Campbell Creek Youth-Only King Fishery Opening (Updated)

(Anchorage) – The 2019 Youth-Only Fishery for king salmon on Campbell Creek in Anchorage will take place from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. on Saturday, June 29 and Sunday, June 30, 2019.

Anglers who are 15 years of age and younger will have a chance to fish for king salmon on Campbell Creek between Dimond Boulevard and the Old Seward Highway. Youth anglers do not need a sport fishing license or king salmon stamp but do need a Harvest Record Card. Any king salmon harvested must be recorded immediately on a Harvest Record Card. While adults can assist youth anglers in landing a fish, this section of Campbell Creek is closed to all fishing, including catch-and-release, for anglers 16 and older during this time. As with all fisheries in Alaska, the fish belongs to the angler that sets the hook.

Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) staff and volunteers will be at the Taku-Campbell Lake parking lot off East 76th Avenue and King Street to help young anglers, from approximately 6:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, June 29, 2019. Fishing rods will also be available for kids to check out and use on a first come basis during this timeframe. ADF&G staff conducted a stream survey on Monday, June 24 and counted 44 king salmon in the area open to kids.

“We always like anglers to be successful and for that stretch of the Campbell Creek the fish count was lower than we would like to see,” stated Area Management Biologist Jay Baumer. “To increase the kid’s success, I would recommend hitting the creek early and plan on doing a lot of walking to search out those kings.

The harvest limits for king salmon 20 inches or greater is one per day and one in possession. These kings count toward the Cook Inlet regional annual limit of five king salmon, 20 inches or longer. The harvest limit for king salmon less than 20 inches is five per day and five in possession. Campbell Creek is closed to fishing for other species of salmon at this time. Bait is allowed during this time; however, snagging is never allowed.

Kids may also find rainbow trout and Dolly Varden in the creek. The limits for rainbow trout and Dolly Varden in Campbell Creek are five per day and five in possession for each species. Only one of the rainbow trout can be over 20 inches and only one of the Dolly Varden can be over 12 inches.

For additional information, please contact the Anchorage Sport Fish Information Center at (907) 267-2218.

(Yakutat) – The Alaska Department of Fish and Game announced today that beginning July 1, the bag and possession limits for sockeye salmon on the Situk, Lost and Ahrnklin Rivers have been reduced to one fish per day, two in possession.

The Situk River drainage is managed for a biological escapement goal (BEG) of 30,000 to 70,000 sockeye salmon, with a management target of 50,000 sockeye salmon. As of June 26, 2019, 7,964 sockeye salmon have been counted through the Situk River weir. Given the low numbers of sockeye salmon returning to the Situk River, the BEG is not expected to be achieved without reduced harvest of sockeye salmon in the Situk River sport fishery.

Anyone needing further information concerning this announcement please contact Matt Catterson, Yakutat Area Sport Fish Biologist at (907) 784-3222.