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June 2026

Delta Junction faces back-to-back Red Flag days with 55 mph gusts

Delta Junction faces Red Flag Warnings Saturday and Sunday with 55 mph gusts, 20 percent humidity, and dry grass ready to burn. Alaska Division of Forestry and Fire Protection urges residents to skip burning this weekend.

Walter AlaskaNewsby Walter AlaskaNewsadded 5mo ago1 min read
Alaska
Cover image for article: Delta Junction faces back-to-back Red Flag days with 55 mph gusts

SBA 8(a) proposal leaves Native corporation carveout intact

Big changes to 8(a). But not in the ways that matter in Alaska.

Walter AlaskaNewsby Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago3 min read
Cover image for article: SBA 8(a) proposal leaves Native corporation carveout intact

Alaska sport fishing rules frozen despite new booklets

Alaska anglers should follow 2025 fishing rules, not the new 2026 booklet, because several regulations printed there haven't received final legal approval yet and remain unenforceable.

Alaska Newsby Alaska News5mo ago2 min read
Cover image for article: Alaska sport fishing rules frozen despite new booklets

Bristol Bay fishery opens under old rules as new regs stall in review

Bristol Bay's commercial salmon season opened June 1 under old rules while new regulations adopted in January remain stalled in legal review.

Bill AlaskaNewsby Bill AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
Cover image for article: Bristol Bay fishery opens under old rules as new regs stall in review

Red Flag Warnings hit Southwest Alaska three days running

Red Flag Warnings covered Southwest Alaska on June 3 and 4 as hot, dry conditions and 20 mph winds created rapid fire spread risk in remote communities from the Kuskokwim Valley to Bristol Bay.

Alaska Newsby Alaska Newsadded 5mo ago1 min read
Alaska
Cover image for article: Red Flag Warnings hit Southwest Alaska three days running

Red Flag Warning covers inland Bristol Bay through Thursday

The National Weather Service issued a Red Flag Warning for inland Bristol Bay through Thursday evening as warm temperatures, low humidity, strong winds, and dry grass created conditions for fast-moving wildfires.

Walter AlaskaNewsby Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago1 min read
Alaska
Cover image for article: Red Flag Warning covers inland Bristol Bay through Thursday

Red Flag Warning covers Southwest Alaska through Wednesday

Red Flag Warning covers Southwest Alaska through Wednesday evening due to warm, dry, windy conditions that could spread fires rapidly. Residents must avoid open burning and spark-producing work like chainsaws and lawnmowers.

Alaska Newsby Alaska Newsadded 5mo ago2 min read
Alaska
Cover image for article: Red Flag Warning covers Southwest Alaska through Wednesday

Bristol Bay's ice is starting to break — and it's about to set off a cascade of fish and fishermen

Lake Aleknagik's ice is breaking in southwest Alaska, triggering young salmon migration and opening the first fishing window of the season at stream outlets where trout and char gather to feed.

Bill AlaskaNewsby Bill AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
Cover image for article: Bristol Bay's ice is starting to break — and it's about to set off a cascade of fish and fishermen

More from Bristol Bay

May 2026

Bristol Bay lakes still ice-covered as May ends, compressing early-season fishing window

Bristol Bay lakes remain ice-covered as of late May, delaying salmon fishing until mid-June on the Naknek and late June on the Alagnak, though resident fish like rainbow trout are biting well where access exists.

Bill AlaskaNewsby Bill AlaskaNews5mo ago1 min read
Cover image for article: Bristol Bay lakes still ice-covered as May ends, compressing early-season fishing window

DNR lifts moratorium on Nushagak Bay shore fishery lease applications

Alaska lifted a three year moratorium on commercial salmon fishing leases along Nushagak Bay's east shore, reopening applications from June 1 to October 15 each year.

Alaska Newsby Alaska News5mo ago1 min read
Cover image for article: DNR lifts moratorium on Nushagak Bay shore fishery lease applications

Bristol Bay Ice Lingers Late, Blocking Access to Fishing Spots

Ice and snow block most Bristol Bay fishing access as of late May, though the Alaska Department of Fish and Game says Wood River lakes and offshore halibut offer early season options for anglers who check regulations.

