There are Chinook (king) salmon and summer chum salmon fishery closures in the Yukon River Coastal District and District 1, from the Naskonat Peninsula north to Point Romanof, including the Black River and the communities of Chevak, Hooper Bay, Scammon Bay, Emmonak, Nunam Iqua, Alakanuk, and Kotlik. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) implemented these conservation closures in portions of the Yukon River drainage due to very low projected Chinook and summer chum salmon returns.

Read announcement: https://www.doi.gov/subsistencenewsgeneral/bulletin-yukon-area-gillnet-closure-coastal-district-district-1-and-district

Coastal District & District 1

• Effective: Monday, June 1, 2026 at 8:00 p.m.

Restrictions for Coastal District & District 1 include:

• No directed fishing for Chinook or summer chum salmon

• No fish wheels allowed

• Gillnets are limited to 4-inch mesh or smaller, a maximum length of 60 feet and must be set near shore

• Fishing for non-salmon species remains open using selective gear

It states that fishing for pink salmon, sockeye, and non-salmon species is allowed with selective gear. Selective gear include: Dip nets, beach seines, and hook and line gear may be used for pink salmon, sockeye salmon, and nonsalmon species.

This is a full conservation closure affecting all users, including subsistence fishing, although limited harvest of other species may continue; however, any Chinook or summer chum salmon caught alive must be released, while dead fish may be retained, and additional restrictions such as further gillnet limits are expected later in the season as closures likely expand upriver with the salmon migration.

For more information, contact Holly Carroll, USFWS Yukon River Manager, at (907) 351-3029. You can find more information here: www.doi.gov/subsistence.