Contact:
Mike Thalhauser
Assistant Area Management Biologist
Phone: 907-267-2186
July 03, 2014
An emergency order has been issued to close Ship Creek below the Chugach Power Plant dam to sport fishing. It will reopen July 14 for the coho salmon fishery. These restrictions go into effect 12:01 a.m. Monday, July 7.
The William Jack Hernandez Sport Fish Hatchery collects broodstock from king salmon returning to the Ship Creek drainage for the primary purpose of providing king salmon sport fishing opportunities in the Anchorage Area. An estimated 750 fish are needed to obtain the required broodstock. To date, 153 fish have entered the raceway at the hatchery, and a survey conducted July 2nd from the hatchery downstream to the upper end of the sport fishery counted only 133 additional king salmon.
Indications are the Ship Creek king salmon run followed the trend seen throughout much of Southcentral this year and was a few days early. Good catches have been reported the last three weeks in this popular fishery, but are slowing as the run winds down. With less than 300 king salmon observed upstream of the fishery, it is prudent to close the fishery to help achieve the goal.
For more information about this emergency order, contact Assistant Area Sport Fisheries Management Biologist Mike Thalhauser in Anchorage at (907) 267-2186.