From the Alaska Department of Fish and Game:

PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release:
March 27, 2012

2012 King Salmon Sport and Commercial Fishing Restrictions Planned for Northern Cook Inlet Streams

Sport and commercial fisheries within the Northern Cook Inlet area will be managed conservatively during the 2012 season in response to low king salmon abundance over recent years, a below-average outlook for the upcoming season, and uncertainty over how quickly king salmon abundance may rebound.

Does size matter? Well, yes. In nature, it often seems that size is the greatest single factor when it comes to success -- bigger, stronger, faster are the dictum of the day. I hate to state the obvious, but size also plays a role in fishing.

Thirty inches is the Holy Grail for large trout, 80 pounds for a humongous salmon, 300 for a big halibut. Hardly a brow is raised unless one lands a whopper in the aforementioned scale.

Beginning at 12:01 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 27, sport fishing for silver salmon will be closed in all waters of the Knik Arm Management Area, excluding Fish Creek and the Eklutna Tailrace.

Popular Knik Arm-area sport fisheries affected by this emergency closure include the Little Susitna River, Wasilla Creek (Rabbit Slough), Cottonwood Creek and Jim Creek.

The closure prohibits all sport fishing for silvers, including catch-and-release. Silvers caught accidentally may not be removed from the water and must be released immediately.

A portion of the Nick Dudiak Fishing Lagoon will open for for anglers 15 and younger this Saturday, on Aug. 20, from 12:01 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. The youth-only sport fishing area will be posted. The remainder of the fishing lagoon will be open to anglers of all ages.

All other sport fishing regulations remain in effect for the lagoon. They can be found on page 14 of the 2011 Southcentral Alaska Sport Fishing Regulations Summary booklet.

Fish and Game staff will be present at the lagoon from 4 to 7 p.m. to help young anglers gear up and fish for silvers.

The Chitina Subdistrict will open from 12:01 a.m., Monday, Aug. 8, through 11:59 p.m., Wednesday, Aug. 31.

In addition, a harvest of 10 additional sockeye salmon will be allowed for the personal use dip net salmon fishery in the Chitina Subdistrict during this period: from 12:01 a.m., Monday, Aug. 8, through 11:59 p.m., Sunday, Aug. 14.

From an ADF&G press release:

A portion of the Nick Dudiak Fishing Lagoon on the Homer Spit will open for fishing to anglers 15 and younger this Saturday, Aug. 6, from 12:01 a.m. to 11:59 p.m.

The youth-only sport fishing area will be posted. The remainder of the Fishing Lagoon will be open for fishing to anglers of all ages. All other sport fishing regulations remain in effect for the lagoon. They can be found on page 14 of the 2011 Southcentral Alaska Sport Fishing Regulations Summary Booklet.

From a press release from the ADF&G:

A first-time youth-only sport fishery at Fish Creek will open this weekend, Aug. 6 and 7, from 6 a.m. to
6 p.m. Anglers aged 15 and younger may fish for all species, except king salmon, in the waters from Fish and Game markers at the mouth of Fish Creek upstream to
the markers a quarter-mile upstream of Knik-Goose Bay Road.

All other sport fishing regulations remain in effect for Fish Creek. The daily bag and possession limit is three salmon; only two a day may be silver salmon.

The Fish Creek Personal Use Dip Net Fishery will open at 6 a.m., tomorrow, July 29. It will close at 11 p.m., Sunday, July 31.

Dipnetting for salmon will be allowed only between 6 a.m. and 11 p.m. each day. All salmon species, except king salmon, may be retained. Any king salmon caught must be released immediately.

The area open to dipnetting is from ADF&G regulatory markers on both sides of the mouth of Fish Creek to the markers about a quarter-mile upstream of Knik-Goose Bay Road.

Dipnetting is allowed from a boat or from shore.

From a press release from ADF&G:

The Chitina Subdistrict will open from 12:01 a.m., Monday, Aug. 1, through 11:59 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 7.

In addition, a supplemental harvest of 10 additional sockeye salmon will be allowed for the personal use dip net salmon fishery in the Chitina Subdistrict during this period.

Beginning 12:01 a.m., Sunday, July 24, king salmon caught in the Kenai River personal use dipnet fishery must be released immediately. This rule will remain in effect for the rest of the fishing season.

