2020 Yukon River Salmon Summer Fishery Announcement #22 Summer Update # 4, Yukon Area Salmon Fishery

Districts Affected: Yukon Area

Current projections for the Chinook salmon run have improved with good passage at the Pilot Station sonar (Figure 1). Genetic results on the long trickle of fish also indicate a strong Canadian proportion. These factors indicate there is a harvestable surplus and with some restrictions in place, we are likely to meet spawning escapement objectives. The average midpoint for Chinook salmon for a run with normal run timing at Pilot Station sonar is June 24 and for late run timing is June 27.

06/30/2020
Last edited 01/25/2022
Contact Information

Holly Carroll, Area Management Biologist

(907) 267-2385

Toll free fishing schedule and counts: (866) 479-7387
In Fairbanks fishing schedule hotline: 459-7387

The summer chum salmon run appears to be late and tracking with the run size in 2019 (Figure 2). At this time, many fishermen have reported very poor harvests of summer chum salmon due to poor weather during the selective gear openings. Therefore, gillnet fishing with 6-inch or smaller mesh gear is being allowed in all districts in order to harvest summer chum and some Chinook salmon. The average midpoint at the sonar project for summer chum in years with late run timing is July 1 and the midpoint in 2019 was July 3.

The extended early trickle of Chinook salmon may be as far upriver as the Canadian border, and the sonar project near Eagle is in the process of setting up to be operational by July 1. As of June 29, the first pulse of Chinook salmon should be in Grayling and above. A second pulse of Chinook salmon is currently passing by the Pilot Station sonar. Early summer chum salmon may be near Kantishna and the first large group of summer chum salmon should be near Holy Cross.

Genetic mixed stock analysis (MSA) on the early group of Chinook salmon sampled at the Pilot Station sonar project (June 7 to June 22) indicated that 62% of the fish sampled were of Canadian-origin. Genetic MSA will continue throughout the season.

The inseason salmon management teleconferences hosted by the Yukon River Drainage Fisheries Association are held every Tuesday, at 1:00 p.m. To participate, call (800) 315-6338, and enter code: YUKON# (98566#).


summer22-1.png
Figure 1. Cumulative passage of Chinook salmon at the Pilot Station sonar compared to late and/or weak years.
 
2020 Cumulative summer chum salmon passage
Figure 2. 2020 Cumulative summer chum salmon passage at the Pilot Station sonar compared to 2019, and late and weak years. The management “commercial threshold” of 750,000 summer chum salmon needed for commercial harvest based on late run timing is included for reference. The horizontal dotted line represents the lower bound of the drainage-wide escapement goal for summer chum salmon.

Assessment Projects

Lower Yukon Test Fishery (LYTF)/ ADF&G and YDFDA

Operations for 2020 have been altered. The set net (for Chinook) and drift test fish sites for summer chum will not operate at Middle Mouth during the summer season. In the South Mouth at Big Eddy, drift operations for summer chum and Chinook salmon are unchanged; however, we’ve deployed half the usual set net (reduced from 25 fathoms to 12.5 fathoms) in an effort to reduce harvest of Chinook salmon in the test fishery. Due to these changes, the historical test fishery cumulative catch per unit effort (CPUE) and numbers reported inseason should not be compared to past reports.

The Big Eddy Chinook and summer chum drift gillnet sites were operational on May 29. The cumulative Chinook salmon catch per unit effort (CPUE) in the 8.25-inch drift gillnet is 257.36, which is below the historic average of 343.59. The cumulative CPUE for summer chum salmon is 3,120.89, which is well below the Big Eddy historical median of 7,767.74. All CPUEs are current through June 28.

The Big Eddy set gillnet site began operations on June 3. The cumulative Chinook salmon CPUE for the 8.5-inch set gillnet at Big Eddy is 12.88. This year’s CPUE values are not directly comparable to historical CPUEs but should still give an indication of large groups of fish entering the river.

Any Chinook salmon healthy enough will be released alive from the test nets. Injured salmon and mortalities will be distributed to community members by the Tribal council, or on a first come, first-served basis from a public dock.

