Fish Creek Personal-Use Dipnet Fishery Will Open On July 19

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

Fish Creek Personal Use Dipnet Fishery Opens 6 a.m. July 19

(Palmer) – ADF&G is projecting an escapement of more than 35,000 sockeye salmon at Fish Creek. Effective 6:00 a.m. Sunday, July 19 through 11:00 p.m. Friday, July 31, 2026, dipnetting for salmon, except king salmon, will be allowed only between the hours of 6:00 a.m. and 11:00 p.m. each day. Any king salmon caught must be returned to the water unharmed. Dipnetters may harvest salmon from shore or a boat from the ADF&G markers located on both sides of the terminus of Fish Creek, upstream to ADF&G regulatory markers located approximately one-quarter mile upstream from Knik-Goose Bay Road.

This dipnet fishery is in conjunction with the Upper Cook Inlet dipnet fisheries on the Kenai, Kasilof, and Susitna rivers, and the total salmon household limit applies to a combination from all four fisheries. A 2026 Upper Cook Inlet Personal Use permit and a resident sport fishing license are required and must be on your person while dipnetting. Only Alaska residents may participate in this fishery. Dipnet permits are available at local ADF&G offices, the ADF&G online store, and at participating vendors. Only one Upper Cook Inlet Personal Use permit is allowed per household.

ADF&G reminds dipnetters to please stay off private property. The majority of property adjacent to Fish Creek downstream of the Knik-Goose Bay Road Bridge is privately owned. All of the property south of Fish Creek along Knik Arm is privately owned. Dipnetters trespassing across private property may be subject to a fine. Respect “no trespassing” signs. Permission to use private uplands for any reason must be obtained from the landowner. When accessing the mouth of Fish Creek, legal access is restricted to below the mean high tide line. Remember, all-terrain vehicles (four-wheelers) are not allowed in creeks or adjacent creekside property without a habitat permit. There is no launch for trailered boats from Knik-Goose Bay Road. The nearest public boat launch for trailered boats is the Ship Creek boat launch in Anchorage. Dipnetters are advised to use extreme caution when fishing lower Fish Creek due to mud and large tidal shifts.

Dipnetters are reminded to review the Fish Creek Personal Use Dip Net Fishery regulations on page 79 of the 2026 Southcentral Alaska Sport Fishing Regulations Summary booklet.

For additional information, please contact the ADF&G Palmer Office at (907) 746-6300.