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, 2010 |
| Author: | Perschbacher, J. |
| Year: | 2012 |
| Report ID: | Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Fishery Data Series No. 12-75, 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, 2010. 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 2010. 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. The early-run sport fishery was closed between the Soldotna Bridge and Warren Ames Bridge from 5 to 11 June, reopened to harvest of Chinook salmon either less than 20 inches or 55 inches or greater in length from 12 to 14 June, and reopened to harvest of Chinook salmon either less than 46 inches or 55 inches or greater in length from 15 to 30 June, by emergency order(s). During the early run (16 May–4 June; 12–30 June) anglers harvested 837 (SE 94) Chinook salmon with 39,739 (SE 2,995) angler-hours of effort. Unguided anglers accounted for 41% of effort and 23% of harvest; the remaining effort and harvest were guided. During the early run, 164 Chinook salmon and 1,125 sockeye salmon were captured in the inriver gillnetting program near the Chinook salmon sonar site; the ratio of Chinook salmon CPUE to all species CPUE averaged 0.20. The age composition of the early-run Chinook salmon passage at the sonar site of 7.0% (SE 2.4%) age-1.1 fish, 25.1% (SE 3.9%) age-1.2 fish, 47.5% (SE 4.4%) age-1.3 fish, 20.0% (SE 3.4%) age-1.4 fish, and 0.5% (SE 0.5%) age-1.5 fish, was similar to the age composition of the early-run harvest although a smaller proportion of age-1.1 fish (2.2%, SE 2.2%), and zero age-1.5 fish were harvested. During the late run (1–31 July), anglers harvested 5,375 (SE 441) Chinook salmon with 158,189 (SE 6,099) angler-hours of effort. Unguided anglers accounted for 56% of effort and 51% of harvest; the remaining effort and harvest were guided. During the late run, 311 Chinook salmon, 3,454 sockeye salmon, 90 coho salmon, and 446 pink salmon were captured in the inriver gillnetting program; the ratio of Chinook salmon CPUE to all species CPUE averaged 0.08. The age composition of late-run (1 July–10 August) Chinook salmon passage at the sonar site of 4.0% (SE 1.2%) age-1.1 fish, 20.1% (SE 2.6%) age-1.2 fish, 34.0% (SE 3.3%) age-1.3 fish, 35.7% (SE 3.3%) age-1.4 fish, and 6.2% (SE 1.8%) age-1.5 fish, was similar to the age composition of the late-run harvest although smaller proportions of age-1.2 fish (13.9%, SE 2.7%), and age-1.5 fish (4.1%, SE 1.4%) were harvested. |
| Keywords: | Kenai River, Oncorhynchus tshawytscha, Chinook salmon, creel survey, effort, harvest, gillnet, CPUE, age composition. |