Photo: Terese Vicente/KRITFC
This is an announcement from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) that was released June 3, 2026.
Kuskokwim River Fishery Announcement #2
Kuskokwim River Subsistence Fishery Front-End Closure Emergency Order #3-S-WR-01-26
This is an announcement from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) for subsistence fishermen in the Kuskokwim River Drainage.
Based on the Kuskokwim River Salmon Management Plan (5 AAC 07.365) the department’s early season management strategy is to put in place a front-end closure to protect early arriving Chinook salmon. This action is intended to improve the likelihood of meeting tributary escapement goals and improving subsistence harvest opportunities in the middle and upper portions of the Kuskokwim River drainage. Following this closure, the department will manage the subsistence fishery in consultation with the Kuskokwim River salmon management working group based on inseason assessments of the run strength and timing through subsistence harvest reports, Kuskokwim River Sonar, and the Aniak Test Fishery.
The following subsistence fishing restrictions will go into effect, beginning 12:01 a.m. Thursday, June 11,2026 until further notice:
Sections 4 & 5: On the mainstem Kuskokwim River from the Yukon Delta Refuge boundary near Aniak to the headwaters.
Subsistence fishing with gillnets (drift or set) will close.
Subsistence fishing with hook and line for Chinook salmon will close. Any Chinook salmon caught must be returned alive to the water.
Subsistence fishing with fish wheels will be allowed. Fish wheels are required to have a live box with no less than 45 cubic feet of water, must be checked at least every 6 hours. Fish wheels may be equipped with a chute and must be closely attended while in operation. All Chinook salmon caught must be returned alive to the water.
Subsistence fishing with dip nets and beach seines will be allowed. Any Chinook salmon caught must be returned alive to the water.
In the Aniak River: From the confluence of the Aniak River and the Kuskokwim River up to the Yukon Delta Refuge boundary and from the Yukon Delta Refuge boundary near the Buckstock River up to the headwaters of the Aniak River.
Subsistence fishing with hook and line for Chinook salmon will close. Any Chinook salmon caught must be returned alive to the water.
Subsistence fishing with fish wheels will be allowed. Fish wheels are required to have a live box with no less than 45 cubic feet of water, must be checked at least every 6 hours. Fish wheels may be equipped with a chute and must be closely attended while in operation. Any Chinook salmon must be returned alive to the water.
Subsistence fishing with dip nets and beach seines will be allowed. Any Chinook salmon caught must be returned alive to the water.
Further announcements will be made from the Bethel Fish and Game office, on the State of Alaska website (http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=cfnews.main), local radio stations, and Kuskokwim River Facebook Page (https://www.facebook.com/KuskoRiverFishingADFG/). Advisory Announcements will be faxed or emailed to area villages.
For information regarding federal subsistence fishing regulations and announcements within the Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge boundaries, please contact the US Fish and Wildlife Service at (907) 302-5144.
The next Working Group meeting will be held Wednesday, June 11 at 10 a.m., at the Bethel Fish and Game Office to review in-season assessment information and to determine subsistence fishing periods after the frontend closure. The public and stakeholders are invited to attend the meetings in person, at the Bethel ADF&G office or via teleconference. To attend by telephone: call 1-888-788-0099, meeting passcode 849016 or join with Zoom through Zoom.us: meeting 816-6267-8969 passcode: 849016.
For additional information concerning this advisory announcement: ADF&G: Sam Decker 907-459-7295