Nature & Outdoors
RSSAlaska News covers outdoor recreation, trails, parks, wildlife viewing, fishing closures, and safety in Alaska's natural areas.
Wrangell-St. Elias subsistence permits open July 20 for Units 11 and 12
Subsistence permits for moose, goat, caribou, and sheep in Wrangell-St. Elias opened July 20 at Copper Center and Slana through September 20 for federally qualified rural Alaska residents.
by Maggie AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
Copper River dip netters stranded on sandbar near Chitina, self-rescue before troopers arrive
Dip netters stranded on a Copper River sandbar near Chitina self-rescued Friday before troopers arrived.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
ADF&G issues four commercial salmon emergency orders across Alaska Peninsula, Kuskokwim, and Kotzebue areas in three days
ADF&G issued four emergency orders in three days for salmon fisheries. • Sand Point and Port Moller openings target sockeye and mixed stocks. • Kuskokwim Bay and Kotzebue Sound orders adjust chum salmon harvest rules. • Fishermen must track shifting schedules as run conditions dictate changes.
by Bill AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
Five commercial fishers cited in single-day Bristol Bay closed-water sweep
Alaska Wildlife Troopers cited five commercial fishers on July 15 for fishing in closed Bristol Bay waters during the sockeye run, with all five scheduled for arraignment Aug. 5.
by Maggie AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
PWS sockeye season ends with low returns as fleet pivots to coho
Prince William Sound sockeye season ended with historically low returns, forcing commercial fishers to chase coho in August to recover lost income.
by Bill AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
Southeast troll Chinook season stretches into mid-July with half the quota still in the water
Southeast Alaska's commercial Chinook troll season is running longer than expected because fewer boats are fishing and catch rates are slow, leaving about half the quota still available in mid-July.
by Bill AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
Togiak sockeye count far below expectations, fishing cuts likely next week
Togiak sockeye count hit just 8,340 by mid-July, far below the 120,000 minimum needed, forcing Alaska Fish and Game to likely cut fishing time for gillnet permit holders next week.
by Bill AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
Two Washington men cited for fishing closed waters in Egegik
Two Washington men were cited for commercial fishing in closed Bristol Bay waters near Egegik on July 10, facing arraignment in August.
by Bill AlaskaNewsadded 2mo ago1 min read
Kotzebue Sound fishing ban near airport runway takes effect with July 10 commercial opening
Kotzebue's first commercial salmon opening July 10 now runs under a permanent fishing ban near the airport runway that blocks both commercial and subsistence nets to keep birds away from planes.
by Bill AlaskaNewsadded 2mo ago1 min read
North Slope bearded seal hunters asked to save jaws for 2026 study
North Slope Borough is asking bearded seal hunters to save jaws and heads from their catch this year for a state study on seal population genetics.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
Copper River king salmon closed to sport fishing; Chitina dipnetters barred from keeping kings all season
Alaska closed Upper Copper River king salmon sport fishing and barred Chitina dipnetters from keeping any kings this season due to a weak forecast of 33,000 fish, 27% below the 10-year average.
by Bill AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
Yukon District 3 closes to fall chum and coho subsistence Saturday as treaty goals fall short
Alaska closes fall chum and coho subsistence fishing in Yukon District 3 and Innoko River on Saturday because Canadian treaty goals will not be met.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
King salmon sport fishing closed in Norton Sound fresh waters
Alaska closed sport king salmon fishing in Norton Sound fresh waters and requires immediate release of any hooked incidentally.
by Bill AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
Alaska Zoo black bear feedings run daily through September 1
Alaska Zoo offers daily black bear feedings at 2:30 p.m. through September 1 for $30 per person, capped at 10 participants, though state wildlife officials warn against feeding bears in the wild.
by Maggie AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
BSAI Pacific cod trawl season ends early for AFA catcher/processors
NMFS shut down directed Pacific cod fishing for AFA trawl catcher/processors in the Bering Sea starting Monday, July 20, after the sector hit its annual allowance.
by Bill AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
Petersburg's Blind Slough opens fully to king salmon as hatchery return surpasses forecast
Petersburg's Blind Slough opens fully to king salmon fishing starting Saturday after Crystal Lake Hatchery's return beat forecasts and broodstock needs were met.
by Bill AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
Unimak Island caribou hunt RC205 opens August 1 with three-animal limit
Unimak Island caribou hunt RC205 opens August 1 with three-animal limit per hunter, permits required and available now at King Salmon ADF&G office or online.
by Bill AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
NSF awards UAF $877,501 for mass spectrometer to support fisheries and minerals research
NSF awarded UAF $877,501 to buy a high-precision mass spectrometer for fisheries, minerals, and ocean research starting August 2026.
by Melinda Communities.News2mo ago1 min read
Comment window opens on Alaska fishing license transfer paperwork renewal
Alaska commercial fishers have until mid-August to comment on federal fishing license transfer forms, with the only change being that paperwork can now be submitted by email instead of by mail.
