No emergency closures expected for last fishing weekend

Last year at this time, Department of Fish and Game made an unpopular decision among some anglers and closed most Parks highway streams to fishing. They also limited the catch in the Talkeetna River.

This year on the last king weekend of the season, there are no plans for emergency closure.  Area fish biologist Sam Ivey says that runs are low, but they would have made an announcement Wednesday if there were any plans to close streams.

The restrictions still apply and fishing is limited from 6 a.m. to 11 pm on all streams along the Parks Highway. Goose Creek has been, and is still, closed.

Ivey says that a boat survey done Monday indicates numbers along the Talkeetna and surrounding creeks, are similar to past years.  He added that the fish can be late getting all the way up the river.  That is what happened last year when kings came up AFTER the emergency closure decision and most people were able to get their limit quickly.

(Area fish biologist Dave Rutz has retired and is no longer in the fisheries office.  Any questions on numbers or closures can be referred to  Sam Ivey in Palmer.)