Nushagak/Mulchatna Drainage Sockeye Limits Increasing

Nushagak River photo by Alaska Trekker/Wikimedia

The following press release is courtesy of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game:

(Dillingham) – With the recent increase of sockeye salmon passing the Portage Creek sonar, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) is implementing the following sport fishing regulation liberalization by increasing the bag and possession limit for sockeye salmon to ten fish in all waters of the Nushagak-Mulchatna River drainage, excluding the Wood River drainage, effective 12:01 a.m. Tuesday, July 17, 2018. The bag and possession limit for other salmon, except king and sockeye salmon, remains at five fish. These limits are in combination with the more liberal limits for sockeye salmon.

“Nearly 970,000 sockeye salmon have been counted at the Portage Creek sonar,” stated Area Management Biologist Jason Dye. “The passage of sockeye salmon has exceeded the escapement goal for the Nushagak River drainage. Therefore, it is warranted to increase the bag and possession limit and allow sport anglers an opportunity to harvest the surplus sockeye salmon in the Nushagak-Mulchatna River sport fishery.