This article was updated on 7/3/23 to include information on a sportfishing emergency order in the Chignik River drainage.
Sport fishing regulations have changed across Bristol Bay this year following decisions by the Board of Fisheries over the winter. Most changes are in response to concerns over low Chinook or king salmon populations, which were designated as a stock of concern in the Nushagak for the first time this year. The board also made changes related to king salmon sportfishing in the Naknek and Togiak drainages.
Naknek
In Naknek, the Board of Fisheries moved to reduce sport fishing bag limits for king salmon and introduced designated youth-only fishing days.
Nanci Morris Lyon is an owner of the Bear Trail sportfishing lodge in Naknek, and was an active participant at the Board’s meetings over the winter. She said guides see the value of limits to protect future runs.
“It was a pretty good example of the sport fish industry’s reflection of how they feel about preserving what opportunity we have left, and how we can move it into the future and boost it along for remaining a viable resource for us,” she said.
Previously, the limit was five fish annually for any fish over 20 inches. Now, the five fish limit remains, but only three of the five fish can be over 28 inches.
“There was basically a two-fish reduction in the amount of large king salmon you can keep from the Naknek,” said Lee Borden, a sport fishery biologist with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.
Fish and Game do not monitor King salmon in the Naknek drainage, so run sizes and escapement numbers are unknown.
But Borden said fishermen and guides have reported a general decline of kings in recent years.
“It is certainly something that is noticed,” he said. “The guides talked about it. More Jack's coming back, and then just the general abundance going down. It's been something that they've been noticing in the sport fishery for sure.”
This year the Board also created three Youth-Only Fisheries in Naknek. Youth will have three days this season, where only youth ages 15 and younger are allowed to fish in certain designated areas. The three youth fishing days target three different kinds of fish: rainbow trout in June, sockeye fishing in July, and coho salmon in August.
Fish and Game biologist Lee Borden said the next youth fishery is scheduled this year on July 9th between the Fish and Game regulatory markers posted above Rapids Camp.
“This is to allow some time for the kids to get on the river in the middle of the season to target some sockeye salmon in the upper river there and just clear some space for the kids,” he said.
Nanci Morris Lyon, from Bear Trail fishing lodge, said her guides were out on the first youth-only day in June, making themselves available for any families out on the water that day. Morris Lyon said she’s looking forward to being out on the water again in July to support Bristol Bay’s first youth fisheries.
“We would love to participate and hopefully teach the general public what the guides do out there and be able to help them to get access to a fishery,” she said.
The third and final youth fishery this year is on August 13th, between Fish and Game regulatory markers above and below the mouth of King Salmon Creek.
Nushagak
In Nushagak, where the state declared Kings a stock of concern, the Board reduced bag limits for sport fishing.
Previously, the annual bag limit in the Nushagak region was four fish annually for any fish over 20 inches. Now, the four fish limit remains, but only one of the four fish can be over 28 inches.
“It’s an effort to get more of the larger, more fecund fish on the spawning grounds,” said Borden
Morris Lyon said though there are short term consequences of these regulations for the sport fishing industry, the long term viability of the fishery is critical.
“And I know that that is going to hurt some of our operators on the Nushagak River. We are hoping that with doing so, paired with the restrictions that were placed on the commercial fish group, we will be able to bring that stock back to a place where we can increase limits again and give people more opportunity to fill their freezers as well, by sport fishing,” she said.
Fish and Game area biologists are monitoring King escapement in the Nushagak carefully, and commercial fishing is delayed to protect the run as part of the King salmon action plan. Officials say that if king populations continue to decline, the Board will reevaluate these sport fishing regulatory changes.
Togiak
In Togiak, the Board passed limits on king salmon retention by size, tightened restrictions on fishing methods, and created area closures.
Previously, the Togiak River has been managed under Bristol Bay’s general sport fishing regulations. But this year, drainage-specific regulations were created for Togiak.
“This year, we actually had to create a new page in the regulation booklet to include Togiak since it now has some special regulations,” Borden said.
Now, only unbaited, single-hook, artificial lures or flies may be used in Togiak. Retaining king salmon over 20 inches is no longer allowed.
“Any king salmon 20 inches or longer must not be removed from the water and immediately released,” he said. “And then for fish less than 20 inches, it would be ten for day and ten in possession. So you could still keep small fish on the Togiak.”
The state also closed the area upstream of Gechiak Creek to all sportfishing for Kings.
Chignik
Sportfishing regulations have also changed in the Chignik River drainage. A sport fish emergency order this spring prohibits retaining king salmon from April 3rd through August 9th, downstream to Mensis Point including Chignik Lake, Black Lake, and their tributaries. Area management biologists say this is because recent years of king salmon escapement in the Chignik drainage have been some of the lowest on record.
Fish and Game say King salmon caught in the Chignik drainage may not be removed from the water and must be released immediately. And only one unbaited, single-hook, artificial lure may be used while sport fishing.
State officials say as always, know before you go, and read up on the regulations of an area before heading out to cast a line.
Get in touch with the author at jessie@kdlg.org or 907-842-2200.
