ADFG Announces 2023 Southeast Alaska King Salmon Regulations

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

Southeast Alaska Regional King Salmon Sport Fishing Regulations for 2023

(Sitka) – The Alaska Department of Fish and Game is announcing the 2023 sport fishing regulations for king salmon in Southeast Alaska and Yakutat. These regulations will be effective 12:01 a.m. Friday, March 10, 2023, through 11:59 p.m. Tuesday, April 30, 2024. The regulations are:

Alaskan Resident

• The resident bag and possession limit is two king salmon, 28 inches or greater in length;
• From March 10 through March 31, 2023, and October 1, 2023, through March 31, 2024, a resident sport fish angler may use two rods when fishing for king salmon, a person using two rods under this regulation may only retain salmon;

Nonresident 

• The nonresident bag and possession limit is one king salmon, 28 inches or greater in length;
• From January 1 through June 30, the nonresident annual harvest limit is three king salmon, 28 inches or greater in length;
• From July 1 through July 15, the nonresident annual harvest limit is two king salmon, 28 inches or greater in length; any king salmon harvested from January 1 through June 30 will apply towards the two fish annual harvest limit;
• From July 16 through December 31, the nonresident annual harvest limit is one king salmon, 28 inches or greater in length; any king salmon harvested from January 1 through July 15 will apply towards the one fish annual harvest limit;
• Immediately upon landing and retaining a king salmon a nonresident must enter the species, date and location on the back of their sport fishing license or on a nontransferable harvest record;

King salmon nonretention areas in the Haines, Skagway, Juneau, Petersburg, Wrangell and Ketchikan vicinity will be in effect beginning April 1 in order to protect wild Alaska king salmon stocks. These regulatory actions will be announced separately. 

The Pacific Salmon Commission has adopted a new method for setting the annual king salmon catch limit for Southeast Alaska. The catch limit is allocated among gear types in accordance with Board of Fisheries approved management plans. Under this new method, the king salmon catch limit will not be known until early April. Regional king salmon sport fishing regulations issued for the 2022 season continue to be in effect until the 2023 Southeast Alaska king salmon catch limit is established. Regional sport fishing regulations may be updated in April if a change is required.

For further information, contact the Sitka ADF&G office at 907-747-5355 or visit our website.