(Kodiak) - To protect returning king salmon and ensure fishing opportunities in the future, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) is closing sport fishing for king salmon on the westside of Kodiak Island north of a line extending westward from Cape Ikolik (north of 57° 17.196’ N. lat.) to a line extending westward from Outlet Cape (south of 58° N. lat.) from 11:59 p.m. Thursday, May 1 through 12:01 a.m. Monday, June 30, 2025. This closure prohibits sport fishing for king salmon including catch-and-release. During the closure, king salmon may not be targeted, possessed, or retained; king salmon that are caught incidentally while fishing for other species may not be removed from the water and must be released immediately.

“The Karluk River king salmon runs saw record low returns in both 2023 and 2024, with just 76 king salmon counted through the Karluk River weir in 2024,” stated Area Management Biologist Tyler Polum. “The Karluk River king salmon run has been designated a stock of concern by the Board of Fisheries and has chronically failed to achieve the biological escapement goal of 3,000–6,000 fish since 2001. The fresh waters of the Karluk River have been closed to fishing for king salmon continuously since 2008. The exceptionally low run in 2024 was likely due in part to the extremely warm summers seen in 2019, the parent year of the dominate age class of the 2024 run. The summer of 2020 saw similarly warm conditions and the outlook for the 2025 king salmon run in the Karluk River is poor. With exceptionally low numbers of king salmon returning to the Karluk River, and no indications that the 2025 run will be better, ADF&G is expanding the area closed to king salmon fishing to include the salt waters of the west side of Kodiak Island during the time Karluk River king salmon are likely to be migrating through the area.”

King salmon angling opportunities may be restored by subsequent emergency orders if inseason assessment indicates the king salmon run is stronger than anticipated. Beginning in late May, ADF&G staff will closely monitor the run at the Karluk River weir.

For additional information, please contact Area Management Biologist Tyler Polum at (907) 486-1880.

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