Alaska King Salmon (Chinook) Fishing Questions
What is Alaskan king salmon?
Where is the best king salmon fishing in Alaska?
How many king salmon can I catch in Alaska?
The daily and annual limits of king salmon change depending on location, and in recent years, depending on run strength. On the Kasilof River, the only river we currently fish for king salmon, you can typically keep one hatchery king salmon per person, per day, with an annual limit of five per year, per person. If you catch a native or natural fish you let it go. On the Kenai River, it has been mostly catch and release in recent years. In the ocean, you can keep one to two king salmon per day, depending on what time of year you are fishing for them.
Why are king salmon disappearing in Alaska?
There are a lot of theories on why king salmon have been disappearing in Alaska. We do know that between local sport and commercial fishermen, we need to allow them access to the river so they can spawn. Since 2013 we have only been fishing the hatchery run on the Kasilof river because of this. Our choice as a business, whether it is legally open or not, has been to leave the native king salmon alone and fish for more abundant species such as red salmon and rainbow trout. That has filled our time and sends people home with lots of catching and a cooler of salmon. Other factors that have made big impacts on king salmon numbers in Alaska have been ocean trawlers bi catch of king salmon, illegal fishing in international waters, Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO), warming ocean temps, and lack of food supply for king salmon in the ocean. What we have done locally is to try to get more native king salmon into the Kenai and Kasilof rivers to spawn.