing a Wednesday-to-Monday subsistence fishing schedule and conservative household limits for communities across the region.

Subsistence set-gillnet fishing west of Cape Nome in the Nome Subdistrict will be open from 6:00 p.m. Wednesdays until 6:00 p.m. Mondays, running from June 15 through August 15. The Pilgrim River in the Port Clarence District will have a household limit of 25 sockeye salmon starting June 15. Salmon Lake will open only by emergency order with a 200-sockeye household limit.

Norton Sound communities have relied on subsistence salmon fishing for generations. Proposals submitted to the Alaska Board of Fisheries for the 2025-2026 cycle have sought tighter harvest limits and precautionary management in Norton Sound. Proposal 29, submitted by Brandon Ahmasuk, noted that the Sinuk River red salmon run has shown marked decline. Historical data indicates run sizes of 800 to 3,000 fish, significantly lower than the Pilgrim River's 60,000 to 80,000 fish.

The department will operate salmon escapement monitoring on the Nome River and manage fisheries conservatively in 2026. Commercial fishing will be allowed only if a surplus above escapement and subsistence needs is identified. No directed king salmon openings or allowable sales of king salmon are anticipated in 2026 due to continued low abundance.

Subsistence permits are required for fishing in northern Norton Sound, from the Elim Subdistrict through the Port Clarence District. Only Alaska residents may obtain these free household permits online or from ADF&G offices and local vendors.

The Nome Subdistrict has chum salmon escapement goals for the Eldorado River of 4,400 to 14,200 fish, the Nome River of 1,600 to 5,300 fish, and the Snake River of 2,000 to 4,200 fish. The department expects to monitor these runs closely before allowing any commercial harvest. Other systems in Norton Sound have household limits including 40 chum salmon and 20 coho salmon per household on the Solomon River.

In the Port Clarence District, no commercial fishing periods are anticipated due to lack of market interest. Subsistence salmon fishing can occur seven days a week unless closed by emergency order. The department reserves the option to impose mesh-size limits or other restrictions if Chinook or other salmon stocks show conservation concerns.

The Pilgrim River is expected to again meet its sockeye escapement goal of 6,800 to 36,000 fish. The emergency order system allows the department to respond to in-season run strength while maintaining conservative management.

In the Shaktoolik and Unalakleet Subdistricts, subsistence fishing in marine and freshwaters will close beginning June 15, 2026, for Chinook salmon conservation. The North River in these subdistricts has an escapement goal range of 1,200 to 2,600 Chinook salmon.

Only one commercial salmon buyer is expected to operate in Norton Sound in 2026. Chum salmon harvest is forecasted to be between 5,000 and 25,000 fish, primarily as incidental catch in coho salmon fisheries.

The Norton Sound management area is divided into two districts: Norton Sound and Port Clarence. The 2026 outlook reflects a statewide pattern of conservative management, with the total Alaska commercial salmon harvest forecast at approximately 125.5 million fish. That includes 56 million pink, 49.7 million sockeye, 17.2 million chum, and 2.4 million coho salmon.

The 2026 projection represents a significant decrease from 2025, when Alaska harvested approximately 197.4 million fish. Projected 2026 pink salmon harvests are expected to be 64.1 million fewer than in 2025, with sockeye salmon harvests expected to be 3.0 million fewer and chum salmon harvests expected to be 4.5 million fewer.

Alaska salmon management's primary goal is maintaining spawning population sizes, not reaching preseason harvest projections. The department's conservative approach in Norton Sound prioritizes escapement and subsistence needs before any commercial openings.

Subsistence permits are available online or at the Nome Fish and Game office. Fishers should check for emergency orders that may modify schedules or limits based on in-season run assessments.