No Early Kenai King Fishing (Again)

Photo by Earl Foytack
Photo by Earl Foytack

The embattled Kenai River’s king salmon fishery has endured some difficult times in recent years. Now for a second straight year, parts of the Kenai will be shut down for early-run Chinook fishing.

Here’s the Peninsula Clarion with more:

The river will be closed to king fishing downstream of Slikok Creek through June 30 to protect early run king salmon.

Managers have also closed the river to king fishing upstream of Slikok Creek through July 31 to protect spawning early run kings, said Fish and Game Sport Fish Division Area Management Biologist Robert Begich.

While the king salmon management actions are largely similar to the 2014 preseason actions, anglers will have an opportunity to harvest Kasilof River king salmon during the early run.

Anglers will be allowed to keep a naturally produced or hatchery fish on Saturdays during May and June, Begich said, but the fishery will be restricted to a single-hook and no bait.

“Based on what we’ve seen at the weir, at the assessment site on Crooked Creek the last few years … they’re not producing well enough to do three days of harvest,” he said. “We feel that we can allow some harvest down there and still meet the needs for achieving escapement and then also a brood stock program for stocking.”