Preseason Schedule Announced For Copper River Personal-Use Salmon Fishery

2022 Copper River Personal Use Dip Net Salmon Fishery Preseason Schedule

(Glennallen) – In accordance with the Copper River Personal Use Dip Net Salmon Fishery Management Plan (5 AAC 77.591) the preliminary Chitina Subdistrict Personal Use Dip Net Salmon Fishery schedule for 2022 is listed in the table below. The schedule is based on projected daily sonar counts at the Miles Lake sonar and is designed to distribute the harvest throughout the run.

This preliminary schedule will be adjusted weekly based on actual sonar fish counts, as directed by the Copper River Personal Use Dip Net Salmon Fishery Management Plan. Travel time for salmon between the Miles Lake sonar and the Chitina Subdistrict is approximately two to three weeks; as a result, changes to the preliminary schedule will be announced by emergency order approximately one week prior to the fishing period. By regulation, the Chitina Subdistrict Personal Use Dip Net Salmon Fishery is open seven days a week, September 1–30.

The 2022 Copper River forecast is 1.43 million wild and hatchery sockeye salmon combined http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/static/applications/dcfnewsrelease/1354974264.pdf, and 40,000 king salmon http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/static/applications/dcfnewsrelease/1360456010.pdf. The inriver goal for the number of salmon passing the Miles Lake sonar is 656,000–1,046,000 salmon http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/static/applications/dcfnewsrelease/1368260732.pdf. This goal ensures sufficient salmon for spawning escapement, subsistence, personal use and sport fishing needs, and hatchery brood stock.

Only Alaska residents are eligible to participate in personal use fisheries. A Chitina Subdistrict Personal Use Dip Net Salmon Fishery Permit and a resident Alaska sport fishing license are required. Both dip net permits and fishing licenses can be obtained online at https://www.adfg.alaska.gov/Store/. A $15 fee is charged for the Chitina Subdistrict personal use salmon fishery permit. Revenue from the fee supports sanitation services and trail maintenance at the fishery.

All 2022 Chitina Subdistrict Personal Use Dip Net Salmon Fishery participation and harvest reporting must be completed online through the ADF&G website. Online reporting is required whether you fished the permit or not. Permits returned by mail or hand-delivered will not be accepted.

The deadline to report your Chitina personal use fishing activity is October 15. Permit holders who fail to report will be denied a permit for the next calendar year.

The department urges dipnetters to respect the rights of private landowners in the area and familiarize themselves with the land ownership in the area before fishing. For information on access across private lands contact the Chitina Native Corporation at (907) 823-2223 (https://chitinanative.com/obrien-creek-permit-program) or Ahtna, Inc at (907) 822-3476 (https://www.ahtna-inc.com/lands/ ).

Information regarding the fishery can be found at the ADF&G web site: http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=PersonalUsebyAreaInteriorChitina.main. This site provides information regarding the Upper Copper River fisheries including fishery descriptions and summaries, maps of the subdistricts, a listing of vendors that carry the permits, and links to the sonar numbers and fishing schedule emergency orders.

In addition to being posted online, the most current fishing schedule is available on the Chitina Fishery information line at 822-5224 (Glennallen), 459-7382 (Fairbanks), and 267-2511 (Anchorage). Please verify that the fishery is open prior to traveling by calling an information line or checking online. If you have any questions regarding the Chitina Subdistrict Personal Use Dip Net Salmon Fishery, please contact the ADF&G office in Glennallen at (907) 822-3309.