Contact:
Sam Ivey
Area Management Biologist
Phone: 907-746-6300
June 10, 2016
The Alaska Department of Fish and Game is restoring the annual harvest limit of king salmon 20 inches or greater in length in the Deshka River from two to five. This emergency order will be in effect from 6 a.m. Saturday, June 11, through 11:59 p.m. Wednesday, July 13 and only impacts the area of the Deshka River open to king salmon fishing.
“We are on track for achieving the Deshka king salmon goal with a run that could top recent years’ counts,” Sam Ivey, the Area Management Biologist in Palmer said. “Restoring the annual harvest limit for king salmon in the Deshka to five will provide opportunity for anglers to harvest additional king salmon.”
King salmon 20 inches or greater in length harvested in the Deshka River prior to June 11 apply to the combined annual harvest limit of five in Cook Inlet. Anglers are reminded that bait and multiple hooks are allowed in a section of the Deshka River. Please refer to page 27 of the 2016 Southcentral sport fish regulation book for more information.
The Sustainable Escapement Goal for the Deshka River is 13,000 – 28,000 king salmon. Through June 9, cumulative king salmon passage through the weir located at river mile 7 was 11,412 fish. Run timing models project the escapement should be attained even with additional harvest from restoring the annual limit.
Department staff will conduct aerial surveys of Yentna and Parks Highway streams north of Willow later this month and will continue to monitor weir counts at Deshka and Little Susitna river weirs. Information from these surveys and weir counts will be used to determine if further inseason changes are warranted.
For more information please contact Area Management Biologist Sam Ivey at 907-746-6300.