The Alaska Department of Fish and Game is prohibiting the use of bait and multiple hooks in the Kenai River from its mouth upstream to the outlet of Skilak Lake, effective 12:01 a.m. Sunday, August 1 through 11:59 p.m. Sunday, August 15. Anglers may use only one unbaited, single-hook, artificial lure in the waters. “Single hook” means a fishhook with only one point.
Area Management Biologist, Colton Lipka, spoke with KSRM:
“In order to further protect late run king salmon, which are still in low abundance and its looking like we’re not going to make that goal. We have extended single hook and no bait restrictions for the first two weeks of August. For the folks that are targeting coho salmon, they can not use bait or multiple hooks until after August 15.”
Fishing for king salmon in the Kenai River is currently closed by emergency order, but anglers are reminded that king salmon fishing closes by regulation on August 1, including catch-and-release fishing. Incidentally caught king salmon may not be retained or possessed; king salmon caught while fishing for other species may not be removed from the water and must be immediately released. Anglers are urged to exercise good angling practices by avoiding fishing for coho salmon in areas of the river where king salmon are concentrated and to cut leaders or lines to avoid stressing incidentally hooked king salmon.
Lipka said projections are well below the escapement goal range:
“Our projections for late run kings are still well below the escapement goal of 15,000 to 30,000. These extra measures to help conserve fish are needed at this time.”
Lipka was asked if there was a possibility that the restrictions could be loosened:
“So we do monitor the run daily. If we did end up in a situation where it looks like we could be able to project to meet that goal, then we could start a different conversation, but I don’t see anything in my math that’s giving me that sort of impression. It is daily management, as always, so if we were to give positive signals then we could look at loosening restrictions, but until we were to get those positive signals, the restrictions need to stay in place.”
Fish and Game also reports that restrictive actions to reduce the harvest of Kenai River king salmon are being taken in the commercial fishery as well.
For more on the order, click here.