From an ADF&G press release:

Bait will soon be prohibited throughout the lower and middle Kenai River.

From the mouth of the Kenai upstream to ADF&G markers at the outlet of Skilak Lake, sport fishing gear is limited to one unbaited, single-hook, artificial lure. The rule takes effect at 12:01 a.m., Monday, July 25, and will remain in effect through 11:59 p.m., Sunday, July 31.

Bait may not be used in this 50-mile area of river when fishing for any species.

From an ADF&G press release:

The sport fishing bag and possession limit for salmon 16 inches or longer, except for king and coho salmon, in the Kenai River will be increased to six beginning Thursday,
July 21. This does not include the Russian River and the Upper Kenai River “fly-fishing-only waters” near the Russian River.

From an ADF&G press release:

The Kenai River personal use dip net fishery will be open 24 hours a day, beginning at 11 p.m. today Wednesday) through 11:59 p.m. Sunday, July 31.

The area of the Kenai River open to personal use dipnetting remains the same. A complete description of the area open to dipnetting, along with harvest limits and permit requirements, is found on pages 16 through 18 of the 2011 Southcentral Alaska Sport Fishing Regulation Summary booklet.

From an ADF&G press release:

The Chitina Subdistrict will open from 12:01 a.m., Monday, July 25 through 11:59 p.m. Sunday, July 31. In addition, a supplemental harvest of 10 additional sockeye salmon will be allowed for the personal use dip net salmon fishery in the Chitina Subdistrict during this period.

Supplemental permits are incorporated in the Chitina Subdistrict fishery permit and supplemental harvest must be recorded on this permit before leaving the fishing site. The supplemental harvest portion of the permit is valid only if the original permit limit has been harvested.

From a joint press release from the organizations involved:

A new Kenai Peninsula land deal guarantees public access to a popular fishing destination on the Anchor River.

This month The Nature Conservancy transferred 75 acres at the mouth of the Anchor River to the Alaska Department of Natural Resources for the benefit of long-term habitat management. The area has a devoted following among king salmon and steelhead anglers in Southcentral Alaska.

Because of uncertainty about whether the Kenai River's early-run king salmon escapement of 5,300 to 9,000 fish was achieved, the Fish and Game Department will continue to limit some Kenai River king fishing.

All five indicators used to assess the abundance of late-run Kenai kings indicate a run well below average. All department assessment methods indicate the late run is similar to the runs of 2009 and 2010.

From an ADF&G press release:

The Chitina Subdistrict will open from noon on Tuesday, July 19, through 11:59 p.m., Sunday, July 24. There will be no supplemental harvest during this fishing period.

This announcement does not change the seventh opening of the Chitina Subdistrict, which will remain at 05 p.m., Monday, July 11, until 11:59 p.m., Sunday, July 17.

The Chitina Subdistrict Personal Use Dip Net Salmon Fishery is closed to the retention of king salmon for the remainder of the 2011 season. Kings incidentally taken must be immediately returned to the water unharmed.

From an ADF&G press release:

The annual limit for king salmon 20 inches or longer in the Nushagak-Mulchatna rivers drainage is restored from two fish to four.

The daily bag and possession limit of remains at one king 20 or more inches. The limit for kings less than 20 inches remains at five a day, five in possession, with no annual limit.

These restrictions are effective at 12:01 a.m., Wednesday, July 13, through 11:59 p.m., Dec. 31.

From an ADF&G press release:

The Chitina Subdistrict will open from 5 p.m., Monday, July 11, through 11:59 p.m., Sunday, July 17. There will be no supplemental harvest during this fishing period. This announcement does not change the sixth opening of the Chitina Subdistrict, which will remain until 11:59 p.m., Sunday, July 10.

The Chitina Subdistrict Personal Use Dip Net Salmon Fishery is closed to the retention of king salmon for the remainder of the 2011 season. King salmon must be immediately returned to the water unharmed.

From a press release from the National Park Service:

The Twin Lakes campground, at mile 27.8 along the Nabesna Road, will reopen for the July 4 weekend beginning July 1 thru the 4, and close at noon on July 5.

The campground is scheduled to remain closed from July 5 to Oct. 1 to complete scheduled improvements. For other camping options along the Nabesna Road, please contact the Slana Ranger Station at 907-822-7401.

For additional information, please contact Wayne Challoner at 822-7246.