For Alaskan Anglers in the Susitna Valley, July 13th was once a notable day. July 13th used to mark the end of King Salmon fishing season each year. But emergency orders prohibiting the harvest of king salmon have been in place for a number of years. And the sport fishing restrictions haven’t seemed to help the local fishery. In fact, according to the Deshka River weir counts, the 2024 king salmon return numbers on that river are the lowest ever recorded.
During the time period between 1999 and 2006, anywhere between 28,000 to 55,000 kings swam by the Deshka weir by July 13 each year. The biological escapement goal is around 18,000 for the entire year. The numbers have always fluctuated somewhat, but as of July 13th this year, a dismal 3,130 kings swam past the weir. And this is the third year in a row that cumulative numbers were under 5,500 by that date.
Long time Talkeetna Boat Launch operator and ex-fishing guide, Aaron Benjamin, hasn’t personally witnessed a king salmon roll in the Talkeetna River this entire year. He used to sometimes notice king salmon in the river as early as late May.
“In the last week of May, if it was still clear, sometimes you could come down here and catch them right out of the boat launch. But it wasn’t every year like that. It was like every two/three years, I’d be down here and just see them and go oh, time to go get a fishing license.”
Benjamin describes what a king fishing season used to be like on the Talkeetna River.
“Used to be literally hundreds of people up there fishing it at Clear Creek. A typical king salmon boat, normally we’d go out during the day and get six hook-ups and three in the boat. That would be considered a normal day of fishing.”
Talkeetna used to be home to a variety of local fishing charter businesses. The condition of the king salmon fishery has changed that.
“You know, a lot of Ma and Pa operations and stuff and, of course Steve Mahay was the biggest guy on the block, but there was still, you know, single boats for the husband and wife team, doing the booking and the boating, and there was a number of those guys out here. And then right now, there’s not very many charter boat services on the river anymore.”
The Deshka and Talkeetna Rivers are not alone. King Salmon counts been extremely low statewide. In January, a Washington Conservation Group filed a petition, asking the federal government to list the king salmon as an endangered species.
In May, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) filed a finding on that petition, deciding to study the matter further, citing low returns and decreasing size and maturity of kings.
Benjamin, while he understands there may be difficult consequences stemming from the declaration, says he’d like to see something done to help the fishery be restored. He says he’d like to see more restrictions placed on trollers in the open sea. But he’s willing to comply with additional restrictions if it means seeing the fishery thrive.
“Something has to take place, cause doing nothing is not a good choice. If it’s going to take putting the king salmon under the endangered species list, I have my pros and cons about that, but if that ’s what it takes, then that’s what it takes.”
In Talkeetna, I’m Colleen Love
Photo by Colleen Coulon Love
