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: February 09, 2022 - Expired: April 30, 2023)

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

Catch-and-Release Fishing Only at Bear, Moose, and Polaris Lakes, Bathing Beauty Pond, Piledriver Slough, and Moose Creek; Kimberly Lake Closed

(Fairbanks) – The Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) is continuing restrictions due to PFAS contamination at Kimberly, Bear, Moose, and Polaris Lakes, Bathing Beauty Pond, Piledriver Slough, and Moose Creek, effective 12:01 a.m. Friday, February 11, 2022. Kimberly Lake remains closed to sport fishing. For Bear, Moose, and Polaris Lakes, Bathing Beauty Pond, Piledriver Slough, and Moose Creek sport fishing is restricted to catch-and-release only; all fish species caught may not be retained and must be released immediately.

From 2019-2021, testing of water quality and fish from Polaris, Bear, and Moose Lakes, Bathing Beauty Pond, Moose Creek, and Piledriver Slough indicated that fish may be unsafe for human consumption due to PFAS contamination. These water bodies are connected to a plume of groundwater contaminated with PFAS associated with Eielson Air Force Base. Therefore, out of an abundance of caution, Bear, Moose, and Polaris Lakes, Bathing Beauty Pond, Piledriver Slough, and Moose Creek are being restricted to catch-and-release only fishing for all fish species.

Fortunately, there are numerous water bodies located around the Fairbanks area that provide the opportunity to harvest fish. Anglers can reference the Tanana River Management Area website to explore fishing opportunities. For a listing of the stocked lakes in the Tanana River drainage, anglers can reference pages 41-42 of the 2022 Northern Sport Fishing Regulation Summary Book or call the Fairbanks ADF&G office at (907) 459-7207.

For additional information on fishing contact Andrew Gryska, Tanana Area Management Biologist, (907) 459-7339.

For information specific to ground and surface water contaminants within, and adjacent to, Eielson Air Force Base, please contact the Department of Environmental Conservation, or visit their informational websites on Eielson Air Force Base (alaska.gov) and Kimberly Lake (alaska.gov).

Additional information on PFAS can be found at Fish Contaminant Data (alaska.gov) and DEC PFAS Page (alaska.gov).

For information specific to human health and fish consumption, please contact Sarah Yoder, Environmental Public Health Program Manager, (907) 269-8054.

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