2021 Yukon River Salmon Fall Fishery Announcement #16 Subdistricts 4-A Upper, 4-B and 4-C, Districts 5 and 6 Subsistence Fishing Schedule

While there is a need to reduce time and gear to protect salmon, additional opportunity for nonsalmon subsistence fishing is being provided as follows. Manned fish wheels may be used to fish for nonsalmon, but all fall chum salmon must be released alive and coho salmon are also recommended to be live released given the historic low run size.

Subsistence Management Actions

Subdistricts 4-A (Upper) through Districts 5 and 6 (including all lakes, sloughs and tributaries):

Subsistence salmon fishing is currently closed. Gillnets of 4-inch or smaller mesh may be used to target nonsalmon but are restricted to 60 feet or shorter length (see Birch Creek and Koyukuk River reminders below). Additionally, other legal gear to take nonsalmon species during subsistence salmon fishing closures include hand line, longline, fyke net, dip net, spear, and hook and line with a rod or pole (Subdistrict 4-A Upper to Nulato River drainage).

Effective 8 p.m. Sunday, August 29 the use of 4-inch gillnets to target nonsalmon will be on a reduced schedule and manned fish wheel opportunity is being provided for nonsalmon.

The following subsistence management actions will be in place:

Fish wheels (manned): open 7 days per week from 8 am to 9 pm:

Subsistence fishermen may use manned fish wheels to target nonsalmon; all fall chum salmon must be released alive immediately and must bypass any livebox structure. The live release of coho salmon is also strongly recommended for conservation given the historic low run size.

• Subdistricts 4-A (Upper), 4-B and 4-C (Kaltag, Nulato, Koyukuk, Huslia, Hughes, Alatna, Allakaket, Bettles, Wiseman, Galena and Ruby): two 48-hour periods per week from Sundays 8 p.m. to Tuesdays 8 p.m. and from Wednesdays 8 p.m. to Fridays 8 p.m.
• District 5 (Tanana, Rampart, Stevens Village, Beaver, Birch Creek, Arctic Village, Fort Yukon, Venetie, Chalkyitsik, Fort Yukon, Central, Circle and Eagle): two 48-hour periods per week from Sundays 8 p.m. to Tuesdays 8 p.m. and from Wednesdays 8 p.m. to Fridays 8 p.m.
• Subdistricts 6-A and 6-B, and Upper Tanana Area (Manley, Minto, Nenana, Healy, Cantwell, Lake Minchumina, Dot Lake, Tanacross, Tetlin, Tok, Northway and Nabesna): two 42-hour periods per week from Mondays 6 p.m. to Wednesdays 12 p.m. and from Fridays 6 p.m. to Sundays 12 p.m.

All gillnets must be removed from the water between these open fishing periods. Fishermen are reminded to set 4-inch gillnets in areas where nonsalmon species are abundant to avoid incidentally harvesting salmon. In the subsistence permit area of South Fork and the Middle Fork of the Koyukuk River, gillnet gear may only be used from August 20 to June 30 and must be 3½ inches or smaller mesh size. In Birch Creek and the subsistence area portion of Beaver Creek, gillnet mesh size may not exceed 3 inches.

All other nonsalmon gear: open 24 hours per day, 7 days per week:

Legal gear to take nonsalmon species includes hand line, longline, fyke net, spear, and hook and line with a rod or pole. However, hook and line with a rod or pole may only be used for subsistence fishing for nonsalmon in Subdistrict 4-A Upper up to the Nulato River mouth and including the Nulato River drainage. Subsistence fishermen may use dip nets to target nonsalmon but all fall chum salmon must be released alive immediately. The live release of coho salmon from dip nets is also strongly recommended for conservation given the historic low run size.

For Yukon Area advisory announcements and fish counts, visit www.facebook.com/YukonRiverFishingADFG. To receive advisory announcements by email, sign up at www.cfnews.adfg.alaska.gov.

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 Yukon River Subsistence Fishery Manager, Holly Carroll, please call 907-351-3029.

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