In an effort to conserve Kasilof River early-run king salmon, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game is implementing a restriction effective Thursday, June 17, 2021. Upper Cook Inlet Personal Use Fishing Announcement No. 1 reduces the hours the personal use gillnet fishery at the mouth of the Kasilof River is open from 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. to 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. daily, effective Thursday, June 17th through Thursday, June 24th.
Commercial Fisheries Area Management Biologist Brian Marston:
“The Department has issued some emergency orders to restrict king salmon fishing in both the Kenai/Kasilof and in the past, for the Kasilof, we actually have limited all king salmon fishing and also taking bait out of the fishery, but this year it does seem like there’s a few more hatchery fish. The department lets the bait method in and also you can harvest the outpost clipped fish, which are hatchery fish. So, that leaves me, as the set net manager to make some sort of commensurate restriction to the set netting, which, in this case equals three hours, which will go into effect for Thursday. So on Thursday, which is the 17th, it will start at 9:00 a.m. instead of 6:00 a.m. at least until the foreseeable future, probably for the rest of the set net fishery.”
The last day to gillnet in this fishery is June 24th.