Sonar Project near Pilot Station/ ADF&G

The Pilot Station sonar began full operations on June 7. Water levels remain high but dropping with moderate debris. Chinook salmon passage is estimated to be 92,810 fish, which is below the historical cumulative average of 124,501 fish. Summer chum salmon passage is estimated to be 265,167 fish, which is below the historical cumulative median of 872,356 fish. However, this passage estimate is slightly larger than the cumulative passage estimate of 241,000 on this date in 2019 (which was a late summer chum run). All estimates are current through June 28.

Eagle Sonar / ADF&G

Crew are onsite and working to get the sonar operational by July 1. Chena River Tower and Sonar / ADF&G

Sonars and panels out due to high water.

ADF&G, USFWS, and TCC projects that will not operate in 2020

Due to COVID-19 travel restrictions or funding concerns, these projects will not operate: East Fork Andreafsky Weir, Anvik River Sonar, Gisasa River Weir, Henshaw Creek Weir, and Salcha River tower/sonar.

Current Subsistence Management Actions

Gillnet opportunity with half fishing schedules are being provided in most districts. Gillnets are restricted to 6- inch or smaller mesh, in order to limit the harvest of Chinook salmon and optimize fishing for summer chum salmon. The opportunity to harvest non-salmon with 4-inch or smaller mesh gillnets is available during salmon closures. Previously announced restrictions for the use of 4-inch or smaller mesh gill nets have been rescinded at this time.

South Coastal District (from the Naskonat Peninsula north to 62 degrees North latitude which includes Hooper Bay and Scammon Bay):

Subsistence fishing is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week with gillnets restricted to 6-inch or smaller mesh.

District 1 and the North Coastal Area (from 62 degrees North latitude north to Point Romanof, including the Black River, and communities of Emmonak, Nunam Iqua, Alakanuk, and Kotlik):

Subsistence fishing is open with dip nets and beach seines for one period from:

8 p.m. Monday, June 29 to 2 p.m. Tuesday, June 30 (all Chinook salmon must be released alive)

Effective 2 p.m. Tuesday, June 20, fishing will open with 6-inch or smaller mesh gillnets on a schedule of two 18-hour periods per week from:

2 p.m. Tuesdays to 8 a.m. Wednesdays 2 p.m. Fridays to 8 a.m. Saturdays

District 2 (including Mountain Village, Pitkas Point, St. Mary’s, Pilot Station, and Marshall): Subsistence fishing is currently closed.

Effective 2 p.m. Wednesday, July 1, fishing will open with 6-inch or smaller mesh gillnets on a schedule of two 18-hour periods per week from:

2 p.m. Wednesdays to 8 a.m. Thursdays 2 p.m. Saturdays to 8 a.m. Sundays

District 3 (including Russian Mission and Holy Cross):

Subsistence fishing is currently closed.

Effective 2 p.m. Wednesday, July 1, fishing will open with 6-inch or smaller mesh gillnets and fish wheels on a schedule of two 18-hour periods per week from:

2 p.m. Wednesdays to 8 a.m. Thursdays 2 p.m. Saturdays to 8 a.m. Sundays

Innoko River:

Subsistence fishing is currently open with 6-inch or smaller mesh gillnets and fish wheels.

District 4 (Grayling, Anvik, Kaltag, Nulato, Koyukuk, Galena, and Ruby):

Subsistence fishing is currently closed.

Effective 6 p.m. Tuesday, June 30, fishing will open with 6-inch or smaller mesh gillnets and fish wheels on a schedule of two 24-hour periods per week from:

6 p.m. Tuesdays to 6 p.m. Wednesdays 6 p.m. Saturdays to 6 p.m. Sundays

Koyukuk River (Huslia, Hughes, Alatna, Allakaket, and Bettles):

Subsistence fishing is currently open with 6-inch or smaller mesh gillnets and fish wheels.

A subsistence fishing permit is required for all species in the Koyukuk River above Bettles including the community of Wiseman.

Subdistricts 5-A, 5-B, and 5-C (Tanana and Rampart):

Subsistence fishing is currently closed.

