Contact:
Carol Kerkvliet
Area Mgmt. Biologist
Phone: 907-235-8191
June 12, 2013
King salmon sport fishing (including catch-and-release) will close within one statute mile of shore in the salt waters of Cook Inlet south of the latitude of the mouth of the Ninilchik River to the latitude of Bluff Point at 12:01 a.m., Saturday, June 15, 2013. The area will remain closed through 11:59 p.m., Monday, July 15, 2013. King salmon caught while fishing for other fish may not be removed from the water and must be released immediately.
King salmon stocks in Cook Inlet and throughout Alaska are experiencing a period of low productivity and low run strength. All indices of abundance suggest poor run strength trends for early-run king salmon stocks in lower and upper Kenai Peninsula streams. Sport fishing restrictions to inriver fisheries have been enacted on Deep Creek and the Anchor, Ninilchik, and Kasilof rivers, and early-run king salmon on the Kenai River in an effort to achieve adequate escapement into these streams. King salmon of Cook Inlet origin generally have a higher probability of being harvested near shore than do king salmon from other locations. Mature king salmon (spawners) also tend to be harvested near shore at a greater rate than immature (non-local) king salmon. Therefore, it is justified to prohibit the retention of king salmon in salt waters within one mile of shore while these locally spawning king salmon and other stocks mentioned above migrate through the area and into fresh water.