Ship Creek reopens to fishing Tuesday, but ADF&G bans king retention for rest of season

Ship Creek reopened to sport fishing at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday, ending an 11-day closure of one of Anchorage's busiest urban fisheries. But the fish people come downtown for is still off the table: king salmon retention stays banned for the rest of the season, and any king caught has to be released right away.

The state shut the creek July 3 to protect its kings. Fishing remains closed above the cable crossing near the Chugach power plant dam, and coho are still fair game year-round on the open stretch below it.

For the anglers, guides, and tourism businesses built around downtown king fishing, it's a reopening without the main draw.