Alaska Department of Fish and Game - Commercial Fisheries

07/17/2026

See Something Fishy?

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game Pathology Lab offer free statewide disease testing for all user groups including commercial, sport, subsistence, hatcheries, processors, and more. We examine wild and hatchery finfish and shellfish for bacteria, viruses, fungi, parasites, and non‑infectious diseases using advanced tools. Each year, we examine over 16,000 animals and conduct more than 23,000 tests.

We also lead applied research, identify emerging disease agents, and share information to help protect Alaska’s aquatic resources.
Education and outreach are a key part of our mission, including student lab tours, veterinarian training, science fair support, and publishing new research to keep the public stakeholders informed.

If you see something unusual in Alaska’s fish or shellfish, please reach out directly to the Pathology Team at 907-267-2244 or the main commercial information line at 907‑267‑2105 and ask for the Pathology Department.

To learn more about diseases impacting Alaska's fisheries or to read recent research, please visit: https://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=fishingpathologylab.main

07/11/2026

Bristol Bay Reminder:

Beginning July 12, the new Bristol Bay commercial salmon fishing regulations adopted by the Alaska Board of Fisheries in January 2026 will take effect.

Key changes include:
• Updated vessel specifications (5 AAC 06.341)
• Offshore distance requirements for set gillnets in the Ugashik Village Subdistrict (5 AAC 06.331(m)(8))
• Nushagak District regulations for king salmon retention, set gillnet area lines, and the required distance between drift and set gillnet gear
• Togiak District opening and closure changes

Please review the new regulations before fishing to ensure you're up to date. If you have any questions, contact the Commercial Fisheries Information Center at 907-267-2105. We're happy to help!

The full advisory announcement can be found here:
https://www.adfg.alaska.gov/static/applications/dcfnewsrelease/1802206645.pdf

Photo Credit: © Mark Emery

07/10/2026

🎣 Weir of the Week: Iliuliuk Creek Weir!

The Iliuliuk Creek weir is a newer project funded through a NOAA grant. This collaborative effort between the Qawalangin Tribe of Unalaska and the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) is located in the town of Unalaska and monitors a very important subsistence sockeye salmon fishery for local residents. Subsistence harvest primarily occurs on Front Beach, and the area also supports a small saltwater sport fishery.

Historically, the Iliuliuk Creek Unalaska Lake system has been monitored through intermittent foot, fixed-wing aircraft, and drone surveys. Established in 2024, the weir provides an exciting opportunity to collect more robust and accurate escapement data for the sockeye salmon run. This is the project's third field season, with funding currently available through 2027. By building a long-term dataset for this drainage, ADF&G can gain valuable insight to help inform future management of the local subsistence fishery.

In addition to counting salmon, technicians collect age, s*x, and length data from returning sockeye. Staff also conduct limnological sampling in Unalaska Lake, upstream of the weir, to evaluate the lake's rearing capacity and better understand the habitat that supports future salmon generations.

Attached below is the link to fish counts where you can find the numbers for Iliuliuk Creek!

https://www.adfg.alaska.gov/sf/FishCounts/index.cfm?ADFG=main.displayResults&COUNTLOCATIONID=79&SpeciesID=420

Stay tuned for another Weir of the Week as we continue highlighting the dedicated crews and projects that help manage Alaska's salmon fisheries!

07/10/2026

NOAA recently announced fishery disaster funding to three Alaska fisheries including:
2022 Chignik salmon fishery
2023 Upper Cook Inlet East Side Setnet salmon fishery
2023/24 Bering Sea snow crab fishery

ADF&G will develop spend plans over the summer to guide how the funds should be distributed and is requesting public comments from affected stakeholders for each fishery disaster. More information on fishery disasters, directions for public comment, spend plans, and other resources can be found at: Federal Fishery Disasters, Alaska Department of Fish and Southcentral Alaska Fish & Game Advisory Committees.

07/08/2026

🎣 Alaska Salmon Harvest Update — July 2026 🎣
Here’s the latest statewide look at preliminary commercial salmon harvest totals based on ADFG blue sheet reports:
Central Region (including Bristol Bay)
• Total harvest to date: 16,162,000 fish
Cook Inlet
• Total harvest to date: 41,000 fish
Prince William Sound
• Total harvest to date: 996,000 fish
Southeast Region
• Total harvest to date: 795,000 fish
Westward Region
(including Chignik, Kodiak, and the Alaska Peninsula)
• Total harvest to date: 4,828,000 fish
For a total statewide harvest to date of 21,785,000 fish.
Preliminary statewide harvest is currently tracking below the five‑year average for this point in the season. Harvest numbers are expected to continue building as additional salmon return to rivers and coastal systems across Alaska.
To view preliminary in season harvest click here: https://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=commercialbyfisherysalmon.bluesheet

Blue Sheet reports provide preliminary commercial harvest totals and are updated throughout the season as additional fish tickets are received and processed.

