2023 Fishing Information

KRITFC In-Season Managers, Executive Council members, Elder Advisors, and staff are actively working with our collaborative management partners at Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge to prepare for the upcoming salmon season.

Based on last year’s run size, the Alaska Department of Fish & Game is forecasting a Chinook salmon return of 114,000–173,000 fish. Our KRITFC-Yukon Delta NWR team will rely on in-season indicators of salmon abundance to guide our management, but we anticipate the need for conservation closures to protect the health of present and future Chinook, chum, and coho salmon stocks. Our goal is always to provide as many opportunities for Federally qualified subsistence fishing as we can, even with closures, as outlined in ANILCA Title VIII.

Keep afloat of fishing information this season! Follow us on Facebook, sign up for our email newsletter, and check back to this page for regular updates as the season progresses.

Quyana! Tsen’anh! Thank you!

Federal Management Actions

• May 15, 2023 Public Hearing on FSA-YD-23-01

• Temporary Special Action FSA-YD-23-01 (released May 18, 2023 & revised May 31, 2023)

• News Release 1: Pre-Announced Opportunities (released May 18, 2023)

• News Release 2: Kalskag Line Opener & June 23 Opportunity (released June 19, 2023)

• News Release 3: 24-Hour Set Net Opportunity (released June 27, 2023)

• News Release 4: 48-Hour Set Net Opportunity (released July 2, 2023)

• News Release 5: 24-Hour Set Net, 6-Hour Drift/Set Net, and Aniak Box Rod & Reel Opportunities (released July 6, 2023)

• News Release 6: Set Net Opportunities (released July 14, 2023)

• News Release 7: August 3 Opportunity and Rod & Reel (released August 1, 2023)

• News Release 8: August 9 Opportunity (released August 8, 2023)

• News Release 9: August 12 Opportunity (released August 9, 2023)

• Temporary Special Action FSA-YD-23-02: Notice to Rescind Salmon Fishing Restrictions within Federal Waters of the Kuskokwim River Drainage (released August 11, 2023)

2023 State Management Actions

• Kuskokwim Bay Salmon Fishery Announcement #1

• Kuskokwim Bay Fishery Announcement #2

• Kuskokwim Bay Fishery Announcement #3

• Kuskokwim River Fishery Announcement #1: Kuskokwim River Subsistence Fishery Outlook and Front-End Closure (Emergency Order #3-S-WR-01-23 )

• Kuskokwim River Fishery Announcement #2: Set Gillnets open in Sections 4-5 (Emergency Order #3-S-WR-02-23)

• Kuskokwim River Fishery Announcement #3: Drifting open June 12 in Sections 4-5 (Emergency Order #3-S-WR-03-23)

• Kuskokwim River Fishery Announcement #4: Gillnet and alternative methods open in Sections 1-5

• Kuskokwim River Fishery Announcement #5: Commercial Catcher/Seller Openers Announced

2023 Harvest Estimates

These harvest estimates are produced in collaboration with Orutsararmiut Native Council, Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge, and KRITFC from community-gathered harvest data and aerial boat and net counts between Tuntutuliak and Tuluksak for each given fishing opportunity. If you would like to be on the 2023 distribution list when these estimates are available, please email Bill Bechtol at bechtolresearch@hughes.net or call 907-545-7388.

• June 3, 2023 (16-hour set net only): Approx. 376 kings, 4 chums.

• June 6, 2023 (16-hour set net only): Approx. 220 kings, 1 chum.

• June 9, 2023 (16-hour set net only): Approx. 1,064 kings, 15 chums, 122 sockeye.

• June 12, 2023 (12-hour drift & set net): Approx. 1,003 kings, 107 chums, 414 sockeye.

• June 17, 2023 (12-hour drift & set net): Approx. 10,437 kings, 2,957 chums, 6,160 sockeye.

• June 23, 2023 (12-hour drift & set net): Approx. 6,949 kings, 4,647 chums, 9,541 sockeye.

• June 30–July 1, 2023 (24-hour set net only; representative of June 30): Approx. 593 kings, 1,298 chums, 6,454 sockeye.

• July 4–6, 2023 (48-hour set net only; representative of July 4): Approx. 117 kings, 280 chums, 1,232 sockeye.

• July 7–8, 2023 (24-hour set net only): No harvest estimate produced.

• July 11, 2023 (6-hour drift/set net): Approx. 260 kings, 1,914 chums, 4,475 sockeye.

• July 17, 2023 (12-hour set net only): Approx. 17 kings, 108 chums, 180 sockeye.

• July 19, 2023 (12-hour set net only): Approx. 13 kings, 159 chums, 136 sockeye.

• July 21, 2023 (12-hour set net only): No harvest estimate produced.

• July 24, 2023 (6-hour set net only): 13 kings, 65 chums, 56 sockeye, 30 coho.

• July 26, 2023 (6-hour set net only): No harvest estimate produced.

• August 3, 2023 (12-hour drift/set net): 35 kings, 521 chums, 188 sockeye, 4,027 coho.

• August 9, 2023 (12 hour drift/set net): 27 chums, 36 sockeye, 1,225 coho.

• August 12, 2023 (12 hour drift/set net): 75 chums, 37 sockeye, 2,161 coho.

2023 Fishing News