Alaska Sporting Journal

06/23/2026

https://aksportingjournal.com/sockeye-limits-increased-for-russian-upper-kenai-rivers/

From Alaska Department of Fish and Game - Official:

The section of the mainstem Upper Kenai River includes the area that extends from Skilak Lake upstream to ADF&G regulatory markers located approximately 300 yards upstream of the public boat launch at Sportsman’s Landing (this includes the Russian River Sanctuary Area) and the Russian River from its mouth upstream to an ADF&G marker located approximately 600 yards downstream from the Russian River Falls.

As of June 22, 2026, 22,375 sockeye salmon have passed the Russian River weir. The lower bound of the early-run Russian River sockeye salmon biological escapement goal (BEG) of 22,000 - 42,000 sockeye salmon has been exceeded and projections indicate the upper bound of the escapement goal will be exceeded.

“Fish passage at the weir has been strong and is projected to exceed the escapement goal” stated Cook Inlet Management Coordinator Patrick Fowler. “Given the strength of the run, it is appropriate to increase bag and possession limits, providing additional harvest opportunity.”

06/23/2026

https://aksportingjournal.com/king-salmon-limits-reduced-in-the-upper-copper-river/

Alaska Department of Fish and Game - Official

As of June 20, a total of 15,243 large king salmon have been counted past the Miles Lake sonar. This is the lowest, large king salmon cumulative count on record for this date since species apportionment at the sonar project began in 2019. The Native Village of Eyak (NVE) fish wheel capture rates at....

06/22/2026

Excellent sockeye salmon run into the Ayakulik River.
296,897 as of June 21st.

06/22/2026

https://aksportingjournal.com/body-of-missing-paddleboarder-found-in-turnagin-arm/

to Joshua.

Anchorage Daily News

The body of a 25-year-old Anchorage man was paddleboarding has been found in Turnagain Arm.

06/22/2026

https://aksportingjournal.com/bait-prohibited-in-nushagak-mulchatna-drainage/

Alaska Department of Fish and Game - Official

“This year’s run is behind on the projection curve, with 5,512 fish past the Portage Creek sonar through June 21,” stated Area Management Biologist Lee Borden. “We are taking a conservative approach with this restriction to slow down inriver catch rates”.

06/22/2026

06/22/2026

https://aksportingjournal.com/state-shutting-down-kodiaks-buskin-river-for-sockeye-fishing/

From Alaska Department of Fish and Game - Official:

his closure prohibits sport fishing for sockeye salmon, including catch-and-release fishing. During this closure, sockeye salmon may not be targeted, possessed, or retained; sockeye salmon that are caught incidentally while fishing for other species may not be removed from the water and must be released immediately.

“Through June 21, only 916 sockeye salmon have been counted through the Buskin River weir at the outlet of Buskin Lake and there are not many fish holding in the river or nearshore areas at the mouth,” stated Assistant Area Management Biologist Mark Witteveen. “The current counts coupled with a poor forecast calls for a conservative approach. The most recent 10-year average count for this date is about 3,200 sockeye salmon, which typically accounts for about 46% of the run, with the run expected to be at its peak in the coming week. It’s warranted to close the sport fishery to attempt to achieve the escapement goal.”

“Through June 21, only 916 sockeye salmon have been counted through the Buskin River weir at the outlet of Buskin Lake and there are not many fish holding in the river or nearshore areas at the mouth,” stated Assistant Area Management Biologist Mark Witteveen. “The current counts coupled with ...

06/22/2026

https://aksportingjournal.com/fin-whale-possibly-pregnant-killed-in-collision-with-cruise-ship-enroute-to-seward/

Some details from Alaska's News Source and reaction from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and Center for Biological Diversity

An endangered fin whale was killed when it collided with a cruise ship and was found dead back in port at Seward.

06/22/2026

https://aksportingjournal.com/valdez-halibut-derby-update-angler-wins-1000-hullabaloo-prize-and-takes-overall-lead/

Valdez Fish Derbies

Miller was fishing aboard the Devil Dog and said he was jigging for about an hour when his fish hit the line. “Corey set me up on a jig, and I was just jigging for about an hour and then just hooked up,” Miller said. “Then the line just started running out and it was just going and going and g...

06/22/2026

https://aksportingjournal.com/noaa-fisheries-on-how-el-nino-could-affect-alaska-west-coast-fish/

From NOAA Fisheries Service:

Research found that some commercial West Coast species, such as market squid, may be sensitive to these long-term and episodic changes in ocean temperatures. The shift of market squid north along the West Coast in response to warming from the Blob and subsequent El Niño created new fishing opportunities in Oregon and Washington during the Blob that remained afterward. Squid landings in Oregon rose from none in 2015 to nearly 3 million pounds worth more than $1 million in 2016 and continued to grow rapidly through 2020. This provided new opportunities for purse seine vessels whose opportunities in other fisheries affected by the Blob—such as sardine, Alaska herring, and Alaska salmon—had dwindled. Seafood processors in Oregon scaled up to handle more squid, and Oregon fisheries managers developed their first regulations for the emerging squid fishery. Market squid had been the largest commercial fishery by volume in California, but California landings dropped by more than half from 2014 to 2015. They remain substantially lower than they were prior to the Blob and El Niño.

Meanwhile, tropical species such as whale sharks and hammerhead sharks made northerly appearances off Southern California while fishing vessels caught albacore tuna much closer to shore as far north as Washington. Fishing boats caught a skipjack tuna off the Copper River in Alaska, and surveys turned up an ocean sunfish and thresher shark off southeast Alaska.

This provided new opportunities for purse seine vessels whose opportunities in other fisheries affected by the Blob—such as sardine, Alaska herring, and Alaska salmon—had dwindled. Seafood processors in Oregon scaled up to handle more squid, and Oregon fisheries managers developed their first re...