Ship Creek closes for 10 days as a king shortfall hits the hatchery

Ship Creek, Anchorage's downtown king salmon fishery, closes to all sport fishing for 10 days starting at 6 a.m. Friday, July 3, through 11:59 p.m. Monday, July 13 — from the mouth up to the cable just below the Chugach Power Plant Dam. The reason is a king return that isn't coming in strong enough.

What makes this more than a local hit is the hatchery behind it. Stream surveys show returns aren't tracking high enough to meet broodstock goals at the William Jack Hernandez Sport Fish Hatchery — and Ship Creek doesn't just stock itself. Its kings seed hatchery fisheries across Southcentral Alaska.

"While we are confident we have enough broodstock for Ship Creek," said area management biologist Brittany Blain-Roth, "surveys do not indicate enough fish inriver to ensure adequate broodstock for other terminal fisheries that Ship Creek supports."

The run is already past its peak, and the closure is one of several king restrictions ADF&G has imposed around the region this year as returns run thin.

When Ship Creek reopens at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday, July 14, keeping a king will still be off-limits. ADF&G says it will keep watching the return and could ease the rules if the fish show up.