2020 Yukon River Salmon Summer Fishery Announcement #26 South Coastal District, Districts 1, 2, and 3 and Innoko River Subsistence Fishing Schedule

Districts Affected: Lower Yukon Area

By this time, the majority of the Chinook salmon run has entered the river, and the drainage-wide run size is projected to be around 150,000 fish. A run of this size should meet escapement goals, but surplus for harvest is limited, so fishermen should adjust their Chinook salmon goals to about half of what they harvested last year. Due to unseasonably high water, early closures, and poor weather, fishing effort and catch efficiency has been reported as very low for most of the season. Therefore, in order to allow fishermen opportunity to catch some Chinook salmon in the presence of large numbers of chum salmon, gillnet restrictions are being relaxed to a maximum mesh size of 7.5-inch or smaller mesh.

07/06/2020
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

District 1 will remain on a half regulatory schedule of two 18-hour periods per week to allow time to schedule commercial summer chum fishing periods. Districts 2 and 3 are returning to the regulatory schedule of two 36- hour per week openings.

Subsistence fishermen may continue to use dipnets and beach seines during gillnet openings and all salmon may be retained. During subsistence fishing closures, fishermen may use 4-inch or smaller mesh gillnets to target non- salmon in mainstem and tributary waters.

Subsistence Management Actions

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

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

Effective 4 p.m. Saturday, July 4, fishermen may use 7.5-inch or smaller mesh gillnets

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 currently open with 6-inch or smaller mesh gillnets for a previously announced period from 2 p.m. Friday, July 3 to 8 a.m. Saturday, July 4.

Effective 2 p.m. Tuesday, July 7, fishing will open with 7.5-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.

Fishing will open for a previously announced 18-hour period from 2 p.m. Saturday, July 4 to 8 a.m. Sunday, July 5. Fishing will close for 12 hours and reopen on the full regulatory schedule.

Effective 8 p.m. Sunday, July 5, fishing will open with 7.5-inch or smaller mesh gillnets on a schedule of two 36-hour periods per week from:

8 p.m. Sundays to 8 a.m. Tuesdays

8 p.m. Wednesdays to 8 a.m. Fridays

District 3 (including Russian Mission and Holy Cross):

Subsistence fishing is currently closed.

Fishing will open for a previously announced 18-hour period from 2 p.m. Saturday, July 4 to 8 a.m. Sunday, July 5. Fishing will close for 12 hours and reopen on the full regulatory schedule.

Effective 8 p.m. Sunday, July 5, fishing will open with 7.5-inch or smaller mesh gillnets on a schedule of two 36-hour periods per week from:

8 p.m. Sundays to 8 a.m. Tuesdays

8 p.m. Wednesdays to 8 a.m. Fridays Innoko River:

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

Effective 8 p.m. Sunday, July 5, fishermen may use 7.5-inch or smaller mesh gillnets

General Reminders:

Dip net mesh size is restricted to 4.5-inch or smaller. Beach seines must be set from the beach and hauled to the beach. Beach seine gear may not exceed 150 fathoms in length, 100 meshes in depth, and 4-inches stretched measure. Additionally, beach seines may not be constructed of monofilament webbing. All salmon must be released alive from dip nets and beach seines during salmon fishing closures, but may be retained when salmon fishing periods are open.

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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