Division of Sport Fish
Dave Rutz, Director

Anchorage Headquarters Office
333 Raspberry Road
Anchorage, AK 99518


Alaska Department of Fish and Game
Doug Vincent-Lang, Commissioner

P.O. Box 115526
Juneau, AK 99811-5526
www.adfg.alaska.gov


Advisory Announcement
(Released: June 22, 2021 - Expired: December 31, 2021)

CONTACT: Andrew Gryska
Area Management Biologist
(907) 459-7339

Tanana River King Salmon Sport Fishery Closed

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) is closing the Tanana River drainage to sport fishing for king salmon, effective 12:01 a.m. Thursday, June 24, 2021. This closure prohibits all sport fishing for king salmon, including catch-and-release fishing. All king salmon caught incidentally while fishing for other species may not be removed from the water and must be released immediately.

The 2021 Yukon River drainage king salmon run is expected to be weak, and the preseason forecast was for a drainage wide run size of 102,000–189,000 king salmon. In-season data on run strength and timing is currently projecting a total run size of 127,000 king salmon. A conservative management approach is being taken to protect the 2021 king salmon run. Subsistence and personal use fishing have been closed within the Yukon River drainage (including the Tanana River drainage). The measures being taken this year are very similar to the restrictions placed upon all king salmon fisheries in 2015 and 2020. Those restrictions enabled king salmon escapement goals to be met throughout the Yukon River drainage, including the Chena and Salcha Rivers.

Restricting the Tanana River king salmon sport fisheries is warranted in order to meet the king salmon escapement goals on the Chena and Salcha Rivers and is consistent with the conservation measures being taken in Yukon River drainage subsistence and personal use fisheries in 2021.

For additional information, contact Andrew Gryska, Tanana Area Management Biologist, at 907-459-7339.

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