Bristol Bay location map

Commercial Fisheries Overview
Bristol Bay Management Area

 
 

Salmon Processing Capacity Survey

Season Summary

Forecast

Inseason Information

Looking north toward Amanka Lake from the head of the Igushik River, near the Department's salmon counting towers. Photo courtesy of Peter Johnson

The Bristol Bay Management Area includes all coastal and inland waters east of a line from Cape Newenham to Cape Menshikof, including 9 major river systems. Numerous freshwater nursery lakes and shallow estuaries make Bristol Bay the largest commercial sockeye salmon producing region in the world. The Bristol Bay area is divided into 5 management districts (Naknek-Kvichak, Egegik, Ugashik, Nushagak, and Togiak), corresponding to the major river drainages. The management objective for each river is to achieve spawning escapement goals while harvesting fish in excess of the goals through the drift and set gillnet fisheries. Additionally, Togiak District provides spawning grounds for the largest commercial Pacific herring fishery in Alaska.