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.
Inside Nature & Outdoors
Places and organizations in this news
Numbers are stories in the last 30 days.
Have a story about Nature & Outdoors? Send a tip
Week of May 25
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.
by Bill AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min readFrom 
Seward: Yelloweye rockfish closure extended through June 30
Alaska closed yelloweye rockfish retention through June 30 and cut other rockfish bag limits to three per day through mid-September in Resurrection Bay and the North Gulf Coast to protect spawning fish.
by Bill AlaskaNewsadded 5mo ago2 min read
Kenai Peninsula: Two Major Rivers Closed Through Mid-July
Alaska closed Anchor River and Deep Creek to all fishing through July 15 to protect king salmon. Gear restrictions apply through end of July on these and other Kenai Peninsula streams. This is the third straight year of major king salmon fishing limits in the region.
by Bill AlaskaNews5mo ago3 min readFrom 
Cold Spring Delays Situk River Steelhead Spawning, Extends Fishing Season
Cold spring water has delayed steelhead spawning in the Situk River, keeping spring-run fish in the system longer and extending the fishing season through at least next week.
by Bill AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min readFrom 
Assembly transfers nine riverfront parcels to state for erosion control
Alaska borough transfers nine riverfront parcels to the state to build erosion barriers before the Matanuska River threatens the highway.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 5mo ago1 min read
Week of May 18
Mat-Su Planning Commission approves Deshka River watershed land classification
Mat-Su Planning Commission voted May 18 to classify borough-owned land along the Deshka River as watershed to protect cold-water salmon habitat, forwarding the resolution to the Assembly for final approval.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 5mo ago2 min read
Hopson 1 crew strikes Utqiaġvik's first whale of spring season
Hopson 1 crew struck Utqiaġvik's first bowhead whale of spring 2026 season Saturday, marking an important catch for the Alaska Native community after a late start.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago1 min read
King Salmon Fishing Closed Across Tanana Drainage Due to Yukon Forecast
Alaska closed all king salmon sport fishing in the Tanana River drainage on May 21 due to a below-average Yukon River forecast, affecting the Chena, Goodpaster, and Salcha Rivers.
by Bill AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
More from Nature & Outdoors
Ice Flows Delay Miles Lake Sonar, Chitina Dipnet Season in Limbo
Ice flows are delaying Miles Lake sonar equipment, pushing the Chitina dipnet season opening to a tentative June 10 noon start pending sonar data on salmon passage.
by Bill AlaskaNews5mo ago3 min read
Petersburg anglers now required to carry rockfish release devices
Petersburg anglers must carry rockfish release devices on all marine vessels and return unharvested rockfish to capture depth or 100 feet. • Residents can keep one demersal rockfish daily year-round. Nonresidents only July 1 through August 25. • King salmon season opened May 15 in Wrangell Narrows and Blind Slough Terminal Harvest Area.
by Bill AlaskaNews5mo ago4 min readAlaska AG voids contested Area M salmon regulations after ethics challenge
Alaska attorney general voided five salmon regulations after board members failed to disclose conflicts of interest. • Fishing groups won relief through ethics enforcement instead of court. • Regulations would have restricted fishing time and added chinook catch closures. • Board must restart the process to readopt any rules.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago3 min read
Alaska seeks control of hazardous waste program as rural areas face shift
EPA tentatively approved Alaska taking over hazardous waste oversight from federal control by August 2026. • Public comment period runs through July 2, 2026 on the shift. • Rural communities and tribes worry state agency may not enforce rules as strictly as EPA did. • Businesses may see faster permitting but face uncertainty during transition to state standards.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 5mo ago2 min read
Craig, Klawock Anglers Face New Ban on Filleting Fish at Sea
Anglers returning to Craig and Klawock must keep lingcod, rockfish, and king or coho salmon whole until docking, a new rule aimed at helping state biologists collect better data on fish populations.
by Bill AlaskaNews5mo ago3 min readHouse Finance adds feral cat spay-neuter provisions to invasive species bill
House Finance added feral cat spay-neuter provisions to an invasive species bill in a 9-2 vote, delaying the cat management rules until 2028.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
Alaska Senate Passes Statewide Styrofoam Ban for Restaurants
Alaska Senate passed a statewide ban on polystyrene food containers at restaurants, effective January 1, 2027, citing health and environmental concerns.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago3 min read
House approves stricter hunting residency rules in divided vote
Alaska House approved stricter hunting and fishing residency rules in a 24-16 vote, requiring 180 days per year in state instead of just maintaining a domicile, effective January 2028.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min readAbout 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
Late breakup delays Chitina dipnet season; salmon run expected late
Chitina dipnet season tentatively opens June 10, delayed by late ice breakup and expected late salmon passage at Miles Lake sonar.
by Bill AlaskaNews5mo ago3 min readOne Spot Left in Denali Wildfire and Wildlife Workshop for Educators
Alaska Department of Fish and Game has one opening left in a June 1-3 wildfire and wildlife workshop for educators in Denali National Park.
by Bill AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min readWeek of May 11
Alaska News Roundup: Gas pipeline tax fight, Point Thomson trade-off, and McNeil River access debate
Senate passed gas pipeline tax bill raising oil production tax floor to six percent, drawing industry criticism. • Point Thomson regulators warn blowdown for pipeline risks sixty-five million barrels of condensate. • Mount Edgecumbe enrollment dropped a quarter to three hundred eleven students amid facility and health concerns. • Fish and Game reviews wheeled plane landings at McNeil River bear sanctuary despite conservation objections.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago3 min read
Alaska Senate tightens hunting residency rules to match PFD standards
Alaska Senate voted to require hunters and anglers to spend at least 180 days in state per year to qualify for cheaper resident licenses, using the same residency test as the Permanent Fund Dividend.
