Susitna king salmon limited to catch-and-release once again

Once again, king salmon fishing in the Susitna River drainage will be limited to catch-and-release only.

Last week, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game issued an emergency order making it illegal to retain kings in the Susitna and its tributaries.

The restrictions will be largely familiar to Northern Valley anglers, as returns for Alaska’s largest salmon species have been low in recent years, leading to multiple closures.

One additional restriction this year is beginning the season with retention of kings banned on the Deshka River.  In some previous years, the Deshka saw fewer restrictions than other area rivers.  Fish and Game Area Biologist Sam Ivey says returns for the Deshka are expected to be a the low end of the escapement goal, but there is enough uncertainty to begin king season as catch-and-release only.  The Deshka River has a counteing weir, and Ivey adds that restrictions could loosen or tighten depending on the strength of this year’s run.

The Little Susitna River, which has also seen fewer restrictions on king salmon in some years, is also starting off with catch-and-release fishing only.  Ivey says Fish and Game is being cautious when it comes to the species.  When restrictions first began on king salmon, they came mid-season, disrupting plans for many guide businesses.  In following years, Ivey has said that beginning the season in a restrictive mode gives those businesses the opportunity to plan ahead.

An escapement goal is the estimate of how many fish need to return to spawn in order to maintain a healthy population of salmon in a given river.  Complete regulations, including last week’s full emergency order, are available from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.