Alaska Administrative Code
Title 5 - Fish and Game
Part 2 - Sport Fishing and Personal Use Fishery
Chapter 70 - Northwestern Area
5 AAC 70.011 - Seasons and bag, possession, and size limits for the Northwestern Area
Universal Citation: 5 AK Admin Code 5 AAC 70.011
Current through August 30, 2024
(a) Except as otherwise specified in this section or through an emergency order issued under AS 16.05.060, sport fishing is permitted year round in the waters of the Northwestern Area.
(b) Except as otherwise specified in (c) of this section, the following are the general bag, possession, and size limits for finfish and shellfish in the waters of the Northwestern Area:
(1) king salmon 20 inches or greater in
length: the bag and possession limit is one fish;
(2) salmon, other than king salmon: the bag
and possession limit is 10 fish, with no size limit;
(3) Arctic char/Dolly Varden and lake trout:
(A) in all lakes: the bag and possession
limit is two fish of all species combined, with no size limit;
(B) in all flowing waters and salt waters:
the bag and possession limit is 10 fish of all species combined, of which only
two fish may be 20 inches or greater in length, and of which only two fish may
be lake trout;
(4)
Arctic grayling: the bag and possession limit is five fish, with no size
limit;
(5) sheefish: the bag and
possession limit is 10 fish, with no size limit;
(6) northern pike: the bag and possession
limit is 10 fish, with no size limit;
(7) burbot: the bag and possession limit is
15 fish, with no size limit;
(8)
halibut: may be taken only from February 1 through December 31; the bag limit
is two fish and the possession limit is four fish, with no size
limit;
(9) Dungeness crab: the bag
and possession limit is 12 male crab, with a 6.5 inches minimum carapace
width;
(10) blue and red king crab:
the bag and possession limit is six male crab; the size limit for blue king
crab is five inches minimum carapace width; the size limit for red king crab is
4.75 inches minimum carapace width; a shellfish harvest recording form as
specified in
5
AAC 75.016 is required;
(11) Tanner crab: the bag and possession
limit for C. bairdiand C. opilioTanner crab,
in combination, is 12 male crab; the size limit for C.
bairdiTanner crab is 5.5 inches minimum carapace width; the size limit
for C. opilioTanner crab is 3.1 inches minimum carapace
width;
(12) finfish and shellfish
species that are not specified in this section: there are no bag, possession,
or size limits.
(c) The following are the exceptions to the general bag, possession, and size limits, and fishing seasons specified in (a) and (b) of this section for the Northwestern Area:
(1) in the Kobuk River
drainage, upstream of the mouth of the Mauneluk River, the bag and possession
limit for sheefish is two fish, with no size limit;
(2) in the Selawik River drainage, upstream
of the mouth of the Tagagawik River, the bag and possession limit for sheefish
is two fish, with no size limit;
(3) in Northern Norton Sound, which is
described as all waters draining into Norton Sound from Cape Darby to Cape
Prince of Wales on the Seward Peninsula, except Salmon Lake, the bag and
possession limit for
(A) pink salmon is 10
fish, with no size limit;
(B) coho
salmon is three fish, with no size limit;
(C) sockeye salmon is three fish, with no
size limit;
(D) chum salmon is
three fish, with no size limit, except that sport fishing for chum salmon is
closed in the Penny River and Cripple River;
(E) Arctic grayling is two fish with no size
limit;
(4) in the
Pilgrim River drainage, including Salmon Lake, the bag and possession limit for
Arctic grayling is one fish with no size limit;
(5) in Salmon Lake, its tributaries, and the
outlet stream 300 feet downstream from the lake outlet, salmon fishing is
closed;
(6) in the Nome River
drainage, sport fishing for
(A) repealed
2/22/2015;
(B) Arctic grayling is
closed;
(7) in the Snake
River drainage,
(A) repealed
2/22/2015;
(B) the bag and
possession limit for Arctic grayling is one fish with no size limit;
(8) in the Solomon River drainage,
sport fishing for
(A) repealed
2/22/2015;
(B) Arctic grayling is
closed;
(9) in the
Unalakleet River drainage,
(A) the bag and
possession limit for king salmon is two fish, of which only one fish may be 20
inches or greater in length;
(B)
the annual limit for king salmon 20 inches or greater in length is two fish; an
angler fishing for king salmon must possess and complete a current year's
nontransferable harvest record as described in
5
AAC 75.006;
(B) the annual limit for king salmon 20
inches or greater in length is two fish; an angler fishing for king salmon must
possess and complete a current year's nontransferable harvest record as
described in
5
AAC 75.006;
(C) the bag and possession limit for salmon,
other than king salmon, is 10 fish, of which only four fish, in combination,
may be coho, chum, and sockeye salmon;
(D) a salmon 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 salmon from the water before releasing it;
(E) the bag and possession limit for Arctic
grayling is five fish, of which only one fish may be 15 inches or greater in
length.
Authority:AS 16.05.060
AS 16.05.251
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