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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.

SBA 8(a) proposal leaves Native corporation carveout intact
Big changes to 8(a). But not in the ways that matter in Alaska.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.
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.
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.

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.

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.

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.
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.
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 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%.