Manages Alaska's sport and commercial fisheries, hunting regulations, subsistence harvests, and wildlife conservation. Sets annual seasons, bag limits, and permit rules.
1255 W 8th St, Juneau, AK 99802, USA
Video Clips
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Speaker A
“What is the goal? I mean, what. What is the justification for changing what's in place? What's driving this desire to change the existing plan?”Alaska DNR Forestry: Haines State Forest RMA Project Update Meeting – October 10, 2024 · Jun 3, 2026
Geneva Preston
“Timber harvest would are very likely to be designed in coordination with the Department of Fish and Game and they would be designed with the purpose of enhancing habitat.”Alaska DNR Forestry: Haines State Forest RMA Project Update Meeting – October 10, 2024 · Jun 3, 2026
Geneva Preston
“I think 10 to 20 acres is the range of size limits that you'll see in the wildlife habitat designated subunits. And the management intent statements consistently identify habitat values as the priority for management on these lands”Alaska DNR Forestry: Haines State Forest RMA Project Update Meeting – October 10, 2024 · Jun 3, 2026
Geneva Preston
“the draft is available for review that is available digitally on our project website and hard copies will be available in the Forestry office in Haines if folks are interested to come look at a physical copy and we'll ask that you submit your comments by 5pm on June 5th.”Alaska DNR Forestry: Haines State Forest RMA Project Update Meeting – October 10, 2024 · Jun 3, 2026
Geneva Preston
“any harvest, any timber harvest or resource development activities must be designed to exist compatibly with public recreation uses. And so typically that would look like timbers harvests that are designed to support recreation facilities or support access to areas that are important for recreation.”Alaska DNR Forestry: Haines State Forest RMA Project Update Meeting – October 10, 2024 · Jun 3, 2026
Geneva Preston
“I think 5 acres in unit 3H is the smallest size limit that we see and other units have a cap at 20. 20 Acres is the largest even age timber harvest that I think is permitted in these public recreation designated lands.”Alaska DNR Forestry: Haines State Forest RMA Project Update Meeting – October 10, 2024 · Jun 3, 2026
Too few goats, too easy to reach: South Baranof stays closed
Mountain goat hunting stays closed in the South Baranof zone for a second year over low goat numbers and easy access, while the rest of Unit 4 opens Aug. 1.
by Bill AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
ADF&G extends Northwest Stepovak commercial salmon fishing 48 hours
ADF&G opened a 48-hour commercial salmon window by purse seine and set gill net in the Northwest Stepovak Section, running from noon July 12 through noon July 14. The opening gave Sand Point permit holders a narrow logistics window that has since closed.
by Bill AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
A storm hits Norton Sound just before Friday's gillnet opening
A storm bringing 45 mph gusts and 9-foot seas reaches Norton Sound Thursday, ahead of a 24-hour commercial salmon gillnet opening Friday in Subdistricts 5 and 6.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
No Juneau beach is tested for the toxin in clams
Sport and personal use shrimp fisheries in the Juneau and Tenakee areas remain closed until further notice, and ADF&G warns that no Juneau-area beaches are regularly monitored for Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning (PSP) toxins, meaning anyone who harvests clams does so at their own risk of PSP poisoning.
by Bill AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
Five muskoxen are stuck on a 15-acre island, so Alaska is opening a hunt
The Alaska Department of Fish and Game issued an emergency order Tuesday opening a resident-only permit hunt for at least five muskoxen stranded on Paamiut Island, a 15-acre island south of Nunivak Island with no fresh water; permits go online at 9 a.m. Wednesday.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
Alaska closes District 4 subsistence fishing for fall chum and coho starting Wednesday
ADF&G Emergency Order 3-S-FY-02-26 closes directed subsistence fishing for fall chum and coho salmon across Interior and lower Yukon communities starting Wednesday, July 22. The 2026 fall chum run is projected well below average, and Canadian treaty goals are not expected to be met even if the run lands within the escapement goal range.
by Alaska News2mo ago2 min read
Kotzebue chum fishery opened Sunday, but only one buyer is registered to purchase fish
ADF&G opened five 8-hour commercial chum salmon windows in the Kotzebue District starting Sunday, with a harvest forecast of 50,000 to 150,000 fish, but the department's own advisory flags that only one buyer is registered to purchase salmon there this season, leaving permit holders with a real market question before they wet a net.
by Bill AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
Five dipnetters cited at Kenai personal use fishery for recordkeeping violation
Tok Wildlife Troopers cited five people at the Kenai personal use dipnet fishery on July 18 for failing to record salmon on their permits before concealing or transporting them. Each faces $120 bail in Kenai District Court.
by Bill AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
Alaska Zoo female bear moved to solitary enclosure after June attack; ADF&G release came 32 days later
A female brown bear at the Alaska Zoo was moved to a solitary enclosure after a June 14 altercation with a male bear. ADF&G issued its public release 32 days after the incident, more than three weeks after the zoo had already reported it.
