Alaska Outdoor Digest

The source for important, timely news on hunting, fishing and the outdoors in Alaska.

Kasilof sockeye limits upped to 6 and 12
Peninsula anglers who are out in the cold since the Kenai was shut down for sockeye fishing can switch gears the Kasilof.   The Kasilof bag limit goes to 6 per day and 12 in possession beginning Saturday. The smaller and arguably harder-to-fish neighbor to the south of the Kenai... Read more
Kenai closed to sockeye fishing
The unthinkable has happened for Southcentral Alaska fishermen. Fishing for sockeye salmon on most of the Kenai River has been closed effective Saturday.  State officials are taking this almost unprecedented action thanks to a disastrously low sockeye return. Here’s the official release today: “To protect returning sockeye salmon and... Read more
Updated Cook Inlet harvest data
For fishermen debating the impact of commercial fishing on Cook Inlet salmon runs, from the Kenai to the MatSu Valley, this updated report on commercial harvest from ADF&G is helpful: http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=commercialbyareauci.salmon_harvest This includes a breakdown by species–sockeye are the vast majority of this approximately 1.1 million salmon, but there... Read more
Kenai sockeye limit cut to one fish
Turn out the lights–the party’s over for this year’s Kenai River sockeye fishermen and dipnetters. Thursday afternoon the state slashed bag limits for sport fishermen to one sockeye per day and closed the personal use/dipnet fishery, effective Monday. Here’s the complete release: “To protect returning sockeye salmon and increase... Read more
Board of Fish lets pink salmon stocking plan proceed; commercial fishing supporters celebrate
The Alaska Board of Fish voted 4-3 Tuesday afternoon to let a planned additional stocking of hatchery pink salmon in Prince William Sound go forward. The board did not take public comment. It was standing room only at the Egan Center in Anchorage to hear the Board of Fish... Read more
Board of Fish meeting in Anchorage July 17 to consider additional pink stocking
The Alaska Board of Fisheries (board) will meet at 1 p.m., July 17 at the Egan Civic and Convention Center, 555 West 3rd, Anchorage, Alaska. The purpose of the special meeting is to address an emergency petition from the Kenai River Sportfishing Association received May 16, regarding additional hatchery production in... Read more
Ship, Bird Creeks open for silvers
The two most popular Anchorage silver salmon fisheries open at 12:01 a.m. Saturday, with the jury still out on whether this year’s run will be a repeat of the excellent run of 2017. Ship Creek has been closed to fishing since July 3, when a horrible return of king... Read more
Kenai dip netting opens July 10 but no kings may be kept
The popular personal use dipnet fishery on the lower Kenai opens July 10, but any king salmon that winds up in the nets must be released, per a new ADF&G order. It’s the latest attempt to protect every returning king salmon for the river’s struggling king run, which is... Read more
New Permitting Process for Access to CIRI Lands on Kenai
Cook Inlet Regional, one of the larger landowners on the Kenai River, will simplify the process for anglers to get permission to access the river for fishing. For the first time this summer, the Kenai River Sport Fishing Association will assist CIRI in issuing permits to members of the... Read more
Russian, Upper Kenai sockeye limits to 6 and 12
ADF&G has jumped daily and possession limits for sockeyes on the Russian and Upper Kenai, thanks to a better than expected early run of sockeye. As of today the popular fish have reached the upper limited of escapement goals, allow the department to provide more harvest for fishermen, who... Read more