Inseason Alaska Commercial Salmon Summary

This summary provides management, harvest, and escapement information for the Alaska commercial salmon fishing season. This summary will be updated each Friday between mid-May and September. Please note, inseason harvest data published in this summary are preliminary and subject to change. For more information on the Blue Sheet, inseason summaries, and harvest timing charts, please see our Blue Sheet, Inseason Summary, and Harvest Timing Charts Overview page.

Central Region

Copper River and PWS Drift Gillnet

Last updated: Friday, June 12, 2026

Copper River District

The Copper River District was open a 12-hour fishing period starting Thursday, June 11. There have been 72 hours of fishing time in the Copper River District during the 2026 season. The Bering River District is being managed on the same schedule as the Copper River District. The Coghill and Eshamy Districts were open for a 36-hour fishing period starting on Monday, June 8 and are currently open for a 36-hour period that started on Thursday, June 11.

The Miles Lake field camp was deployed on Monday, May 11. Sonar monitoring of Copper River sockeye and king salmon passage at the outlet of Mile Lake is ongoing. Currently, north bank and south bank sonar are deployed 24 hours per day. A total of 158,557 salmon have been enumerated to date versus a cumulative management objective of 214,503 salmon. Based on historical precedent, cold water temps low water levels in the Copper River likely delayed early season salmon migration through the fishing district and in the river.

Based on the recent poor Chinook salmon production, a conservative management approach has been implemented so far this season. Waters inside of the barrier islands from Steamboat through the eastern end of the district were closed for the first fishing period. During the second, third, and fourth fishing periods a new intermediate closure line, excluding more inside and near shore waters, was used to reduce Chinook salmon harvest potential. During the fifth fishing period an offshore closure line was implemented for additional Chinook and sockeye salmon conservation.

The 2026 Copper River District sockeye salmon commercial harvest forecast is 728,000 fish, and the coho salmon commercial harvest 10-year average (2016–2025) is 184,000. The Copper River Chinook salmon total run forecast (33,000 fish) is 27% below the 10-year (2016–2025) average (45,000 fish). The 2026 sockeye salmon harvest forecast is on par with the 10-year (2016–2025) average of 733,000 fish. The 2026 sockeye salmon run to Main Bay Hatchery (MBH) is forecast to be 431,000 fish. PWSAC anticipates utilizing 142,000 (33%) sockeye salmon for cost recovery and broodstock, leaving 289,000 (67%) fish available for harvest. The 2026 Coghill Lake sockeye salmon total run forecast is 104,000 fish with an SEG of 20,000–75,000 fish. This is 53% below the 10-year (2016–2025) average of 223,000 fish. The chum salmon run to Wally Noerenberg Hatchery (WNH) is forecast to be 1.87 million fish. PWSAC anticipates utilizing 1.09 million (58%) chum salmon for cost recovery and broodstock, leaving 785,000 (42%) fish available for harvest. The wild stock sockeye salmon commercial harvest 10-year (2016–2025) average in Unakwik Inlet is 7,500 fish.

The Copper River District cumulative sockeye salmon harvest to date is 209,836 fish and, based on the forecast and recent historical run timing, the anticipated harvest so far this season is 257,000 fish. The Chinook salmon cumulative harvest to date in the Copper River District commercial fishery is 3,930 fish compared to a recent 10-year (2015-2024) average 10,500 fish over the same period. The cumulative chum salmon harvest in the Coghill District is 34,039 fish, and, while below levels seen last year at this time, is indicative of good run entry early in the season. The cumulative sockeye salmon harvest in the Eshamy District is 27,236 fish and is consistent with the high variability seen in early run entry for this stock.

Break-up of the Copper River was late this year and river water levels are low for this date.

For more information, please visit the ADF&G website for the Prince William Sound and Copper River Management Area.