Contact:
Tom Taube
Regional Management Coordinator
Phone: 907-459-7225

During the December 3 – 8 Board of Fisheries meeting in Cordova, the board considered 20 proposals that would change subsistence, personal use or sport fishing regulations within the Upper Copper River and Upper Susitna River drainages. The board adopted four proposals that will affect fishing regulations within the Upper Copper River and Upper Susitna River drainages.

The Board adopted one proposal to amend the Copper River King Salmon Management Plan to provide additional management measures for king salmon in the Glennallen Subdistrict subsistence fishery in the Upper Copper River. This provided the department the emergency order authority to establish a bag limit for king salmon taken with a fish wheel and reduce the bag limit for king salmon taken with either a fish wheel or dip net in the subsistence fishery when necessary to achieve escapement goals.

A proposal was adopted that changed the annual limit in the Chitina Subdistrict personal use dip net salmon fishery. The annual limit for a permit will now be based on household size, and will be 25 salmon for the head of household and 10 salmon for each additional household member, except that only one king salmon may be retained per household. The board also repealed the supplemental harvest component of the Copper River Personal Use Dip Net Salmon Fishery Management Plan.

The board adopted two department proposals specific to the area sport fisheries. The first aligned the rainbow trout bag and size limits in Bridge Creek with those in Summit Lake (Tebay River drainage). The second updated the list of Upper Copper River and Upper Susitna River area stocked waters in regulation.

These regulations will take effect with the release of the 2015 Sport Fishing Regulations Summary. To find a preliminary summary of all board actions please check the Alaska Board of Fisheries website at:
http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=fisheriesboard.meetinginfo.

Any questions regarding these changes to the fishing regulations in the Upper Copper River and Upper Susitna River drainages can be directed to either Mark Somerville (907) 822-3309 at the Glennallen Fish and Game office or Tom Taube (907) 459-7225 at the Fairbanks Fish and Game office.

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