2019 Yukon River Fall Salmon Fishery News Release #21 Revised District 1 Commercial Period 5 and Subsistence Fishing Schedule

Districts Affected: Lower Yukon Area

The 2019 fall chum salmon preseason projection, based on the summer chum to fall chum salmon relationship, is a range of 700,000-800,000 fish. Run sizes within this range are expected to provide for escapement, subsistence needs, and a limited commercial fishery. The first fall chum salmon pulse entered the Yukon River between July 31 and August 5 and the estimated abundance was 180,000 fish. Adjusting for the overlap of summer chum salmon into the fall season, the fall chum salmon run is estimated to be 300,000 through August 10 which appears to be near the historical median.

08/12/2019

Last edited 01/25/2022

Contact Information

Jeff Estensen, Area Management Biologist

Christy Gleason, Asst. Area Management Biologist

ADF&G, Lower Yukon Area Office

(907) 949-1320

Toll free fishing schedule hotline: (866) 479-7387

Fishing schedule hotline in Fairbanks: 459-7387

District 1 Commercial Fishing:

Commercial fishing will open with 6-inch or smaller mesh gillnets:

Set Net Only Area: 9-hour period on Monday, August 12 from 1:30 p.m. until 10:30 p.m.
Remainder of District 1: 6-hour period on Monday, August 12 from 4:30 p.m. until 10:30 p.m.

Chinook salmon may be sold during these commercial openings. All Chinook salmon sold or retained for subsistence during commercial openings must be recorded on a fish ticket.

Pastolik and Pastoliak Rivers:

The Pastolik and Pastoliak rivers near Apoon Pass, including 500 yards around their mouths, are closed to commercial fishing (see map below). Regulatory markers have been placed around the mouths of each river to mark the closed areas. Also, subsistence fishing with gillnets, including gillnets with 4-inch mesh or less, is closed in these waters 12 hours before, during, and 12 hours after each commercial opening.

District 1 Subsistence Fishing:

Subsistence salmon fishing in District 1, is open during the fall season 7 days per week, 24 hours per day with 7.5-inch or smaller mesh gillnets, except for 12 hours before, during, and 12 hours after each commercial fishing period. Subsistence salmon fishing, including the Pastolik and Pastoliak Rivers, will close at 1:30 a.m. Monday, August 12, and reopen at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, August 13.

Subsistence fishermen must remove both tips of the tail fin of Chinook salmon before concealing from plain view or leaving the fishing site.

This is an announcement by the ADF&G in cooperation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. To reach the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Fairbanks call 456-0406.