There are Chinook (king) salmon and summer chum salmon fishery closures in Subdistrict 5-ABC, including the communities of Stevens Village, Beaver, Fort Yukon, and Chalkyitsik. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) is continuing upriver conservation closures in 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-salmon-fishery-closure-subdistrict-5-abc
Subdistrict 5-ABC (Stevens Village, Beaver, Fort Yukon, and Chalkyitsik):
Effective: Friday, June 19, 2026, at 8:00 p.m.
Restrictions for Subdistrict 5-ABC 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.