Chitina Personal Use Salmon Fishery
Permits & Regulations
Regulation Brochures
A brochure summarizing the Chitina Subdistrict Personal Use Salmon Fishery and its requirements is found below: Regulation Summary and Access for the Chitina Subdistrict Personal Use Salmon Fishery (PDF 374 kB)
During the season, be sure to check the recorded hotline or the emergency orders for any changes to the regulations or the preseason schedule before you fish.
Permit Requirements
A Permit is required for the Chitina Subdistrict Personal Use Salmon Fishery. Starting in 2017, a $15 fee has been charged for the permit. Revenues from this fee are used to help provide sanitation services and trail and road maintenance that will serve the users of the fishery. The permit is for dipnetting in the mainstem of the Copper River downstream of the downstream edge of the Chitina-McCarthy Bridge to 200 yards upstream of Haley Creek. This means all tributaries of the Copper River in this area, including the Chitina River, are CLOSED to personal use fishing.
Personal Use fisheries are open only to Alaska residents.
If you are 18 years old and older, you must have in your possession a valid Alaska resident sport fishing license, an ADF&G Permanent ID (senior license), or an ADF&G Disabled Veteran's license to participate in personal use fisheries. Alaska residents under 18 are not required to possess a fishing license.
You can obtain a Chitina Subdistrict personal use permit online or you can get one at any ADF&G, office and selected vendors in the state.
Only one permit per household!
A household MAY NOT be issued both a Chitina Subdistrict personal use salmon fishing permit and a Glennallen Subdistrict subsistence salmon fishing permit (5 AAC 77.591(a)). A household may choose EITHER a Chitina Subdistrict permit (below the bridge) OR a Glennallen Subdistrict permit (above the bridge), but not both. All household members must be listed on the permit and household members above the age of 18 must possess a resident sport fishing license if participating in the Chitina personal use fishery.
Permits must be filled in each time you fish and all fish marked
You must have your permit and resident license in your possession while fishing or transporting fish.
You must record the date, location, and harvest by species each time you fish. You must fill in this information even if you did not catch any fish - write "0" in the space provided for harvest.
You must record all salmon on your permit and remove both tips of the tail fin from each salmon taken immediately upon landing a fish.
Immediately is defined as before concealing the salmon from plain view, such as put in a cooler, or transporting the salmon from the fishing site.
Fishing site means the location where the fish is removed from the water and becomes part of the permit holder’s bag limit. Failure to record the salmon on the permit is a violation and may be subject to fines and loss of future personal use fishing privileges.
Reporting Requirements
Harvest information recorded on the permit is used to monitor the fishery and to ensure conservation and sustained yield of fishery resources. It is to your benefit to report your harvest upon completion of fishing for the season or by October 15. Without accurate reporting, the fishery would need to be managed inseason. This would require reporting harvest prior to leaving the fishery and could result with more variable fishing schedules.
For the Chitina Subdistrict personal use permit, the reporting deadline is October 15th, and must be reported online. Failure to report your harvest is a violation of 5 AAC 77.015(c) and may be subject to a $200 fine and loss of your personal use fishing privileges. You must report even if you did not use the permit, or if you did use the permit but did not catch anything.
Chitina Personal Use Fishery Regulations
What area is open to fishing?
The Chitina Subdistrict Personal Use Salmon Fishery is restricted to all waters of the mainstem Copper River from the downstream edge of the Chitina-McCarthy Bridge downstream to an east-west line crossing the Copper River about 200 yards upstream of Haley Creek marked by ADF&G regulatory markers. All tributaries to the Copper River, including the Chitina River, are closed to personal use fishing.
When may fish be taken?
The Chitina Subdistrict Personal Use Salmon Fishery is open from June 7 through August 31 only during periods established by emergency order based on salmon escapement estimates from the Miles Lake sonar. The fishery remains open 24/7 by regulation through September 30. ALWAYS check the recorded phone numbers, schedule page, or with an ADF&G office before going to fish.
What gear may be used?
A dip net is the only legal gear that may be used in the Chitina Subdistrict Personal Use Salmon Fishery. In 5 AAC 39.105 of the Alaska Administrative Code, a dip net is defined as:
- a bag-shaped net supported on all sides by a rigid frame;
- the maximum straight-line distance between any two points on the net frame, as measured between any two points on the net frame, as measured through the net opening, may not exceed five feet;
- the depth of the bag must be at least one-half of the greatest straight-line distance, as measured through the net opening;
- no portion of the bag may be constructed of webbing that exceeds a stretched measurement of 4.5 inches;
- the frame must be attached to a single rigid handle and be operated by hand.
What are the bag and possession limits?
Limits are per household. A head of household is allowed 25 salmon, and for each additional household member the household is allowed 10 more salmon. The annual limit for Chinook (king) salmon is 1 per household, which is part of the total household salmon limit. For example, if your household size is two, then you are allowed to harvest 35 salmon, one of which may be a king salmon. Please remember to check the recorded phone numbers, schedule website, or with an ADF&G office before going to fish.