Yukon Chinook sonar count 34% below average; fall chum added to concern list

95,370 Chinook salmon had passed the Pilot Station sonar on the Yukon River as of July 6, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game reported Wednesday, a count roughly 34 percent below the historical average of 144,466. The run has exceeded the preseason forecast but is not expected to meet escapement goals in Alaska or Canada. The Canadian-origin portion of the run is expected to fall well short of the 71,000-fish border passage goal set under the 2024 recovery agreement with Canada. ADF&G said the Canadian-Origin Chinook salmon run will be well below that threshold.

Fall Chum Designated a Stock of Management Concern

Fall chum salmon have been designated a stock of management concern for 2026, with the drainage-wide run projected near or below the escapement goal. The lower river will shift to fall season management on July 13, three days earlier than normal. New fish-wheel construction rules are also now in effect: baskets must be lined with seine type webbing, and chutes must have a smooth bottom lined with closed cell foam, requirements intended to improve survivability for fish that pass through.

Announced closures of 4-inch or smaller mesh gillnets remain in place, though district-by-district rules vary. Some areas allow small-mesh gillnets to target nonsalmon immediately or on specified dates. Any Chinook caught in selective or nonsalmon gear must be immediately released alive.

Summer Chum Offers Some Relief

Summer chum provides a counterpoint. As of July 6, over 740,000 summer chum salmon were estimated to have passed the Pilot Station sonar, and ADF&G said inseason projections suggest the run size will exceed 900,000 fish. Selective-gear subsistence openings have been announced from the lower Yukon through District 4 and the Koyukuk River, though retention of summer chum will no longer be allowed once fall season management begins on July 13.

The fall chum designation and the Chinook shortfall together mean communities across the drainage face restricted harvest seasons on two species at the same time.