Yukon tributaries reopen to subsistence chum harvest while mainstem stays closed

Families along the Yukon regained a narrow chum harvest Wednesday, but only in tributaries. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game opened subsistence fishing for chum salmon and nonsalmon around the clock at 1 p.m. Aug. 26 in all Yukon River tributaries except the Black River, beginning 500 feet upstream from the mainstem or a mile inland from the coast. Gear is limited to selective methods such as manned fish wheels and dip nets. A matching federal Tanana River drainage opening covers only federally qualified subsistence users.

The mainstem and Black River remain closed to Chinook, chum and coho, which must be released alive. Coho subsistence fishing stays closed drainagewide; pink and sockeye may be kept. In the Coastal District and Districts 1 and 2, nonsalmon gillnets are capped at 4-inch mesh and 60 feet, fishable noon Thursdays to noon Sundays. Personal-use chum fishing in Subdistrict 6-C opens Aug. 28.

Tributaries mostly hold Alaska-bound fish; the mainstem carries the weaker Canadian-origin run. As of Aug. 25, ADF&G projected the run above the upper end of the 300,000 to 600,000 drainagewide escapement goal. A separate federal projection put the Canadian-origin share at 31,000, below the 70,000 to 104,000 border objective. Emergency Order 3-S-FY-06-26 says Canadian treaty goals are not anticipated to be met at that run size, based on last season's stock performance and genetic data from the 2026 run. Matt Olson is the Yukon area management biologist.

The Yukon River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission says the closures continue devastating Tribal communities.