Fisheries, Subsistence, and Habitat
Publications Searchable Database
Search Again| Division: | Sport Fish |
| Title: | Chinook salmon creel survey and inriver gillnetting study, lower Kenai River, Alaska, 2008 |
| Author: | Perschbacher, J |
| Year: | 2012 |
| Report ID: | Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Fishery Data Series No. 12-70, Anchorage |
| Abstract: | A creel survey to estimate angler effort, catch, and harvest of early- and late-run Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) was conducted on the Kenai River between the Soldotna Bridge and the Warren Ames Bridge from 16 May through 31 July 2008. A standardized inriver gillnetting program was conducted to estimate catch rates and species composition near the Chinook salmon sonar site from 16 May through 10 August. Estimates obtained from the creel survey and inriver gillnetting program were used for inseason management of the Kenai River Chinook salmon early- and late-runs. During the early run (16 May–30 June), effort was 72,574 (SE 3,860) angler hours and harvest was 2,602 (SE 218) Chinook salmon. Guided anglers accounted for 60% of effort and 55% of harvest; the remaining effort and harvest were unguided. The early-run harvest was composed of 11.4% (SE 2.5%) age-1.2 fish, 56.5% (SE 3.8%) age-1.3 fish, 31.8% (SE 3.5%) age-1.4 fish, and 0.3% (SE 0.3%) age-1.5 fish, whereas early-run Chinook salmon passage at the sonar site was composed of 13.7% (SE 2.7%) age-1.2 fish, 42.1% (SE 3.9%) age-1.3 fish, 42.3% (SE 3.9%) age-1.4 fish, 1.1% (SE 0.8%) age-1.5 fish and 0.7% (SE 0.7%) age-2.4 fish. During the early run, 210 Chinook salmon, 1,073 sockeye salmon, and 1 Dolly Varden were captured in the inriver gillnetting program; the ratio of Chinook salmon CPUE to all species CPUE averaged 0.21. During the late run (1–31 July), effort was 198,500 (SE 8,465) angler hours and harvest was 9,272 (SE 726) Chinook salmon. Guided anglers accounted for 50% of effort and 62% of harvest; the remaining effort and harvest were unguided. The late-run harvest was composed of 5.0% (SE 1.6%) age-1.2 fish, 27.7% (SE 3.1%) age-1.3 fish, 58.7% (SE 3.4%) age-1.4 fish, 8.5% (SE 2.0%) age-1.5 fish, whereas the late-run Chinook salmon passage at the sonar site (1 July–10 August) was composed of 1.8% (SE 6%) age-1.1 fish, 7.5% (SE 1.2%) age-1.2 fish, 20.6% (SE 1.8%) age-1.3 fish, 62.1% (SE 2.2%) age-1.4 fish, 7.8% (SE 1.2%) age-1.5 fish, and 0.2% (SE 0.2%) age-2.3 fish. During the late run, 916 Chinook salmon, 1,452 sockeye salmon, 111 coho salmon, 893 pink salmon, and 3 Dolly Varden were captured in the inriver gillnetting program; the ratio of Chinook salmon CPUE to all species CPUE averaged 0.30. |
| Keywords: | Kenai River, Oncorhynchus tshawytscha, Chinook salmon, creel survey, effort, harvest, gillnet, CPUE, age composition |