Current through August 30, 2024
Unless otherwise specified in
5
AAC 62.122 or by an emergency order issued under
AS
16.05.060, the following are the general
seasons, bag, possession, annual, and size limits, and methods and means for
the West Cook Inlet Area:
(1) king
salmon
(A) 20 inches or greater in length may
be taken only from January 1 - June 30; bag and possession limit is one fish;
there is an annual limit of five fish and a harvest record is required, as
specified in
5
AAC 75.006; a king salmon 20 inches or greater in
length that is removed from the water shall be retained and becomes a part of
the bag limit of the person originally hooking it; a person may not remove a
king salmon from the water before releasing the fish; notwithstanding the
annual limit established for king salmon in this subparagraph, the annual limit
for king salmon in the combined waters of the West Cook Inlet Area and the
other areas in the Cook Inlet region that are open to sport fishing for king
salmon under 5 AAC 56 - 5 AAC 61 is five king salmon 20 inches or greater in
length, not more than two of which may be taken from that portion of the Kenai
River drainage open to king salmon fishing, and not more than two of which may
be taken, in combination, from Deep Creek and the Anchor River, except that
from January 1 through June 30, a king salmon less than 28 inches in length
taken from the Kenai River does not count towards the annual limit;
(B) less than 20 inches in length may be
taken only from January 1 - June 30; bag and possession limit is 10
fish;
(2) salmon, other
than king salmon,
(A) 16 inches or greater in
length may be taken only from January 1 - September 30; bag limit is three fish
per day, and six in possession; if retention of coho salmon is allowed under
this chapter, a coho salmon 16 inches or greater in length that is removed from
the water must be retained and becomes part of the bag limit of the person
originally hooking it; a person may not remove a coho salmon form the water
before releasing the fish;
(B) less
than 16 inches in length may be taken only from January 1 - September 30; bag
and possession limit is 10 fish; if retention of coho salmon is allowed under
this chapter, a coho salmon 16 inches or greater in length that is removed from
the water must be retained and becomes part of the bag limit of the person
originally hooking it; a person may not remove a coho salmon from the water
before releasing the fish;
(3) rainbow/steelhead trout
(A) are subject to an annual limit of two
fish 20 inches or greater in length and a harvest record is required as
specified in
5
AAC 75.006; notwithstanding the annual limit
established for rainbow/steelhead trout in this subparagraph, the annual limit
for rainbow/steelhead trout in the combined waters of the West Cook Inlet and
in the other areas in the Cook Inlet region that are open to sport fishing for
rainbow/steelhead trout under 5 AAC 56 - 5 AAC 61 is two rainbow/steelhead
trout 20 inches or greater in length;
(B) may be taken in flowing waters only from
June 15 - April 14; bag and possession limit of two fish, of which only one may
be 20 inches or greater in length;
(C) may not be retained or possessed in
flowing waters April 15 - June 14;
(D) may be taken in lakes and ponds from
January 1 - December 31; bag and possession limit of two fish, of which only
one may be 20 inches or greater in length;
(4) Arctic char/Dolly Varden may be taken
from January 1 - December 31; bag and possession limit of five fish, of which
only one may be greater than 12 inches in length;
(5) Arctic grayling may be taken from January
1 - December 31; bag and possession limit of two fish; no size limit;
(6) lake trout may be taken from January 1 -
December 31; bag and possession limit of two fish; no size limit;
(7) northern pike may be taken from January 1
- December 31; no bag, possession, or size limit; a northern pike caught may
not be released back into the water alive; notwithstanding
5
AAC 75.065, under this section there are no
restrictions on the use or disposal of sport-caught northern pike; northern
pike may be taken
(A) in all lakes by spear
and bow and arrow;
(B) in all lakes
with two hooks per line when fishing through the ice and if both hooks are
attached to the same single piece of bait;
(C) in Chuitbuna Lake and the Threemile Creek
drainage, with five lines through the ice; allowable gear is limited to
standard ice fishing gear as specified in
5
AAC 61.110(8)(B): fishing gear must
be closely attended as specified in
5
AAC 75.033; all other species of fish caught must be
released immediately;
(8) burbot may be taken from January 1 -
December 31; no bag, possession, or size limit; burbot may be taken with bait
in all waters with more than one line and hook only if
(A) the aggregate number of hooks does not
exceed the daily bag limit for burbot in the waters being fished;
(B) the hooks are single hooks with a gap
between the point and the shank at least three-fourths of an inch or
larger;
(C) each hook is set to
rest on the bottom of the lake or stream;
(D) notwithstanding the 24-hour provision in
5
AAC 75.033, the angler remains with the fishing gear
at all times;
(9) other
finfish not specified in this subsection may be taken from January 1 - December
31; no bag, possession, or size limit.
Authority:AS
16.05.060
AS
16.05.251
