Nature & Outdoors
RSSNature and Outdoors in Alaska is the state's wildlife, public lands and waters, and the activities Alaskans pursue in them. It tracks hunting and fishing seasons, wildlife management decisions, and access to trails, parks, refuges and fisheries statewide.
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Tuesday, Jul 21
Alaska closes District 4 subsistence fishing for fall chum and coho starting Wednesday
Alaska closes subsistence fishing for fall chum and coho salmon in District 4 starting Wednesday because the 2026 run is projected too weak to meet Canadian treaty obligations.
by Alaska News3mo ago2 min read
Yukon District 4 federal waters open to summer chum subsistence with selective gear only
Federal and state managers opened Yukon District 4 and Koyukuk River to summer chum subsistence harvest with selective gear only, banning gillnets to protect Chinook salmon through late July.
by Maggie AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min readFrom 
ADF&G extends Northwest Stepovak commercial salmon fishing 48 hours
Alaska Fish and Game opened Northwest Stepovak commercial salmon fishing for 48 hours starting July 12 noon, allowing purse seine and set gill net boats a brief window near Renshaw and Dent points.
by Bill AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min readFrom 
Monday, Jul 20
DNR extends geoduck farm lease near Ketchikan; comment period open
Alaska extended Tom Carruth's geoduck farm lease near Ketchikan for two more years, opening a 30-day public comment period that started June 23.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
Kreiss-Tomkins documents $20 milk, absent law enforcement in 11 Yukon River villages
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins documented $20 milk, $12 gas, scarce law enforcement, and collapsed salmon runs across 11 Yukon River villages in a four-day boat tour.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
Kotzebue chum fishery opened Sunday, but only one buyer is registered to purchase fish
Kotzebue chum fishery opened Sunday with five fishing windows, but only one buyer is registered to purchase fish this season.
by Bill AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
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 AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
ADEC proposes final discharge permit for Kodiak landfill leachate plant
Alaska regulators issued a proposed final permit allowing Kodiak Island Borough to discharge 288,000 gallons daily of treated landfill leachate into a wetland draining to Monashka Bay.
by Melinda Communities.News3mo ago1 min read
More from Nature & Outdoors
Five dipnetters cited at Kenai personal use fishery for recordkeeping violation
Five people were cited July 18 at the Kenai dipnet fishery for failing to record salmon catches in ink before hiding or moving the fish, a violation that can cost future fishing privileges.
by Bill AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
Sunday, Jul 19
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 solitary housing after a June 14 fight with a male bear; both animals recovered, but the state did not announce it publicly until July 16.
by Maggie AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
Brown bear injures hiker on Bear Valley trail above south Anchorage
A brown bear injured a hiker on a social trail above Bear Valley in south Anchorage on Saturday, prompting Fish and Game to post warning signs and urge hikers to travel in groups and carry bear spray.
by Maggie AlaskaNewsadded 3mo ago2 min read
Southeast Alaska pink salmon counts fall far below average for fourth straight week
Pink salmon catches in Southeast Alaska have plummeted to 5 to 10 percent of normal for four weeks, prompting Fish and Game to consider cutting commercial fishing openings.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
Saturday, Jul 18
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 AlaskaNews3mo 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 AlaskaNews3mo 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 AlaskaNews3mo 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 AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
About Nature & Outdoors
Nature and Outdoors in Alaska takes in the state's wildlife, public lands and waters, and the hunting, fishing and recreation Alaskans pursue in them. It spans sport, subsistence and commercial fishing, hunts for moose, caribou, elk and sheep, and access to parks, refuges and trails.
Decisions come from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, the Board of Fisheries, the Board of Game, federal fishery managers and the National Park Service. Seasons open and close as harvest limits fill, and stocks of concern, salmon limits in contested fisheries and halibut shares between charter and commercial fleets are recurring questions. Fishing fleets and seafood plants also depend on federal relief and loan programs and on export paperwork that NOAA explains to sellers.
More from Nature & Outdoors
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 AlaskaNews3mo 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 AlaskaNews3mo 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 3mo 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 3mo ago1 min read
Friday, Jul 17
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 AlaskaNews3mo 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 AlaskaNews3mo 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 AlaskaNews3mo ago2 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 AlaskaNews3mo 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 AlaskaNews3mo 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 AlaskaNews3mo ago1 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 AlaskaNews3mo 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 AlaskaNews3mo 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.News3mo 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 AlaskaNews3mo 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 AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
Thursday, Jul 16
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 AlaskaNews3mo ago2 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 AlaskaNews3mo 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 AlaskaNews3mo 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 AlaskaNews3mo ago1 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 AlaskaNews4mo 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 AlaskaNews4mo 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 AlaskaNews4mo 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 AlaskaNews4mo 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 AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
