Contact:
Carol Kerkvliet
Assistant Area Management Biologist
Phone: (907) 235-1730

The Anchor River will close to sport fishing beginning on Saturday, June 9, at 12:01 a.m., through Saturday, June 30, at 11:59 p.m. to protect returning king salmon. 

The king salmon escapement in the Anchor River through June 5, 2012, was 1,107 fish, slightly higher than last year’s escapement of 901 king salmon and well below the 2004-2011 escapement average of 2,799 king salmon for this date. At this time the department is unable to predict with certainty that the Anchor River escapement will attain the sustainable escapement goal of 3,800–10,000 king salmon. From 2004-2008, 29 percent to 48 percent of the Anchor River king salmon escapement was upstream of the salmon weir by June 5. The projected escapement for 2012, based on average run timing to run timing that is six days late, is between 3,314 and 6,319 fish.

The department will continue to monitor king salmon escapement in the Anchor River and determine whether additional management actions will be necessary to achieve the escapement goal.

The emergency order that closed the Anchor River each Wednesday during the king salmon season, and also relocated the Alaska Department of Fish and Game regulatory marker approximately 1,000 feet downstream of the junction of the North and South forks, will remain in effect when the Anchor River drainage re-opens to sport fishing July 1, through July 31. The emergency order issued May 30 that allows only one unbaited, single-hook, artificial lure during the June 9–11 Deep Creek and Ninilchik River king salmon opening remains in effect for those streams.

END