Purse seining is finished for the year in Lower Cook Inlet

Purse seining is over for the year in Lower Cook Inlet. The Outer and Eastern districts closed at 10 pm Monday, ending the 2026 season.

Fish and Game set the date in an advisory issued Aug. 28. The Eastern District fished a final period that Sunday, from 6 am to 10 pm.

Through the end of August, Dogfish Bay, Windy Bay and the Petrof portion of the Nuka Island Subdistrict had been open Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Aialik Bay was open every day, and the advisory says why: a survey flown July 29 counted 7,000 sockeye in Aialik Lake, above the 3,200 to 5,400 range managers aim for.

The rest of the region had already closed. Southern District purse seining ended July 31 and set gillnetting Aug. 15. Kamishak never opened to purse seine at all.

The advisory does not say why the season is ending now, and carries no comment from anyone who fishes it.

Commercial fishing stays prohibited within 500 yards of fresh water at a salmon stream, and over stream beds.