Ketchikan Hatchery Area Opens To King Salmon Fishing

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

Sport Fishing for King Salmon Opens in Ketchikan Hatchery Areas

(Ketchikan) – The Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Division of Sport Fish announced today that the bag and possession limit for all anglers in four Ketchikan designated hatchery sport harvest areas, is one king salmon, 28 inches or greater in length. For nonresidents, the annual limit is three king salmon, 28 inches or greater in length. The areas are defined as follows:

Open June 1 – June 14, 2024

Carroll Inlet Area: in the waters of Carroll Inlet north of the latitude of Nigelius Point at 55° 33.50? N. lat., 131° 21.14? W. long.

Open June 1 – June 14, 2024

Thomas Basin: seaward of the Stedman Street Bridge to the breakwater.

Open June 8 – June 14, 2024

Mountain Point Area: the waters of George and Carroll Inlets north of a line from Mountain Point at 55° 17.57? N. lat., 131° 32.41? W. long, to Cutter Rocks Light at 55° 17.34? N. lat., 131° 31.47? W. long, to 55° 17.57? N. lat., 131° 28.18? W. long, and all waters of George Inlet and Carroll Inlet are open.

The Alaska Board of Fisheries authorized the department to use its emergency order authority to open terminal harvest areas to target surplus Alaska hatchery king salmon. The areas opened by this emergency order will allow anglers to target Alaska hatchery-produced king salmon originating from the Deer Mountain Hatchery, Whitman Lake Hatchery, and the Carroll Inlet remote release. Projected returns to these facilities will exceed broodstock needs, thus a surplus of hatchery fish are available for harvest by sport anglers. A separate advisory announcement includes information for the Herring Bay area and Ketchikan Creek.

When special regulations for these hatchery areas expire, anglers may continue to fish under the regional king salmon bag, possession, and annual limits. Anglers are reminded that until June 8 (Carroll Inlet) and June 15 (Thomas Basin and Mountain Point) the salt waters outside of the designated hatchery sport harvest areas are closed to king salmon retention. Therefore, anglers fishing in multiple areas for other species must be diligent to ensure they do not possess king salmon when fishing in areas that prohibit the retention of king salmon.

For further information concerning this announcement please contact Ketchikan Assistant Area Management Biologist, Jake Calvitti at (907) 225-2859.