Contact:
Robert Begich
Area Management Biologist
Phone: (907) 262-9368

Effective 12:01 a.m., Friday, June 15, retention of naturally-produced king salmon in the Kasilof River will be prohibited through 11:59 p.m., Saturday, June 30, 2012. Naturally-produced king salmon may not be removed from the water and must be released immediately. A naturally-produced king salmon is a king salmon with an adipose fin intact. 

The department manages the Kasilof River king salmon sport fishery to achieve a sustainable escapement goal of 650 to 1,700 naturally-produced king salmon as monitored through a weir at the department facility located on Crooked Creek. The escapement of naturally-produced king salmon into Crooked Creek during 2011 was 654 fish. Kenai Peninsula king salmon runs are currently below average and sport fishing restrictions to in-river fisheries have been implemented on Deep Creek and the Anchor, Ninilchik and Kenai rivers. To minimize effects of conservation actions for these other fisheries on the department’s ability to achieve adequate escapement of naturally produced fish into Crooked Creek, it is warranted to restrict the harvest of naturally-produced early-run king salmon in the Kasilof River.

The department is restricting the fishery to harvest of hatchery-reared king salmon only, regardless of size. Hatchery-reared king salmon are distinguished from naturally-produced king salmon in the Kasilof River by a healed adipose fin-clip scar. The adipose fin is the small fleshy fin on the back just ahead of the tail.
 

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