(Glennallen) - The Chitina Subdistrict personal use dip net salmon fishery will open for a 168-hour period from 12:01 a.m. Monday, June 24 through 11:59 p.m. Sunday, June 30. Additionally, retention of king salmon is prohibited for the remainder of the season beginning at 12:01 a.m. Monday, June 24.

The Copper River personal use fishery is managed under direction of the Copper River Personal Use Dip Net Salmon Fishery Management Plan (5 AAC 77.591). The plan establishes the season from June 7 through September 30 and directs the department to establish weekly periods based on Miles Lake sonar counts. During June 10 – 16, there were 155,561 salmon counted past the Miles Lake sonar. The preseason projection for this period was 69,010 salmon, which results in a surplus of 86,551 salmon. Copper River sockeye salmon migratory timing and the previous three-year average harvest and participation rates indicate sufficient numbers of salmon available to allow 168 hours of fishing time during the week of June 24 – 30, an increase of 8 hours from the preseason schedule.

The Copper River King Salmon Fishery Management Plan (5 AAC 24.361) directs the department to manage the Copper River fisheries to achieve a sustainable escapement goal of 21,000–31,000 king salmon. The 2024 king salmon run to the Copper River appears weaker than the preseason forecast of 47,000 king salmon. Catch rates of king salmon in the Native Village of Eyak research fish wheels through June 17 are the lowest on record since 2003 and recapture rates indicate a potential inriver return near the lower bound of the king salmon escapement goal. Additionally, review of sonar king salmon apportionment trends over the last 5 years and anecdotal catch reports from the personal use, subsistence, and sport fisheries also indicate king salmon abundance may be less than expected. Due to the concerns that the king salmon escapement goal may not be met, closing the Chitina Subdistrict personal use dip net salmon fishery to the retention of king salmon is warranted.

As a reminder, the Copper River Personal Use Dip Net Salmon Fishery Management Plan and the Statewide Personal Use Fishing Regulations state that:

• The annual limit is 25 salmon for the head of household and 10 salmon for each dependent of the permit holder.
• Personal use fishers must possess both their Chitina Personal Use Salmon Fishery Permit and a valid resident sport fishing license when fishing.
• King salmon and steelhead cannot be kept and must be returned to the water unharmed.
• You must record your harvest on the permit immediately.
• Both tips of the tail fin of personal use caught fish must be clipped immediately upon landing a fish. Immediately is defined as before concealing the salmon from plain view or transporting the salmon from the fishing site. Fishing site means the location where the fish was removed from the water and became part of the permit holder’s bag limit.

All Alaska residents qualify to participate in this personal use fishery. You must have a Chitina Personal Use Salmon Fishery Permit and a resident Alaska sport fishing license when dipnetting. Both dip net permits and fishing licenses can be obtained online at ADF&G online store. A $15 fee is charged for the Chitina Personal Use Salmon Fishery Permit. Revenue from the fee supports the sanitation services at the fishery and trail maintenance from O’Brien Creek to Haley Creek.

The department urges dipnetters to respect the rights of private landowners in the area and familiarize themselves with the land ownership in the area before fishing. For information on access across private lands contact Chitina Native Corporation at (907) 823-2223 or Ahtna, Inc. at (907) 822-3476.

Additionally, the department urges dipnetters to follow trail signage and stay on designated boardwalks, built to accommodate trail users, including ATVs, constructed along the O’Brien Creek to Haley Creek section of the Copper River Highway Right of Way (ROW). The detours were constructed to avoid disturbing recently identified cultural sites within and along the ROW. Any violation or disturbance to protected cultural sites will result in immediate closure of this access road. For more information visit the Alaska Department of Transportation's Copper River Public Access web page describing the changes to the access route.

Information regarding the fishery can be found at the ADF&G website. This site provides information regarding the Upper Copper River fisheries including: fishery descriptions and summaries, maps of the subdistricts, a list of vendors that issue permits, and links to the sonar numbers and fishing schedule emergency orders.

The current fishing schedule is announced on the Chitina Fishery information line at (907) 822-5224. Please contact the information phone line prior to planning your trip to Chitina to ensure that the fishery will be open when you arrive. If you have any questions regarding the Chitina Subdistrict personal use dipnet salmon fishery, please contact the ADF&G office in Glennallen at (907) 822-3309.

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