Nature & Outdoors
RSSAlaska News covers outdoor recreation, trails, parks, wildlife viewing, fishing closures, and safety in Alaska's natural areas.
Free Fairbanks streambank workshop opens July 15 for landowners and anglers
Fairbanks landowners and anglers can register free for a two-day streambank restoration workshop July 15 and 16 that teaches erosion control and fish habitat work.
by Bill AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
Tanana River chum salmon sport fishery reopens as run exceeds forecast
Tanana River sport anglers can keep three chum salmon again as of Wednesday after the run exceeded forecasts, but the broader Yukon drainage remains closed due to weak returns.
by Bill AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
Upper Copper River king salmon sport fishery closed through August 10
Alaska closes all Upper Copper River king salmon sport fishing from July 10 through August 10 after the lowest run count on record threatens the escapement goal.
by Bill AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
Fish and Game will bring moose permits to four Nushagak River villages
Fish and Game will hand-deliver moose permits to four Nushagak River villages this year, so hunters without road access to Dillingham don't have to make the trip.
by Alaska News2mo ago1 min read
Chitina dip net fishery cut to 96 hours as Copper River salmon run behind
Alaska Fish and Game cut the Chitina dip net season to 96 hours next week because the Copper River salmon run is running 30,600 fish behind schedule and sockeye escapement goals are at risk.
by Bill AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
Deshka king run collapse forces Cook Inlet closures amid allocation fight
The Deshka king run is projected to come in at under half its minimum goal, and ADF&G is closing fisheries to save what's left.
by Bill AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
Alaska sheep hunters must complete orientation course before Aug. 10 opener
Alaska sheep hunters must complete a one-time orientation course before the Aug. 10 season opener to learn how to correctly identify full-curl rams in the field, a new requirement starting this fall.
by Bill AlaskaNewsadded 2mo ago2 min read
Heatwave-driven mortality identified as key cause of Yukon Chinook crash
A new study pins the Yukon Chinook collapse on heatwave-driven deaths of young salmon at sea, not just low recruitment or overharvest, meaning harvest closures alone won't fix the crash.
by Maggie AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
Three cited at Chitina dipnet fishery over July 4 weekend; one faces mandatory court date
Three fishers cited at Chitina dipnet fishery during July 4 weekend opening; one Fairbanks man faces mandatory court for retaining a king salmon in violation of emergency order.
by Maggie AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
Bristol Bay Eastside salmon fishery under rapid-sequence emergency orders
ADF&G is issuing rapid emergency orders for Bristol Bay Eastside salmon fisheries. The shifting schedule forces fishers to react to real-time sockeye run data.
by Bill AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
Yukon River gillnet closures spread as Chinook and chum run far below average
Alaska closed all Yukon River gillnet fishing after Chinook and chum runs fell far below historic averages, with Chinook passage at Pilot Station running 41 percent below the long-term average.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
Southeast Alaska pink and chum test fisheries run below average ahead of peak season
Southeast Alaska test fisheries show pink and chum salmon running below average, signaling a weaker return ahead of peak season in Frederick Sound and lower Stephens Passage.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
Alaska Wildlife Troopers issue 13 citations across Bristol Bay in 10-day enforcement push
Alaska Wildlife Troopers issued 13 citations to commercial fishers in Bristol Bay's Egegik and Nushagak districts between June 26 and July 1 for closed-period and closed-waters violations.
by Maggie AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
ADF&G extends Districts 6 and 8 drift gillnet fishery 48 hours with mesh and area limits
ADF&G extended the Petersburg-area drift gillnet fishery 48 hours through Saturday noon with a 6-inch mesh cap and subarea closures in District 8 to protect Chinook salmon escapement.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
Kuskokwim subsistence households face empty freezers as salmon closures hold
Federal salmon closures on the Kuskokwim through July 31 are leaving subsistence households with few chances to harvest fish for winter, forcing families to buy more groceries as prices rise.
by Bill AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
Egegik and Kvichak stocks rise at Bristol Bay's Port Moller intercept
Egegik and Kvichak sockeye stocks are now dominating the catch at Bristol Bay's Port Moller intercept station, shifting the mix managers use to decide commercial fishing openings in early July.
by Bill AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
Nushagak king salmon run on pace for near-record low season
Nushagak king salmon run is on pace for one of its weakest seasons since 1980, triggering a subsistence closure and forcing commercial fishermen to sell or donate all kings starting July 12.
by Bill AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
Yukon River District 4 opens for summer chum; Chinook closures hold
Yukon River District 4 opens summer chum harvest July 2 through late July, but all Chinook must be released alive under a rebuilding agreement that closes Chinook fisheries through 2030.
by Maggie AlaskaNews2mo ago3 min read
Kenai guide faces mandatory court date after client keeps 2 extra sockeye on Kasilof
A Kenai fishing guide faces mandatory court after a client kept 8 sockeye salmon instead of the legal limit of 6 on the Kasilof River on July 4.
by Maggie AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
Five dipnetters cited at Chitina in four days, three headed to court
Troopers cited five dipnetters at Chitina in four days, three now court-bound — for keeping kings when barred or fishing when it was closed. Check before you drive out.
by Maggie AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
A NOAA crew cut a tangled humpback free at Endicott Arm
A juvenile humpback got tangled at the mouth of Endicott Arm. A NOAA crew freed it from a small boat with knives on poles — work only 94 people nationwide are cleared to do.