Bill AlaskaNewsby Bill AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min readFrom
Cover image for article: Bristol Bay Ice Lingers Late, Blocking Access to Fishing Spots

Alaska House passes fisheries tax credit expansion unanimously

Alaska House unanimously approved a bill extending a tax credit for seafood processors through 2037 and expanding it to all fish species, aiming to help the industry during poor market conditions.

Bill AlaskaNewsby Bill AlaskaNews5mo ago3 min read
Juneau, Alaska

House committee advances LGBTQ anti-discrimination bill on 4-3 vote

Alaska House committee advanced a bill adding sexual orientation and gender identity protections to state civil rights law in employment, housing, and public accommodations, voting 4-3 Thursday.

Alaska Newsby Alaska News6mo ago4 min read
Juneau

April 2026

Senate panel hears setnet cooperative bill, sets aside land transfer

Senate panel advanced a bill allowing setnet fishermen to work cooperatively, addressing enforcement conflicts, while postponing a land transfer proposal pending more details.

Alaska Newsby Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago7 min read
Cover image for article: Senate panel hears setnet cooperative bill, sets aside land transfer

Senate panel advances fishing co-op bill with electronic monitoring

The Senate Resources Committee advanced a bill to legalize set gillnet cooperatives and mandate electronic monitoring on trawl vessels.

Alaska Newsby Alaska News6mo ago3 min read
Cover image for article: Senate panel advances fishing co-op bill with electronic monitoring

Senate panel advances fishing cooperative bill with electronic monitoring

Alaska Senate panel unanimously advanced a bill legalizing fishing cooperatives for set gillnet permit holders, with a five-permit cap and electronic monitoring for trawl vessels.

Alaska Newsby Alaska News6mo ago3 min read
Alaska
Cover image for article: Senate panel advances fishing cooperative bill with electronic monitoring

About Bristol Bay

Bristol Bay is a coastal region of southwest Alaska that includes the Bristol Bay Borough and communities such as Dillingham, Naknek, King Salmon, Togiak and Iliamna. Its rivers, among them the Nushagak and the Wood, feed the world's largest sockeye salmon fishery.

Commercial salmon fishing organizes the region's economy, and the openings, closures and escapement goals set for districts such as Naknek, Egegik, Nushagak and Togiak recur, along with enforcement by wildlife troopers. King salmon conservation, sport and subsistence limits, and gales on its waters shape the fishing seasons.

Bristol Bay Native Corporation, whose shareholders elect its board, plays a large part in regional life. Federal restrictions on the Pebble mine and calls for permanent protection of the watershed involve the corporation, the state and the EPA. The region borders the Alaska Peninsula and the Bering Sea, where crab fisheries are managed.

More from Bristol Bay

Alaska Fishermen Report Salmon Declines Amid Bycatch, Management Concerns

Alaska fishermen and subsistence harvesters report salmon declines they blame on bottom trawler bycatch, though federal managers say bycatch stays within sustainable limits.

Alaska Newsby Alaska News6mo ago2 min read
Alaska

Bristol Bay tribes fight to defend EPA veto of Pebble Mine in court

Bristol Bay tribes asked a federal court to defend the EPA's veto of the Pebble Mine, which would threaten the world's largest sockeye salmon fishery worth $2 billion annually.

Alaska Newsby Alaska News6mo ago2 min read

House committee advances special education funding resolution, CTE mobility bill

House Education Committee unanimously passed a resolution urging Congress to fully fund special education, which currently covers only 10 to 15 percent of costs in Alaska. • Committee advanced a bill allowing rural school districts to share career and technical education programs like welding and healthcare training. • Special Education Service Agency reported its first-ever waitlist, with nine students across seven districts waiting for services.

Alaska Newsby Alaska Newsadded 7mo ago2 min read
House Education

Alaska Native Groups Push for Fishing Permit Reform After $7.5B Exodus

Alaska Federation of Natives told legislators that non-resident permit holders took $7.5 billion in salmon earnings since 1975, leaving rural villages with fishing participation down to 12%.

Alaska Newsby Alaska Newsadded 7mo ago2 min read
Alaska