by Bill AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
Glacier Bay cuts eastern Lower Bay speed limit to 13 knots to protect feeding humpbacks
Glacier Bay National Park cut the speed limit to 13 knots on the eastern Lower Bay starting Friday to protect humpback whales actively feeding there.
by Maggie AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
Alaska Zoo female brown bear transferred to solitary enclosure after June attack
Alaska Zoo moved a female brown bear to solitary housing after a June 14 fight with a male bear, sparking a petition for an independent review of the zoo's animal integration practices.
by Maggie AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
Alaska Peninsula Bering Sea drainages: non-residents banned from keeping king salmon starting July 18
Non-resident anglers cannot keep king salmon in Bering Sea drainages starting July 18, while Alaska residents get a one-per-day limit.
by Bill AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
Alaska schedules three-day guide-outfitter exam sequence in December
Alaska schedules a three-day guide-outfitter exam in Anchorage in December, with applications due Oct. 26 for the first component.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
NMFS proposes removing economic data reporting requirements for BSAI trawl and crab programs
Federal fisheries managers proposed eliminating economic reporting requirements for Bering Sea trawl and crab harvesters, citing limited usefulness and cost savings.
by Bill AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
Snowpack flooding scatters Minto Flats pike, forcing anglers to adapt
Snowpack flooding at Minto Flats has scattered northern pike across wider habitat, forcing anglers to switch tactics and try alternative Interior lakes like Cushman and Little Harding.
by Bill AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
Tanana kings closed all season; chum fishing back open after run surges
Alaska closed all king salmon fishing in the Tanana River drainage through September 30 due to a weak forecast, but reopened chum fishing on July 8 after the summer run exceeded expectations.
by Bill AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
Copper River stays closed to commercial fishing as Chinook run tracks weak
Copper River commercial salmon fishing stays closed through at least Saturday as Chinook counts track weak, though subsistence fishers get a 12-hour window Thursday morning.
by Bill AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
Yukon Chinook count at Eagle stands at 1,633, a third of average; ADF&G launches telemetry study
Yukon Chinook salmon are running at one-third of normal, forcing subsistence closures, and ADF&G is tagging fish to find out why.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
Hikers take two days. Crow Pass runners do it in hours
The Crow Pass Crossing sends 150 runners 23.5 miles across glaciers, brush, and a cold river Saturday, with no aid stations. Hikers take two days; the fastest finish in about three hours.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
Two Illinois men cited for unlicensed crewmember violations in Naknek-Kvichak Bay
Alaska Wildlife Troopers cited two Illinois men for employing unlicensed crew members during Bristol Bay salmon fishing on July 12, when new Board of Fisheries regulations took effect.
by Bill AlaskaNewsadded 2mo ago1 min read
A downtown Anchorage race with trail miles and maybe a Denali view
Anchorage's Skinny Raven Half & 10K hits the Delaney Park Strip Sunday — trail miles, maybe a Denali view, and an easy one to spectate. Sign up before prices jump Thursday night.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
A collapsing salmon season could force Cordova to cut services this winter
Cordova's budget runs on fishing-fleet fuel taxes. With Prince William Sound's pink salmon a no-show, a council member is warning of service cuts this winter.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
A free Palmer class to turn beginners into bird hunters
Free Fish and Game class in Palmer turns bird-hunting beginners into hunters in a day — guns, ammo, and dogs included. Season's already open.
by Bill AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
Bristol Bay's sockeye surge doubles the sport limit to 10
Sockeye's on the run in Bristol Bay, thick as they come — the sport limit just doubled to ten, so grab a pal, grab a rod, and go get you some.
by Bill AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
Kodiak conservation district seeks permit to spray glyphosate in Buskin watershed
Plant plant go away come get another day. Or, you don't have to.
by Bill AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
The West Coast dips into the halibut stock Alaska shares
The West Coast opens its third halibut period July 21 — a small slice of the same coastwide stock Alaska's fleets and subsistence users draw from.
by Bill AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
Weak fall run closes Yukon River chum fishing July 22
A weak fall chum run that may fall short of U.S.-Canada treaty minimums is closing Yukon River chum fishing — sport and subsistence — from July 22 through year's end.
by Bill AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
Chitina dipnet fishery opens full 168 hours July 20–26 as salmon surplus builds
The Chitina dipnet fishery opens for a full week starting July 20 as salmon counts finally hit targets. King salmon remain off-limits.
by Bill AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
Strong sockeye at China Poot, but clammers now need a permit before heading out
Alright! So China poot this weekend, who's in??!
by Bill AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
Kodiak rockfish rules now cap single-species harvest, push anglers to deeper water
Kodiak sport anglers now face species-specific rockfish caps through year-end, limiting black rockfish to two per day, pushing them to fish deeper water as stocks decline from charter pressure.
by Bill AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read