Press release from Fish and Game:

The Chitina Subdistrict will open from 12:01 a.m. Monday, July 16 through 11:59 p.m. Sunday, July 22. 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. Supplemental sockeye salmon may only be taken through 11:59 p.m., July
22.
The Chitina Subdistrict Personal Use Dip Net Salmon Fishery is closed to the retention of
king salmon for the remainder of the 2012 season. King salmon incidentally caught may
not be retained and must be released immediately and returned to the water unharmed.
In summary, regulations currently in effect for the Copper River personal use dip net
fishery are as follows:
• The seasonal bag limit is a total of 15 salmon for a household of one, and 30 salmon
for a household of two or more.
• Personal use fishermen must possess both their Chitina Personal Use fishery permit
and a valid resident sport fishing license when fishing.
• Steelhead and king salmon cannot be kept, and must be returned to the water
unharmed.
• When a harvestable surplus of 50,000 salmon or greater will be present in the Chitina
Subdistrict, by emergency order, a supplemental permit for 10 additional sockeye salm
will be issued to Chitina Subdistrict personal use permit holders.
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• Harvest must be recorded on the permit immediately.
• The tips of the tail of personal use caught fish must be clipped immediately upon
landing a fish.
• Immediately is defined as before concealing the salmon from plain view or
transporting the salmon from the fishing site. Fishing site means the location where the
fish was removed from the water and became part of the permit holder’s bag limit.
During June 25 – July 1, there were 183,847 salmon counted past the Miles Lake sonar.
The preseason projection for this period was 52,734 salmon, which results in a surplus of 2
131,113 salmon. Copper River sockeye salmon migratory timing and the previous five-year average
harvest and participation rates indicate sufficient numbers of salmon available to justify 168 hours of
fishing time during the week of July 16 – July 22, which is an increase of 36 hours over the preseason
schedule. In addition, an excess of more than 50,000 salmon above the preseason sonar projection for
this period allows a supplemental harvest of 10 additional sockeye salmon to those permit holders who
have already harvested their original permit limit.
All residents of Alaska qualify to participate in this personal use fishery. A Chitina Subdistrict Personal
Use Fishing permit and a resident sport fishing license are required. There is no fee for the Chitina
Subdistrict personal use fishing permit.
Public access, without a fee, to the Copper River is available in those areas where the eastern boundary
of the 300’ wide O’Brien Creek Road easement reaches the ordinary high water mark of the west bank
of the Copper River. Boat launch and fish wheel access to the Copper River is available via the 17b
easement located upstream of the Chitina-McCarthy Bridge on the east bank of the Copper River.
Public access and boat launching is also available downstream of the Chitina-McCarthy Bridge on the
east bank of the Copper River within the DOT ROW where it reaches ordinary high water.
Uplands on both banks of the Copper River within the Chitina Subdistrict boundaries are private.
Vehicle and foot access to the Copper River remains restricted along these private lands and at O’Brien
Creek. Landowners in the area have incorporated a fee-based permit system which allows public access
over their private lands. For more information on access across private lands contact Chitina Native
Corporation at (907) 823-2223. Not all private land is posted. A brochure, which offers guidance into
private land locations within the fishery area, is distributed with the Chitina Subdistrict personal use
fishery permit. The Department urges dipnetters to respect the rights of private landowners.
Information regarding the fishery can be found at the ADF&G web site:
http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=PersonalUsebyAreaInteriorChitina.main. This site provides
information regarding the Upper Copper River fisheries including: fishery descriptions and summaries,
maps of the subdistricts, a listing of vendors that carry the permits, and links to the sonar numbers and
fishing schedule emergency orders. As in the past, changes to the fishing schedule and river conditions
will be announced on the Chitina Fishery information line at 822-5224 (Glennallen), 459-7382
(Fairbanks), and 267-2511 (Anchorage). Please contact an information phone line prior to planning
your trip to Chitina to ensure that the fishery will be open when you arrive. If you have any questions
regarding the Chitina Subdistrict personal use fishery, please contact the ADF&G office in Glennallen at
(907) 822-3309.