Fisheries, Subsistence, and Habitat
Publications Searchable Database
Search Again| Division: | Sport Fish |
| Title: | Operational Plan: Situk River steelhead stock assessment, 2022–2024. |
| Author: | Pawluk, J. A., and R. L. Peterson. |
| Year: | 2022 |
| Report ID: | Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Division of Sport Fish, Regional Operational Plan No. ROP.SF.1J.2022.08, Anchorage. |
| Abstract: | Steelhead Oncorhynchus mykiss are an important sport fish species in Alaska, and the Situk River hosts the state’s largest steelhead sport fishery. The primary purpose of this project is to record abundance and size attributes of steelhead kelts in the Situk River. Observations of abundance and fish size are used to determine if run abundance and size characteristics are changing across time. Decreasing trends in steelhead kelt abundance or size could necessitate changes to sport fishing regulations to help ensure the sustainability of the Situk River steelhead population. Furthermore, kelt abundance in the Situk River is used in combination with other abundance counts of steelhead in Alaska to assess trends, both regionally and statewide, that help sustain all steelhead fisheries in the state. The Situk River weir is also used to gather fish mortalities to obtain matched scale and otolith samples from steelhead for aging verification and archiving. Observations of fishery-related wounds are also recorded to assess potential fishery and predation impacts on steelhead. |
| Keywords: | Oncorhynchus mykiss, Steelhead, kelt, weir, resistance board, fisheries management, remote video, Situk River, Southeast Alaska. |