by Maggie AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
The Copper River's sockeye run just hit a 40-year low
The Copper River is running its worst sockeye return in 40 years — so bad Alaska closed the popular Chitina dipnet fishery, even with no commercial boats fishing the river.
by Bill AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
Pollock fleet's groundfish bycatch fell below 1% in 2025, but salmon bycatch rose as warm water pushed fish onto the shelf
Pollock fleet's groundfish bycatch hit a 25-year low in 2025, but salmon catches rose as warm water pushed fish onto the shelf, alarming tribal subsistence advocates.
by Bill AlaskaNewsadded 2mo ago1 min read
NPFMC directs NOAA to update pollock roe rules after seizure highlighted regulatory gap
North Pacific Fishery Management Council directed NOAA to update pollock roe rules after a seizure exposed gaps between 1990s regulations and how the fishing industry actually operates today.
by Bill AlaskaNewsadded 2mo ago2 min read
Begich bill targets illegal foreign fishing that undercuts Alaska fleets
Rep. Nick Begich introduced a bill June 29 to combat illegal foreign fishing that undercuts Alaska's seafood industry, which supplies 60 percent of U.S. domestic catch.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 2mo ago2 min read
Sablefish fleet faces compliance gap as approved release rule sits in federal limbo until 2028
A federal rule allowing Alaska sablefish vessels to release undersized fish won't take effect until 2028, leaving crews facing fines for a nearly unavoidable practice.
by Bill AlaskaNewsadded 2mo ago2 min read
Council sends Kodiak Tanner crab closure to second initial review with preliminary preferred alternative
North Pacific Fishery Management Council advanced Tanner crab protection measures to a second review, selecting non-pelagic trawl restrictions while keeping closure options open for further analysis.
by Bill AlaskaNewsadded 2mo ago4 min read
Pollock fleet builds empirical database of trawl seafloor contact as Congress weighs gear restrictions
A pollock fleet research project has documented nearly 300 trawls to show how gear actually contacts the seafloor, aiming to replace guesswork in federal fishing rules with real data by early 2027.
by Bill AlaskaNewsadded 2mo ago2 min read
North Pacific council moves toward enforceable pelagic trawl gear standards
North Pacific Fishery Management Council ordered staff to draft enforceable standards for pelagic trawl gear bottom contact, moving past years of conflict between pollock trawlers and crab harvesters.
by Bill AlaskaNewsadded 2mo ago3 min read
Pollock fleet asked to repeat voluntary crab closures in 2027 after proof-of-concept season
Alaska's pollock fleet will continue voluntary crab closures in 2027 after a 2026 test season showed the program works, with minimal bycatch when closures were active.
by Bill AlaskaNewsadded 2mo ago2 min read
Council votes 8-3 to study halibut bycatch rules for Golden Fleece replacement vessel
Council voted to study stripping a replacement vessel of halibut bycatch exemptions granted to the Golden Fleece in 2007, citing historic lows in Gulf of Alaska halibut stocks.
by Alaska Newsadded 2mo ago2 min read
North Pacific council directs Ecosystem Committee to revise 2004 groundfish policy goals
The North Pacific Fishery Management Council is updating 2004 groundfish goals. Tribal groups want stronger protections for salmon.
by Alaska Newsadded 2mo ago3 min read
A fisherman feared lost, as Bristol Bay's run shows strain
A crew member is feared dead after going overboard near Egegik Bay, as record-low sockeye counts force fishery closures and troopers cite fishermen across Bristol Bay.
by Bill AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
Weak Copper River runs bring king closures and a Chitina dipnet shutdown
Copper River salmon are running weak, so kings are now off-limits in Upper Copper sport fishing from July 6, and the Chitina dipnet closes July 6–12.
by Bill AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
A Ketchikan-area geoduck farm wins a 20-year lease renewal
Geoducks are giant, long-necked clams that can live past 100 and sell for a fortune. A Ketchikan-area farm that grows them just locked in 20 more years.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
Fishing Prince of Wales for kings? The nonresident limit just dropped.
Nonresident king limits on Prince of Wales tightened July 1. Two ADF&G documents disagree — the annual cap may be as low as one fish — so confirm the number before you keep one.
by Bill AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
One place near Anchorage where you can still keep a king
ings are closed across the Mat-Su and Northern Cook Inlet — except Eklutna Tailrace, a stocked fishery where you can still take one home while the wild runs stay shut.
by Bill AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
Lingcod is open outside Seward but closed inside Resurrection Bay
Lingcod season is open outside Seward, where fishing should be hot — but inside Resurrection Bay you can't even cast for one. And bring 'em back whole.
by Bill AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
Alaska's kings are down almost everywhere — here's the picture
From the Yukon to Kodiak to Prince William Sound, Alaska is closing or tightening king salmon fishing nearly statewide — a slow-motion decline now measured in decades, not seasons.
by Bill AlaskaNews2mo ago3 min read
Volunteers wanted to rebuild the Ermine Hill Trail to Kesugi Ridge
Alaska Trails wants a weekend crew to fix a footbridge on Ermine Hill, one of the best routes up Kesugi Ridge. Steep hiking, big Denali views, bring gloves.
by Maggie AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read