Effective 6 p.m. Tuesday, June 30, fishing will open with 6-inch or smaller mesh gillnets and fish wheels on a schedule of two 24-hour periods per week from:

6 p.m. Tuesdays to 6 p.m. Wednesdays 6 p.m. Fridays to 6 p.m. Saturdays

Subdistrict 5-D (Stevens Village, Beaver, Fort Yukon, Venetie, Birch Creek, Chalkyitsik, Circle, Central, Eagle):

Subsistence fishing is currently closed.

Effective 10 a.m. Friday, July 3, fishing will open with 6-inch or smaller mesh gillnets and fish wheels on a schedule of one 84-hour (3.5 day) period per week from:

10 a.m. Fridays to 10 p.m. Mondays

A subsistence permit is required to fish for all species in portions of Subdistricts 5-C and 5-D from the western most tip of Garnet Island upstream to the mouth of Dall River (Dalton Highway bridge area) and from the upstream mouth of 22 Mile Slough to the U.S./Canada border.

Subdistricts 6-A and 6-B (from the mouth of the Tanana River upstream to the Wood River, including Manley, Minto, and Nenana):

Subsistence fishing is currently closed.

Effective 6 p.m. Friday, July 3, fishing will open with 6-inch or smaller mesh gillnets and fish wheels on a schedule of two 24-hour periods per week from:

6 p.m. Fridays to 6 p.m. Saturdays 6 p.m. Mondays to 6 p.m. Tuesdays

Kantishna River:

Subsistence fishing is open 24 hours a day, seven days per week with 7.5-inch or smaller mesh gillnets and fish wheels.

Old Minto Area:

Subsistence fishing is currently closed.

Effective 6 p.m. Friday, July 3, fishing will open with 6-inch or smaller mesh gillnets and fish wheels on a 5-day per week schedule from:

6 p.m. Fridays to 6 p.m. Wednesdays

Upper Tanana Area (the Tanana River from the confluence with the mouth of Volkmar River on the north bank and the mouth of the Johnson River on the south bank upstream to the Tanana River headwaters):

Subsistence fishing is open 24 hours a day, seven days per week with 7.5-inch or smaller mesh gillnets and fish wheels.

Subdistrict 6-C Salmon (Personal use fishery from the regulatory marker at the mouth of the Wood River upstream to the downstream mouth of the Salcha River, which includes the communities of Fairbanks, North Pole, and Salcha):

Personal use fishing is currently closed.

Effective 6 p.m. Friday, July 3, Personal Use fishing will open with 6-inch or smaller mesh gillnets and fish wheels on a schedule of two 24-hour periods per week from:

6 p.m. Fridays to 6 p.m. Saturdays 6 p.m. Mondays to 6 p.m. Tuesdays

Subdistrict 6-C Whitefish and Sucker Personal Use Fishing

Fishing for whitefish and suckers in this area remains open 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, subject to permit stipulations.

In the Tanana River up to the Wood River (Subdistrict 6-A and 6-B), and in the Upper Tanana River Area, a subsistence permit is required for salmon fishing. A personal use permit is required to fish for salmon and other species from the mouth of the Wood River upstream to the mouth of the Salcha River (Subdistrict 6-C). Fishermen may only use set gillnets and fishwheels in the Personal Use salmon fishery.

A subsistence permit is required for northern pike in the Tolovana River drainage, including Minto Flats.

Subsistence harvest calendars and subsistence fishing permits are available from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game Fairbanks office (459-7274) or online at www.adfg.alaska.gov/store/.

Commercial fishing District 1:

Commercial fishing will open for with dip nets and beach seines from:

8 p.m. Wednesday, July 1 to 8 p.m. Thursday, July 2

All Chinook salmon must be released alive and recorded on a fish ticket. District 2:

Commercial fishing will open with dip nets and beach seines from:

8 p.m. Monday, June 29 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, June 30

All Chinook salmon must be released alive and recorded on a fish ticket.

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. Announcements will be shared on Facebook at www.facebook.com/YukonRiverFishingADFG

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