(Released: June 15, 2017)

Division of Sport Fish
Tom Brookover, Director
Anchorage Headquarters Office
333 Raspberry Road
Anchorage, AK 99518


Alaska Department of Fish and Game
Sam Cotten, Commissioner
P.O. Box 115526
Juneau, AK 99811-5526
www.adfg.alaska.gov


Contact: Brittany Blain, Assistant Area Management Biologist
(907) 267-2186

Youth-Only Fisheries in Three Locations in Southcentral This Weekend

Three Youth-Only Fisheries will take place in Southcentral this weekend and all anglers 15 years of age or younger are encouraged to come out and take a shot at catching a king salmon. These Youth-Only Fisheries are open to anglers 15 years and younger and were established by the Alaska State Legislature and implemented by the Alaska Board of Fisheries to provide a special opportunity for young people to get out and go fishing. Youth anglers do not need a sport fishing license or king salmon stamp but do need a Harvest Record Card. Any king salmon harvested must be recorded immediately on the Harvest Record Card. While adults can assist youth anglers in landing a fish, sections dedicated to Youth-Only fishing are closed to anglers 16 years and up, including catch-and-release, during that time.

The first ever Youth-Only Fishery will take place at Ship Creek on Saturday, while similar fisheries will take place at the Eklutna Tailrace, and the Seward Lagoon and Outfall stream over the weekend.

(Anchorage) – NEW in 2017! The Youth-Only Fishery at Ship Creek will take place from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, June 17, 2017. The Youth-Only zone will be on both sides of the creek from the C Street bridge upstream to the Bridge Restaurant. The harvest limit for king salmon 20 inches or greater is one per day, and one in possession. 

Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) staff and staff from The Bait Shack will be onsite providing assistance and some equipment for those kids just getting started. ADF&G staff will be on-site from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. to assist young anglers. Fishing rods will also be available for kids to check out and use. The Ship Creek derby is still going on, so don’t forget to get a derby ticket prior to fishing.

(Eklutna Tailrace) – The Youth-Only Fishery at the Eklutna Tailrace will take place from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, June 17. The Youth-Only zone will be on both sides of the Eklutna Tailrace from the mouth upstream to the walking bridge. The remainder of the Eklutna Tailrace will be open to fishing for anglers of all ages. The harvest limit for king salmon 20 inches or greater is one per day, and one in possession. 

Another Youth-Only Fishery will take place in this area on Saturday, August 19.

(Seward) – The Seward Youth-Only Fishery is occurring in the Seward Lagoon and the Outfall Stream from Friday, June 16 through Sunday, June 18. The harvest limit for king salmon of any size is two per day, and two in possession. Anglers do not need to record their harvest of king salmon as there is no annual limit in effect in this area. Snagging is not allowed in the Youth-Only Fishery. However, in the saltwater of Resurrection Bay snagging is allowed.

Another Youth-Only Fishery will take place in this area from July 7 - 9. The Seward Lagoon and Outfall Stream will also open August 25 - 27 and September 1- 3 for youth fishing for coho salmon. See page 76 of the 2017 Southcentral Sport Fishing Regulations Summary for more details about Seward youth-only fisheries.

For more additional information, contact the Anchorage Sport Fish Information Center at (907) 267-2218.

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