by Maggie AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
Brown bear injures hiker on Bear Valley trail above south Anchorage
A brown bear emerged from dense alders on a narrow trail above the Bear Valley neighborhood Saturday and made contact with an adult hiker, who was transported from the Brewsters Drive area by APD, Alaska Wildlife Troopers, and Anchorage Fire Department. ADF&G is posting warning signs at trailheads and monitoring the area, where a nearby moose kill raises the possibility of a bear defending cached food.
by Maggie AlaskaNewsadded 2mo ago2 min read
Southeast Alaska pink salmon counts fall far below average for fourth straight week
ADF&G's Point Gardner and Kingsmill test fisheries recorded pink salmon harvests a fraction of their 10-year averages through Sunday, July 19, with the department calling run strength well below average and timing later than normal, leaving purse seine fleets in Frederick Sound and Stephens Passage waiting on two more test sets before openings are adjusted.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
ADF&G issues four commercial salmon emergency orders across Alaska Peninsula, Kuskokwim, and Kotzebue areas in three days
Four ADF&G emergency orders filed July 15-17 authorize or extend commercial salmon openings at Sand Point, Port Moller, Kuskokwim Bay, and Kotzebue Sound, giving permit holders and processors short windows tied directly to inseason run data that can change without notice.
by Bill AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
PWS sockeye season ends with low returns as fleet pivots to coho
Prince William Sound commercial fishers closed out the 2026 sockeye season Saturday facing what one described as among the lowest returns of their lifetime, with no Copper River sockeye available, limited PWS sockeye, and a chaotic late opener that packed roughly 40 vessels into water that normally holds two or three.
by Bill AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
Southeast troll Chinook season stretches into mid-July with half the quota still in the water
The Southeast Alaska commercial troll Chinook fishery remains open in mid-July 2026, with roughly half of the 84,000-fish target still unharvested. Fewer boats and slower catch rates have extended the season beyond what managers anticipated, compressing the timeline for a second retention period due no later than August 20.
by Bill AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
Togiak sockeye count far below expectations, fishing cuts likely next week
ADF&G's Westside Salmon Announcement 31, issued Friday, says escapement past the Togiak tower stands at just 8,340 fish, far below expectations, and the department says fishing time reductions in the Togiak District are likely the week of July 20.
by Bill AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
North Slope bearded seal hunters asked to save jaws for 2026 study
North Slope Borough and the Alaska Department of Fish and Game are asking bearded seal hunters to save jaws or heads from harvested seals to support a 2026 population study using genetic and age data.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
Copper River king salmon closed to sport fishing; Chitina dipnetters barred from keeping kings all season
ADF&G has closed all Upper Copper River drainage king salmon sport fishing and banned king salmon retention at the Chitina personal use dip net fishery for the entire 2026 season, as both king and sockeye runs track weaker than expected.
by Bill AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
Yukon District 3 closes to fall chum and coho subsistence Saturday as treaty goals fall short
ADF&G Emergency Order 3-S-FY-01-26 shuts directed subsistence fishing for fall chum and coho in District 3 at 12:01 a.m. Saturday, July 18, hitting Russian Mission, Holy Cross, Shageluk, and surrounding villages; the 2026 run is projected above 300,000 fish but is not expected to meet Canadian treaty obligations.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
King salmon sport fishing closed in Norton Sound fresh waters
ADF&G emergency order bans sport fishing for king salmon in all fresh waters from Bald Head to Point Romanof, covering the Unalakleet, Shaktoolik, Koyuk, and other Norton Sound drainages; any king caught incidentally must be released without leaving the water.
by Bill AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
BSAI Pacific cod trawl season ends early for AFA catcher/processors
NMFS is shutting down directed Pacific cod fishing by American Fisheries Act trawl catcher/processors in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands starting July 20 and running through year's end, after the sector reached its 2,112-metric-ton directed fishing allowance.
by Bill AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
Unimak Island caribou hunt RC205 opens August 1 with three-animal limit
The Alaska Department of Fish and Game has opened RC205 registration permits for the Unimak Island caribou hunt, which runs August 1 through September 30, 2026, with a three-caribou bag limit and strict two-day harvest reporting requirements.
by Bill AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
Alaska Zoo female brown bear transferred to solitary enclosure after June attack
A female brown bear at the Alaska Zoo has been transferred to a new location where she will be the only bear in the enclosure, following a June 14 altercation with a male bear she had shared a habitat with since September 2025. The female was originally confiscated by ADF&G and Alaska Wildlife Troopers in June 2025; the circumstances of that confiscation were not disclosed.
by Maggie AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
Alaska Peninsula Bering Sea drainages: non-residents banned from keeping king salmon starting July 18
New Alaska Board of Fisheries regulations take effect July 18, banning non-resident king salmon retention in Bering Sea drainages of the Alaska Peninsula and Aleutian Islands; Alaska residents are capped at one fish per day with a two-fish annual limit and must carry a harvest record.
