Contact:
Donn Tracy
Sport Fish Area Manager
Phone: (907) 486-1880

King salmon fishing on the Karluk River will be restricted by emergency order to nonretention (catch-and-release) only beginning 12:01 a.m., Saturday, June 1, through 11:59 p.m. Thursday, July 25, 2013. King salmon caught may not be removed from the water and must be released immediately. As an added measure to reduce the probability of hooking king salmon, the use of bait will be prohibited within the Karluk drainage below Karluk Lake.

The biological escapement goal (BEG) for Karluk River king salmon is 3,000 to 6,000 fish and has been achieved only twice since 2006. In January 2011 the Board of Fish designated Karluk River king salmon a stock of concern. Escapements have improved slightly, meeting the goal in 2011 and 2012, due to management actions to reduce king salmon harvest in sport, commercial and subsistence fisheries. However, recent poor productivity warrants a conservative management approach of non-retention of all king salmon, regardless of size. 

The 2013 king salmon run will be monitored daily at the ADF&G Karluk River salmon counting weir. Additional management action for the sport fishery may be considered as the run progresses.
 

For more information, contact the Division of Sport Fish office in Kodiak at (907) 486-1880.