Contact:
Tom Taube
Management Coordinator
Phone: 907-822-3309

The Chitina Subdistrict will remain closed until at least Monday June 5.  Due to late breakup conditions, salmon migration into the Copper River is approximately two weeks delayed.  It is anticipated that fish passage past the Miles Lake sonar will be sufficient to allow a personal use fishery opening during the week of June 5 – 11.  The duration of this opening will be announced after May 29^th.  As a reminder, the Copper River Personal Use Dip Net Salmon Fishery Management Plan and the Statewide Personal Use Fishing Regulations state that:

·        The seasonal bag limit is a total of 15 salmon, one of which may be a king salmon for a household of one, and 30 salmon, one of which may be a king salmon for a household of two or more.

·        Personal use fishers must possess both their Chitina Personal Use fishery permit and a valid resident sport fishing license when fishing.

·        Of the total bag limit only one chinook salmon can be kept.

·        Steelhead cannot be kept, and must be returned to the water unharmed.

·        When a harvestable surplus of 50,000 salmon or greater will be present in the Chitina Subdistrict, by emergency order, a supplemental permit for 10 additional sockeye salmon will be issued to Chitina Subdistrict personal use permit holders.

·        Harvest must be recorded on the permit immediately.

·        The tips of the tail of personal use caught fish must be clipped immediately upon landing a fish.

·        Immediately is defined as before concealing the salmon from plain view or transporting the salmon from the fishing site.  Fishing site means the location where the fish was removed from the water and became part of the permit holder’s bag limit.

During May 15 – 21, there were 237 salmon counted past the Miles Lake sonar. The preseason projection for this period was 15,168 salmon.  Copper River sockeye salmon migratory timing and the previous five-year average harvest and participation rates indicate insufficient numbers of salmon available to allow any amount of fishing time during the week of June 1 – 4.  Depending on actual numbers of salmon passing the Miles Lake sonar, future openings may be increased or decreased, accordingly.

All residents of Alaska qualify to participate in this personal use fishery.  A Chitina Subdistrict Personal Use Fishing permit and a resident sport fishing license are required to participate in this personal use fishery.  There is no fee for the Chitina Subdistrict personal use fishing permit.  Currently, public access to the Chitina Subdistrict is via the O’Brien Creek Road Right of Way (ROW) on the west bank of the Copper River or via boat.  This access is similar to what is has been in previous years, only parking is limited at O’Brien Creek.  The O’Brien Creek Road right of way does not extend to the Copper River ordinary high water line and the landowners have blocked the river access at this point.  River access is still available at sites where the road right of way extends to the ordinary high water line.  There is currently no boat launching available at O’Brien Creek, but it is possible to launch a boat from the eastern upstream side of the Chitina-McCarthy Bridge.  Signs are posted marking private/corporation lands.  As a result, camping space is reduced and limited. Public camping is available at the DOT wayside on the east bank of the Copper River by the Chitina-McCarthy Bridge, the Liberty Falls Recreation Site, and a private campground at the Chitina Airport.

Information regarding the fishery can be found at the ADF&G web site: www.sf.adfg.state.ak.us/region3/areas/ucus/chitina/chitina.cfm.  This site provides information regarding the Upper Copper River fisheries including: fishery descriptions and summaries, maps of the subdistricts, a listing of vendors that carry the permits, and links to the sonar numbers and Emergency Orders.  If you have any questions regarding the Chitina Subdistrict personal use fishery, please contact the ADF&G office in Glennallen at (907) 822-3309.  Changes in the fishery openings will be announced at least 48 hours in advance.  Fishery information is available 24 hours each day at (907) 822-5224 in Glennallen, (907) 459-7382 in Fairbanks and (907) 267-2511 in Anchorage.  Please contact the information phone line prior to planning your trip to Chitina to insure that the fishery will be open when you arrive. 

 

DISTRIBUTION:

 

Office of the Governor; Lt. Governor; Commissioner, Department of Fish and Game; Director, Division of Sport Fish; Regional Supervisors, Division of Sport and Commercial Fisheries; Members of Board of Fisheries; Director, Fish and Wildlife Protection; Detachment Commander and Area Officer, Local Fish and Game Advisory Chairman; Cook Inlet, Prince William Sound and Glennallen Area Biologists, Division of Sport Fish and Commercial Fisheries; Juneau, Region I; Fairbanks, Region III; and selected area newspapers, radio and television stations.