ADF&G crews and fishing communities remain focused on monitoring fish passage, adjusting management actions as needed, and supporting sustainable fisheries throughout the 2026 season.
Stay safe on the water, and best of luck to all fishing this summer!
Photo Credit: ADFG Staff, photo from Ugashik

07/02/2026

🎣 Weir of the Week: Orzinski Lake Weir!

This week we're highlighting the Orzinski Lake weir, located near the outlet of Orzinski Lake in the Stepovak Bay region of Alaska's Southeastern District Mainland.

The first salmon counts at this site began in 1929, when the weir was operated by the federal government through 1941. The project was reinstated in 1990 and has been operated every year since, making it one of the district's longest-running salmon monitoring projects.

The Orzinski Lake weir is one of our major sockeye salmon monitoring systems and plays an important role in managing the Southeastern District Mainland commercial fishery after July 1. By counting salmon as they migrate upstream to spawn, biologists can track whether enough fish escape the fishery to sustain future runs.

The escapement goal for Orzinski Lake is 14,000–28,000 sockeye salmon.

The weir itself is about 26 meters (85 feet) long and is staffed by two fish and wildlife technicians each season. Getting there is an adventure—staff fly in on a state aircraft, land on the beach at Orzinski Bay, and hike about half a mile upstream to reach camp.

Stay tuned for another Weir of the Week next Wednesday as we continue highlighting the dedicated crews and projects that help manage Alaska's salmon fisheries!

07/01/2026

Not every salmon count happens at a weir! 👀 Aerial surveys are another important tool biologists use to monitor salmon returns across Alaska, especially in remote areas where on-the-ground monitoring isn't always possible.

06/24/2026

🎥 Weir of the Week Bonus!

Want to see the Chignik River Weir in action?

Check out the live stream and watch fish move upstream in real time as they pass through one of Alaska's longest-running salmon monitoring projects. The Chignik River Weir has been helping biologists track salmon returns for more than 100 years and remains an important tool for fisheries management today.

You never know what you might see swimming through next—a few sockeye, a busy pulse of fish, or the occasional seal!

This is a livestream of the fish passage through the weir on the Ch...

06/17/2026

Happy Wednesday everyone!
For weir of the week we are highlighting the Chilkoot Lake weir!

Located near the town of Haines in northern Southeast Alaska, the Chilkoot River watershed supports one of the largest sockeye salmon runs in the region. In addition to sockeye salmon, all five species of Pacific salmon and Dolly Varden inhabit this glacially influenced watershed.

Since 1976, sockeye salmon returning to Chilkoot Lake have been monitored annually through an adult salmon counting weir on the Chilkoot River. The stock is managed to achieve a sustainable escapement goal of 38,000–86,000 fish, and daily weir counts help biologists track the strength and timing of the run throughout the season.

The primary goal of the project is to estimate both the number of sockeye salmon that escape to spawn and the number harvested in commercial fisheries. Information collected at the weir is used inseason to help manage the local commercial drift gillnet fishery, ensure escapement goals are achieved, and provide sustainable harvest opportunities.

The Chilkoot River weir is installed annually during the first week of June and operated through early September. Throughout the season, a dedicated crew of three fisheries technicians lives and works on-site, counting salmon and collecting biological data as fish make their journey upstream.

The Chilkoot River is also one of Southeast Alaska's most accessible and renowned bear-viewing destinations. Brown bears frequently congregate near the weir to capture migrating salmon, providing incredible wildlife viewing opportunities. Over the years, technicians have learned to safely coexist and work alongside these bears while carrying out their stock assessment work.

From monitoring one of Southeast Alaska's largest sockeye salmon runs to sharing the river with brown bears, the Chilkoot Lake weir plays an important role in understanding and managing this remarkable watershed.

06/12/2026

During its June meeting, the North Pacific Fishery Management Council took action to assess viable and enforceable regulatory mechanisms to reduce bottom contact of pelagic trawl gear in areas prohibited to non-pelagic trawling. The purpose of the Council’s action is to reduce uncertainty associat...