2018 Yukon River Fall Salmon Fishery News Release # 49 - District 1 Commercial Period 16 and Subsistence Schedule

Districts Affected: Lower Yukon Area

District 1 Commercial Fishing:

Commercial fishing will open for one period in the Set Net Only Area of District 1 on Friday, August 31 from 12:00 noon until 9:00 p.m. This will be a 9-hour commercial fishing period for the Set Net Only Area with 6-inch or smaller mesh gillnets. The remainder of District 1 will be open to commercial fishing on Friday, August 31 from 3:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. This will be a 6-hour commercial fishing period with 6-inch or smaller mesh gillnets.

09/04/2018
Last edited 01/25/2022
Contact Information

Jeff Estensen, Area Management Biologist

Christy Gleason, Asst. Area Management Biologist

Lower Yukon Area Office

(907) 949-1320

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

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). Also, subsistence fishing with gillnets is closed in these waters, including gillnets with 4-inch mesh or less, for closures before, during, and after each commercial opening.

District 1 Subsistence Fishing:

Subsistence salmon fishing in District 1 is open 24 hours per day, 7 days per week with gillnets restricted to a maximum mesh size of 7.5 inches, except for closures before, during, and after each commercial fishing period. For this commercial opening, subsistence salmon fishing in District 1, including the Pastolik and Pastoliak Rivers, will close at 12:00 midnight Thursday, August 30, and reopen at 9:00 a.m. Saturday, September 1.

Districts 1 and 2 Fall Chum Salmon Season Closing

By regulation, the fall chum salmon directed commercial fishery in Districts 1 and 2 closes after August 31. The preliminary cumulative commercial harvest for Districts 1 and 2 through August 29 is 311,168 fall chum salmon and 80,143 coho salmon. This is the 4th largest harvest of fall chum salmon and 5th largest harvest of coho salmon in the Lower Yukon River since 1961.

A coho salmon directed commercial fishery can be prosecuted in Districts 1 and 2 from September 1 through September 10 if inseason run assessment indicates there is a surplus of coho salmon available for harvest. Currently, the coho salmon run is below average. Through August 29, coho salmon passage at the mainstem sonar near Pilot Station is estimated to be 86,000 fish. This is below the historical median of 128,000 for that date and is projecting to be the second lowest on record. It is unlikely there will be any coho salmon directed commercial openings in Districts 1 and 2 in 2018. However, assessment of the coho salmon run is ongoing and the department will consider providing coho salmon directed commercial openings in Districts 1 and 2 if run strength improves.

The Emmonak field office will be closing for the season on Friday, August 31 at 5 p.m. If you have any questions after this time, contact the Fairbanks office at 459-7274.

This is an announcement by the ADF&G in consultation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

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