Contact:
Kelly Piazza
Area Management Biologist
Phone: (907) 225-2859
May 12, 2014
The Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Division of Sport Fish announced today that the bag and possession limit for king salmon in two Ketchikan terminal sport fishery areas is increased to 6 king salmon of any size. King salmon harvested in the terminal harvest areas will not count toward the nonresident annual limit. These rules will be in effect from June 1 through July 31, 2014. The two terminal harvest areas are defined as follows (see attached map):
Herring Bay Area:
- The waters of Herring Bay west of a line from the southern entrance of Hole-In-The-Wall harbor to an unnamed creek 1/8-mile north of Whitman Creek (signed and painted rocks) to the fresh/salt water boundary signs located at the mouth of Herring Cove Creek.
Neets Bay Area:
- The waters of Neets Bay east of the longitude of the easternmost tip of Bug Island to the ADF&G markers located approximately one mile from the head of the Bay.
The Alaska Board of Fisheries authorized the department to use its emergency order authority to open terminal harvest areas to target surplus Alaska hatchery king salmon. The area opened by this emergency order will allow anglers to target Alaska hatchery-produced king salmon originating from the Whitman Lake hatchery and Neets Bay hatchery in the Ketchikan area. Projected returns to these facilities will exceed broodstock needs, thus a surplus of hatchery fish are available for harvest by sport anglers.
Anglers are reminded that bag, possession and size limits for the salt waters outside of the designated terminal harvest areas are more restrictive than the limits inside the terminal areas and anglers are prohibited from possessing fish that exceed the limits for the waters where they are fishing. Therefore, anglers fishing in multiple areas must be diligent to ensure they do not exceed the bag, possession, or size limit for the area they are currently fishing.
Anyone needing information on this subject should call the Ketchikan ADF&G, Division of Sport Fish office at 225-2859.
