The Board of Fisheries (BOF) adopted several proposals establishing new sport fishing regulations for Cook Inlet fisheries. Regulatory changes are summarized below as a service to anglers and not a complete digest of all sport fishing regulations.
According to Area Management Biologist Phillip Stacey, Kasilof is going to start hatchery-only retention of fish, but that’s not the only change happening.
“As part of the King Salmon action plan, there’s going to be no targeted saltwater king fishing north of Bluff Point. There’s also in the river there’s a bait restriction that was extended so year-round from Skilak Lake down to the mouth of the Moose River confluence with Kenai River; there’s going to be it’s going to be single hook and no bait.”
Kasilof, Anchor, Deep and Ninilchik Rivers
- In the Kasilof River above the Sterling Highway bridge, only one unbaited, single-hook, artificial lure may be used from January 1 – August 15.
- Adopted a plan to align management actions for Anchor River and Deep Creek. For these two streams, no harvest will be allowed unless the Anchor River forecast or projection indicates that the run will be greater than the midpoint of the sustainable escapement goal (SEG). Both streams will be closed if projections are less than the lower end of the SEG, and both streams will be open to catch-and-release and only unbaited, single-hook, artificial lures if the projection is between the lower end of the SEG and the midpoint.
- The Kasilof and Ninilchik rivers were separated to provide opportunity to harvest hatchery king salmon. The following was put in place by emergency orders issued March 14, 2024.
- The retention of wild king salmon on the Kasilof and Ninilchik rivers was closed. The bag limit for hatchery king salmon was increased to 2, and gear for king salmon fishing was restricted to one single-hook or single-hook, artificial lure, and bait is allowed.
- The area open for the youth-only fishery on the Ninilchik River was extended to be open from the mouth of the river to the 2-mile markers located near the Garrison Ridge Road bridge.
- The Kasilof personal use set gillnet fishery allowable gear was restricted to one net per household, not to exceed 10 fathoms in length, 4.75 inches in stretched mesh, and a maximum of 29 meshes in depth.
- In the Kasilof River, the allowed area for motors (10hp or less) to be used was extended to downstream of approximately river mile 4, only after fishing from the boat has stopped for the day.
The new regulations will take effect with the release of the 2024 Southcentral Alaska Sport Fishing Regulations Summary booklet when it is issued in April of 2024.
“And then we could have our new regulation summary booklets coming out here very soon, and those will start being distributed. I believe they’re at the printer now, so hopefully by the end of this month,” said Stacy.
Cook Inlet and North Gulf Coast Salt Waters (all Cook Inlet salt waters and salt waters east to Cape Fairfield including Seward)
- Rockfish bag limit was reduced to 3 per day, 6 in possession, of which only 1 per day, 2 in possession may be a nonpelagic rockfish.
Cook Inlet salt waters (all Cook Inlet salt waters east to Gore Point)
- Lingcod bag limit was reduced to 1 per day, 2 in possession.
- Increased the guideline harvest level (GHL) in the Winter Fishery to 5,500 king salmon. If the GHL is expected to be exceeded, the retention of king salmon less than 20 inches in length will not be allowed.
- Fishing from shore for species other than king salmon is allowed within the Conservation Zones surrounding the lower Kenai Peninsula roadside stream mouths. From April 1 through July 15, the Conservation Zones remain closed to fishing for king salmon and are closed to all sport fishing from a boat.
Lower Cook Inlet Saltwaters (south of Bluff Point)
- A management plan and guideline harvest level (GHL) of 8,500 king salmon was adopted for the Lower Cook Inlet Summer Salt Water King Salmon fishery.
- Snagging and spear fishing in the waters of the Seldovia Harbor, Slough, and Lagoon was closed from January 1 through June 23.
- The season for the China Poot dip net fishery was extended to begin on June 15 and end August 15.