Salmon Limits – Excluding Kings – Increasing At Ship Creek

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

Ship Creek Salmon Limits Increased

(Anchorage) – The Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) is increasing the sport fish bag and possession limits for salmon, other than king salmon, 16 inches or greater in length, to six fish per day and six fish in possession in the Ship Creek drainage from its mouth upstream to a cable 100 feet downstream of the Chugach Power Plant dam. This regulation change is effective 12:01 a.m. Friday, August 7 through 11:59 p.m. Thursday, December 31, 2026.

Current surveys indicate that more than 1,100 coho salmon have made it upstream of the sport fishery and have reached the section surrounding the William Jack Hernandez Sport Fish Hatchery, with fish still entering the creek daily. Based on current counts, enough coho salmon are expected to fulfill the hatchery coho salmon broodstock needs while also providing for natural spawning and fish viewing at Ship Creek. Therefore, it is justified to increase the salmon bag and possession limits to provide anglers with additional opportunity to harvest surplus hatchery-produced coho salmon still entering Ship Creek.

“Survey counts of Ship Creek indicate there are adequate numbers of hatchery-produced coho salmon in the creek to meet broodstock goals and more harvest opportunity can be provided” stated Area Management Biologist Brittany Blain-Roth.

The increased bag and possession limit applies only to salmon other than king salmon. Anglers may retain six salmon per day and six in possession, in combination of coho, chum, sockeye, and pink salmon. Anglers are reminded that, under the emergency order issued on July 1, 2026, king salmon may not be retained for the remainder of the year and must be released immediately.

For additional information, please contact Area Management Biologist Brittany Blain-Roth at (907) 267-2186 or Assistant Area Management Biologist Donald Arthur at (907) 267-2225.