(Released: March 16, 2023)

CONTACT: Tyler Polum
Area Management Biologist
(907) 486-1880


New Sportfishing Regulations Affecting the Kodiak and Alaska Peninsula/Aleutian Islands Areas

(Kodiak) - The Alaska Board of Fisheries (BOF) adopted several proposals establishing new sport fishing regulations for the Alaska Peninsula and Aleutian Islands Area as well as proposals impacting Kodiak Area sport fisheries during the 2023 BOF meeting cycle. At the Chignik, Alaska Peninsula and Aleutian Islands Finfish meeting in February 2023, two drainages were restricted to catch-and-release for king salmon. Two additional regulation changes pertaining to invasive species and spearfishing in salt water made at the March 2023 Statewide Finfish BOF meeting might also be of interest to Kodiak anglers. Regulatory changes are summarized below as a service to anglers, and not as a complete digest of all sport fishing regulations. The new regulations will take effect with the release of the 2023 Southwest Alaska Sport Fishing Regulations Summary booklet when it is issued in April 2023.

Alaska Peninsula and Aleutian Islands Freshwaters

  • King salmon 20 inches or greater in length may not be harvested in the Bear River or King Salmon River drainages on the north side of the Alaska Peninsula. Catch-and-release fishing is allowed, but king salmon must not be removed from the water before release.
  • The use of bait and treble hooks is also prohibited during the king salmon season from January 1 through July 25.
  • The bag limit for king salmon, less than 20 inches in length, remains at 10 per day.

Statewide Regulation Changes Affecting the Kodiak Area

  • Anglers that are spearfishing in salt water are now allowed to harvest fish while swimming on the surface or while fully submerged. Spearfishing anglers must still have a current sportfishing license on them and abide by all pertinent sport fishing regulations for the area they are fishing.
  • Signal crayfish are now listed as a ‘Class B’ invasive species in the State of Alaska and crayfish may be harvested and dead crayfish may be possessed. You may not, however, be in possession of live signal crayfish (or any other live crayfish species). Anglers wishing to harvest signal crayfish from the Buskin River drainage must kill them before transporting them from the site.

For additional information, please contact Area Management Biologist Tyler Polum at (907) 486-1880.

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