(Anchorage) - The Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) is increasing the bag and possession limit for coho salmon, 16 inches or greater in length, to six per day and six in possession in the Ship Creek drainage from its mouth upstream to a cable 100 feet downstream of the Chugach Power Plant Dam. These provisions are effective 12:01 a.m. Wednesday, August 15 through 11:59 p.m. Monday, December 31, 2018.

“The recent rain has brought in a good slug of coho salmon into local streams,” stated Area Management Biologist Jay Baumer. “Fishing for coho salmon has been really good and we have enough past the dam to warrant increasing the bag limit.”

On August 13, 2018, ADF&G staff counted 1,689 coho salmon on Ship Creek upstream of the fishery. This escapement is anticipated to fulfill the William Jack Hernandez Sport Fish Hatchery coho salmon broodstock goals and natural spawning requirements for Ship Creek; therefore, it is warranted to increase the coho salmon bag and possession limit to provide anglers an additional sport fish opportunity to harvest surplus hatchery fish.

For additional information, please contact Area Management Biologist Jay Baumer at (907) 267-2265 or the Sport Fish Information Center at (907) 267-2218.

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