by Alaska News6mo ago4 min read
Alaska Opens First Mountain Lion Hunting Season in Southeast
Alaska opens its first mountain lion hunting season in Southeast starting Aug. 1, allowing one kill per hunter and letting them keep the animal after sealing it with the state.
by Alaska News6mo ago1 min readYukon Chum Salmon Forecast Misses Escapement Goal, Triggers Fishery Closures
Alaska closed sport fishing for chum salmon in the Yukon River drainage after forecasting only 345,600 fish against a 500,000 minimum goal, with subsistence fishing closing June 1.
by Alaska News6mo ago2 min readMcNeil River bear viewing access dispute revealed in survey results
Alaska Fish and Game will keep McNeil River bear viewing unchanged for 2026, maintaining floatplane access and the 10-person daily limit while reviewing stakeholder survey feedback.
by Alaska News6mo ago2 min readNome subsistence salmon fishers face new weekly schedule, 25-fish limits
Alaska Fish and Game set a Wednesday-to-Monday subsistence fishing schedule and 25-fish household limits for Norton Sound salmon in 2026, citing conservation concerns across the region.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago3 min readFederal Decision Keeps Chinook Management in Alaska's Hands
Federal fisheries officials decided Gulf of Alaska Chinook salmon do not need endangered species protection, keeping management authority with Alaska instead of the federal government.
by Alaska News6mo ago2 min readCraig, Klawock anglers face new ban on filleting fish at sea
Craig and Klawock anglers must keep lingcod, rockfish, and salmon whole until docking so state biologists can sample the catch for fishery data.
by Alaska News6mo ago2 min readUpper Copper River king salmon fishery requires new permit in 2026
King salmon anglers in the Upper Copper River must get a free individual permit this season and report any fish 20 inches or longer by August 31.
by Alaska News6mo ago2 min readState to use fish pesticide in Sucker Lake to kill invasive pike
Alaska will treat two lobes of Sucker Lake with rotenone in August 2026 to kill invasive northern pike that threaten salmon and trout across Southcentral Alaska.
by Alaska News6mo ago3 min readKetchikan charter operators to discuss new fishing rules May 21
Alaska Department of Fish and Game meets with Ketchikan charter operators May 21 at 6 p.m. to discuss new sport fishing rules for 2026.
by Alaska News6mo ago1 min readCity Creek king salmon site permanently closed near Petersburg
Alaska Department of Fish and Game permanently closed the City Creek king salmon hatchery site near Petersburg, ending a program halted in 2022 due to funding and wild stock concerns.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago2 min readSenate Panel Advances Bill Tying Hunting Rights to 180-Day Residency
Alaska Senate panel advanced a bill tying resident hunting licenses to a 180-day residency standard, matching Permanent Fund Dividend rules to stop non-residents from claiming cheaper resident tags.
by Alaska News6mo ago6 min read
Week of May 4
Anchor River Chinook Peak Shifts Two Weeks Later, Data Shows
Anchor River Chinook salmon now peak about two weeks later than they did 25 years ago, shifting from early June to late June or early July, according to Alaska Department of Fish and Game weir data.
by Alaska News6mo ago2 min readNew rockfish rules require Yakutat anglers keep fish intact longer
Yakutat sport fishers must keep rockfish, lingcod, and king salmon identifiable with skin attached until they dock or leave the fishing spot, under new rules that took effect May 7.
by Alaska News6mo ago2 min readHalibut Landings Lag 80% Behind Quota as Prices Hit $7/lb
Halibut landings lag at 18 percent of quota by early May as dock prices hold strong at $6 to $7 per pound, while sablefish catches outpace expectations.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago2 min readSenate panel advances Ketchikan mariculture manager to Board of Fisheries
Senate panel advanced Paul Cyr, a Ketchikan mariculture manager, to the Alaska Board of Fisheries, restoring Southeast Alaska's representation on the board that sets statewide fishing rules.
by Alaska News6mo ago2 min read
House panel hears bill to ease farmland leasing, lower costs for Alaska growers
House panel advanced a bill to let Alaska farmers lease state land at below-market rates instead of costly appraisals, after one Homer grower's lease fee jumped from $1,000 to $9,360 annually.
by Alaska News6mo ago3 min readKarluk River Chinook Collapse Triggers First Subsistence Closure
Alaska closed the Karluk River to subsistence Chinook salmon harvest through December 2026 after escapement crashed to 93 fish in 2025, far below the 3,000 to 6,000 fish goal.
by Alaska News6mo ago2 min readShoulder-to-Shoulder Anglers Pack Kenai River as Salmon Runs Peak
Hundreds of anglers pack the Kenai River shoulder to shoulder as late-run sockeye and coho salmon peak through September, with strong catches reported on beads and streamers.
by Alaska News6mo ago3 min readSenate panel advances compromise on fish processor sick leave
Senate panel advanced a compromise limiting paid sick leave for seasonal fish processors to 48 hours per year, with a 30-day waiting period, modifying voter-approved requirements.
by Alaska News6mo ago2 min read
New sport fishing rules clarify handling of rockfish, salmon, lingcod
Alaska's 2026 sport fishing rules require anglers to keep rockfish, lingcod, and king salmon identifiable by skin until leaving the water.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago2 min read
