Sport Fishing Closure On Anchor River, Deep Creek Due To Low King Returns

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

Anchor River and Deep Creek Closed to Sport Fishing

(Homer) – To protect returning king salmon and ensure sport fishing opportunities in the future, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) is closing the Anchor River and Deep Creek drainages to all sport fishing effective 12:01 a.m. Saturday, May 17 through 11:59 p.m. Tuesday, July 15, 2025.

The Anchor River king salmon escapements in recent years have been near the lower end of the sustainable escapement goal (SEG) and the goal has been missed in three of the last five years. The department updated the SEG to 3,200–6,400 king salmon in 2024. The 2025 preseason forecast is for a run size of 2,931 king salmon which is below the lower end of the SEG. Deep Creek king salmon escapement has not been monitored since 2020 and will not be assessed in 2025 but the trends in annual run sizes are similar to the Anchor River. King salmon escapement monitoring in the Anchor River will start in mid-May and if the run is sufficient to make the SEG, the sport fishery may reopen later in the season.

The Anchor River, Deep Creek, and Ninilchik River king salmon sport fishery management plan was adopted at the November 2023 Board of Fisheries meeting. This plan establishes management actions for the Anchor River and Deep Creek using the Anchor River preseason forecast and inseason projections, and for the Ninilchik River using the Ninilchik River inseason projection. If the Anchor River inseason projection indicates the escapement goal will be met, the river may open to sport fishing.

“Although the Anchor River met its escapement goal in 2024, the preseason forecast is for a run below the goal,” stated Area Management Biologist Mike Booz. “There is the possibility that the run will be sufficient to meet the goal and provide some sport fishing opportunity later in the season so we will be watching the king salmon run closely.”

In conjunction with this closure, Emergency Order 2-KS-1-2-25 closes the Kenai River early-run king salmon fishery and Emergency Order 2-KS-2-6-25 closes the Deshka River to king salmon fishing. Additional emergency orders close king salmon sport fishing in all Northern and West Cook Inlet streams. Emergency orders have also been issued for the hatchery king salmon sport fisheries in the Ninilchik and Kasilof Rivers. Please review these emergency orders and advisory announcements in their entirety for the specific regulatory changes.

For additional information, please contact Area Management Biologist Mike Booz or Assistant Area Management Biologist Holly Dickson at (907) 235-8191.