Upper Copper River king salmon sport fishery closed through August 10

Sport anglers, guides, and lodges operating out of the Glennallen area are out of the Upper Copper River king salmon fishery through Aug. 10. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game is closing all Upper Copper River drainage king salmon sport fishing starting 12:01 a.m. Friday, July 10, and the closure runs through 11:59 p.m. Monday, Aug. 10. The closure prohibits all retention and catch-and-release fishing for king salmon.

A Record-Low Count

The numbers behind the closure point to a run well below management targets. As of July 6, only 18,623 large king salmon had passed the Miles Lake sonar, the lowest cumulative count on record for that date since ADF&G began tracking species apportionment at the sonar project in 2019. Historical passage trends indicate roughly 91 percent of the run has already moved through the sonar site by that date. "The Copper River King Salmon Fishery Management Plan directs the Department to manage the Copper River fisheries to achieve a sustainable escapement goal in the upper Copper River drainage," ADF&G said in the advisory announcement. The management plan sets a sustainable escapement goal of 21,000 to 31,000 king salmon. With 18,623 large kings counted as of July 6 and approximately 91 percent of the run already past the sonar site, ADF&G determined the escapement goal is at risk of not being met.

Additional data reinforce the concern. Fish wheel capture rates by the Native Village of Eyak at Baird Canyon and fish wheel recapture rates at Canyon Creek also indicate low abundance. King salmon passage past the Gulkana River counting tower, as of July 7, is tracking behind 20 of 24 seasons of fish passage data on record.

What Anglers Still in the Drainage Need to Know

Anglers targeting other species are not exempt: any incidentally caught king salmon must be released immediately without removing the fish from the water, and only unbaited, single-hook, artificial lures are permitted in all flowing waters of the drainage through Aug. 10.

Anglers with questions can reach Area Management Biologist Tracy Hansen at (907) 822-3309 or [email protected].