(Juneau) - This action does not change king salmon regulations where area closure has been taken to protect Alaska wild stock king salmon and provides an additional two-week nonretention period in Taku Inlet to protect the tail end of the Taku River king salmon return. It does provide additional harvest opportunity in the remaining marine waters near Juneau including the designated saltwater hatchery sport harvest area.

Due to reduced nonresident harvest in the sport fishery related to COVID-19, the sport harvest of king salmon is now expected to be significantly below the king salmon allocation to the sport fishery. This action increases opportunity for king salmon harvest while keeping the sport fishery within allocation.

The following regionwide regulations, are effective 12:01 a.m. Monday, June 15 through 11:59 p.m. Wednesday, September 30, 2020:

Alaska Resident

• The resident bag and possession limit is three king salmon, 28 inches or greater in length.

Nonresident

• The nonresident bag and possession limit is one king salmon, 28 inches of greater in length.
• The nonresident annual limit is four king salmon, 28 inches or greater in length.
• Immediately upon landing and retaining a king salmon a nonresident must enter the species, date, and location, on their sport fishing license or on a nontransferable harvest record.

The Southeast Alaska regionwide bag and possession limits listed above will apply in all areas except as modified below for the inside waters in the vicinity of Juneau:

In the waters adjacent to the Taku River (Taku Inlet north of a line from Point Bishop to Point Greely, see attached map)

• April 1 through June 30, 2020: No retention of king salmon. All king salmon caught must be released immediately

In the waters adjacent to the King Salmon River: (Section 11-D, Seymour Canal north of 57° 37' N. latitude, see attached map)

• April 1 through June 30, 2020: closed to king salmon fishing, all anglers may not target or retain king salmon.

Hatchery Areas

This announcement will rescind king salmon regulations for the Juneau designated saltwater hatchery sport harvest area that were announced on May 26, 2020. The new regulations are now listed below:

The hatchery-produced king salmon regulations in the designated saltwater hatchery sport harvest area (see attached map) will be in effect from 12:01 a.m. Monday, June 15 through 11:59 p.m. Monday, August 31, 2020. These new regulations are as follows:

• The daily bag and possession limit is four king salmon of any size;
• King salmon harvested by nonresidents in the designated saltwater hatchery sport harvest area do not count toward their annual limit.

The department is liberalizing sport fishing regulations in the designated saltwater hatchery sport harvest area due to the number of returning hatchery-produced king salmon exceeding brood stock needs for the hatchery program.

Anglers fishing north of the area should review the advisory announcement announcing regulations for the Haines/Skagway areas. Anglers fishing south of the Juneau area should review the advisory announcement announcing regulations for the Petersburg/Wrangell and Ketchikan area.

For further information concerning this announcement please contact Region 1 office in Douglas at (907 465-4270.

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