by Bill AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
Snowpack flooding scatters Minto Flats pike, forcing anglers to adapt
Heavy snowpack has flooded Minto Flats, dispersing northern pike across the area rather than concentrating them in usual spots; ADF&G Area Management Biologist Andrew Gryska advises big, flashy spoons and adjusted expectations at one of Interior Alaska's premier pike destinations.
by Bill AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
Tanana kings closed all season; chum fishing back open after run surges
Sport fishing for king salmon in the entire Tanana River drainage remains closed through September 30 due to a below-average Yukon River forecast, while a separate emergency order has reopened chum salmon fishing after the summer run exceeded escapement goals.
by Bill AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
Copper River stays closed to commercial fishing as Chinook run tracks weak
The Copper River District remains closed to commercial fishing while a 12-hour subsistence opening runs Thursday morning; Miles Lake sonar data show large Chinook counts tracking near the lower end of the escapement goal, and the Coghill District stays shut due to sockeye counts less than half of anticipated levels.
by Bill AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
Yukon Chinook count at Eagle stands at 1,633, a third of average; ADF&G launches telemetry study
ADF&G's Summer Update 7 shows Yukon Chinook passage at Eagle sonar reached only 1,633 fish against a historical average of 4,811, with the run not expected to meet U.S./Canada rebuilding targets; the agency has begun tagging up to 250 Chinook near Rampart Rapids to study why fish die before reaching spawning grounds.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
A free Palmer class to turn beginners into bird hunters
Alaska Fish and Game's free Introduction to Upland Bird Hunting class is Aug. 15 at Boyd's Farm in Palmer, with firearms, ammo, and dog demos provided for beginners.
by Bill AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
Bristol Bay's sockeye surge doubles the sport limit to 10
Alaska doubled the sport sockeye limit to 10 fish in the Wood River and Nushagak-Mulchatna drainages as Bristol Bay's big 2026 run pours in. Bait and king rules still apply.
by Bill AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
Weak fall run closes Yukon River chum fishing July 22
ADF&G is closing all state waters of the Yukon River drainage (excluding the Tanana) to chum salmon sport fishing starting July 22, including catch-and-release, because the 2026 fall chum return is projected to fall below Pacific Salmon Treaty obligations to Canada.
by Bill AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
Chitina dipnet fishery opens full 168 hours July 20–26 as salmon surplus builds
ADF&G is opening the Chitina Subdistrict personal use dip net fishery for a full 168-hour period starting 12:01 a.m. Monday, July 20, after Miles Lake sonar counts topped preseason projections by more than 20,000 fish; king salmon retention remains banned for the season.
by Bill AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
Strong sockeye at China Poot, but clammers now need a permit before heading out
ADF&G reported very strong sockeye numbers building at the China Poot personal-use dipnet area on Tuesday, with productive fishing expected to continue through July, while a new emergency order now requires a permit for Cook Inlet and North Gulf Coast razor clam harvest.
by Bill AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
Kodiak rockfish rules now cap single-species harvest, push anglers to deeper water
New rockfish regulations effective June 1 limit Kodiak and Afognak anglers to no more than 2 of any single species per day, with tighter 3-fish caps north of Tonki and Black Capes; ADF&G says moving to deeper water off rock pile edges produces better catches of dark and dusky rockfish.
by Bill AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
Fish Creek sport fishery closes today; dipnet opening possible if counts hold
The Fish Creek sport fishery closes by regulation on July 15, but strong sockeye counts this week mean ADF&G could open the personal-use dipnet fishery by emergency order if it projects more than 35,000 fish. Alaska residents should watch the Fish Counts page closely.
by Bill AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
The king window is closing near Petersburg and Wrangell
ADF&G biologist Jeff Rice says king salmon fishing near Petersburg and Wrangell has been strong but is past its regional peak, with bright fish still moving through; District 8 and part of Eastern Passage near Wrangell remain closed to retention until July 15.
by Bill AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
Southeast anglers get a bump in the king limit
Southeast Alaska raised the nonresident king salmon daily limit to two fish starting July 11 after harvest ran below the regional target, with hatchery-area allowances unchanged.
by Bill AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
Ship Creek reopens to fishing Tuesday, but ADF&G bans king retention for rest of season
Anchorage's Ship Creek reopened to sport fishing Tuesday after an 11-day closure, but king salmon retention remains banned for the rest of the season. Coho fishing stays open below the dam.
by Bill AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
Bristol Bay tightens the rules on its king salmon again
New Alaska Board of Fisheries rules on Bristol Bay's Naknek and Nushagak rivers tighten king salmon limits and ban bait on the Nushagak, aiming to conserve a declining run.
by Bill AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
The Fortymile caribou herd is shrinking, and this year's hunt reflects it
With the Fortymile caribou herd down to about 27,000, Alaska has cut the 2026 hunt to 550 bulls with a one-bull limit, and any zone can close by emergency order before the season ends.
by Maggie AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
Ketchikan anglers catch a rare break on king limits
Alaska raised the nonresident king salmon limit to two fish a day in Ketchikan waters starting July 11, though local restrictions and the wild-stock rules remain in effect through mid-August.
by Bill AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read