Alaska Administrative Code › Title 5 - Fish and Game › Part 2 - Sport Fishing and Personal Use Fishery › Chapter 56 - Kenai Peninsula Area › 5 AAC 56.122 - Special provisions for the seasons, bag, possession, annual, and size limits, and methods and means for the Kenai Peninsula Area

Current through May 31, 2024
(a) Unless
				otherwise specified by an emergency order issued under
				AS
				16.05.060, the following are special
				provisions and localized additions and exceptions to the general seasons, bag,
				possession, annual, and size limits, and methods and means set out in
				5 AAC 56.120 and 5 AAC 75 for the Kenai Peninsula Area:
(1) from September 16 - December 31 in
				flowing waters, except the Swanson River drainage, and the Kasilof River
				drainage below the Sterling Highway Bridge, only unbaited, artificial lures may
				be used;
(2) Anchor River drainage,
				except the Bridge Creek reservoir:
(A) only
				one unbaited, single-hook, artificial lure may be used
(i) from July 1 - July 15 and from September
				1 - October 31 from its mouth upstream to an ADF & G regulatory marker
				located approximately 200 yards upstream of the Old Sterling Highway
				Bridge;
(ii) from August 1 -
				October 31 upstream from an ADF & G regulatory marker located approximately
				200 yards upstream of the Old Sterling Highway Bridge;
(B) rainbow/steelhead trout may not be
				possessed or retained; rainbow/steelhead trout caught must be released
				immediately; a person may not remove rainbow/steelhead trout from the water
				before releasing the fish;
(C) from
				its mouth upstream to an ADF & G regulatory marker located approximately
				200 yards upstream of the Old Sterling Highway Bridge sport fishing is open
(i) on the weekend, and the Monday and
				Wednesday following that weekend, before Memorial Day weekend and the following
				four weekends and the Monday and Wednesday following each of those weekends;
				and
(ii) from July 1 - October
				31;
(D) upstream to an
				ADF & G regulatory marker located approximately 200 yards upstream of the
				Old Sterling Highway Bridge sport fishing is open from August 1 - October 31,
				except for salmon;
(E) sport
				fishing is open for king salmon from its mouth upstream to an ADF&G
				regulatory marker located approximately 200 yards upstream of the Old Sterling
				Highway Bridge only on the weekend, and the Monday and Wednesday following that
				weekend, before Memorial Day weekend and the following four weekends and the
				Monday and Wednesday following each of those weekends; for king salmon 20
				inches or greater in length, the bag and possession limit is one fish; as part
				of the Cook Inlet region annual limit specified for king salmon in (b) of this
				section, a person may not retain more than two king salmon 20 inches or greater
				in length each year from the Anchor River and Deep Creek combined; a harvest
				record is required as specified in
				5 AAC 75.006; a person who takes and retains the bag
				limit of king salmon 20 inches or greater in length from the Anchor River, Deep
				Creek, or the Ninilchik River may not sport fish in any of those drainages for
				the rest of that day; a king salmon 20 inches or greater in length that is
				removed from the water must 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;
(3) Bishop Creek drainage, including Daniels
				Creek:
(A) from June 11 - April 30, flowing
				waters are open to sport fishing;
(B) is closed to sport fishing for
				salmon;
(4) Crooked Creek
				drainage:
(A) from August 1 - December 31, is
				open to sport fishing;
(B) from
				September 1 - December 31, in flowing waters, only one unbaited, single-hook,
				artificial lure may be used;
(C)
				rainbow/steelhead trout may not be possessed or retained; rainbow/steelhead
				trout caught must be released immediately; a person may not remove
				rainbow/steelhead trout from the water before releasing the
				fish;
(5) Deep Creek
				drainage:
(A) only one unbaited, single-hook,
				artificial lure may be used;
(i) from July 1 -
				July 15 and from September 1 - October 31 from its mouth to ADF & G
				regulation markers located approximately two miles upstream;
(ii) from August 1 - October 31 upstream of
				ADF & G regulatory markers located approximately two miles upstream from
				its mouth;
(B)
				rainbow/steelhead trout may not be possessed or retained; rainbow/steelhead
				trout caught must be released immediately; a person may not remove
				rainbow/steelhead trout from the water before releasing the fish;
(C) open to sport fishing from the mouth to
				ADF&G regulatory markers located two miles upstream,
(i) on Memorial Day weekend and the following
				two weekends and the Monday following each of those weekends; and
(ii) from July 1 - October
				31;
(D) open to sport
				fishing for king salmon from its mouth upstream to ADF&G regulatory markers
				located two miles upstream only on Memorial Day weekend and the following two
				weekends and the Monday following each of those weekends; bag and possession
				limit for king salmon 20 inches or greater in length is one fish; as part of
				the Cook Inlet region annual limit specified for king salmon in (b) of this
				section, a person may not retain more than two king salmon 20 inches or greater
				in length each year from the Anchor River and Deep Creek combined; a harvest
				record is required as specified in
				5 AAC 75.006; a person who takes and retains the bag
				limit of king salmon 20 inches or greater in length from Deep Creek, the Anchor
				River, or the Ninilchik River may not sport fish in any of those drainages for
				the rest of that day; a king salmon 20 inches or greater in length that is
				removed from the water must 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;
(E) upstream of ADF&G regulatory markers
				located approximately two miles upstream from its mouth, from August 1 -
				October 31, is open to sport fishing, except for salmon;
(6) Ninilchik River drainage:
(A) only one unbaited, single-hook,
				artificial lure may be used
(i) from
				September 1 - October 31 from its mouth to ADF & G regulatory markers
				located approximately two miles upstream;
(ii) from August 1 - October 31 upstream of
				ADF & G regulatory markers located approximately two miles upstream from
				its mouth;
(B)
				rainbow/steelhead trout may not be possessed or retained; rainbow/steelhead
				trout caught must be released immediately; a person may not remove
				rainbow/steelhead trout from the water before releasing the fish;
(C) open to sport fishing from its mouth to
				ADF&G regulatory markers located approximately two miles upstream
(i) on Memorial Day weekend and the following
				two weekends and the Monday following each of those weekends; and
(ii) from June 16- October 31;
(D) open to sport fishing for king
				salmon from its mouth upstream to ADF&G regulatory markers located
				approximately two miles upstream
(i) on
				Memorial Day weekend and the following two weekends and the Monday following
				each of those weekends; the bag and possession limit is two hatchery king
				salmon, 20 inches or greater in length and 10 hatchery king salmon under 20
				inches; naturany-produced king salmon may not be retained; only one single
				hook, or single-hook artificial lure, including bait may be used; a person who
				takes and retains two king salmon 20 inches or greater in length from the
				Ninilchik River may not sport fish in the Ninilchik River, Deep Creek, or the
				Anchor River for the rest of that day;
(ii) from June 16 - October 31; the bag and
				possession limit is two hatchery hatchery king salmon, 20 inches or greater in
				length and 10 hatchery king salmon under 20 inches; naturally-produced king
				salmon may not be retained; only one single hook, or single-hook artificial
				lure, including bait may be used; a person who takes and retains two king
				salmon 20 inches or greater in length from the Ninilchik River drainage may not
				sport fish in the Ninilchik River drainage for the rest of that day;
				and
(iii) with an annual limit of
				five king salmon 20 inches or greater in length, except as provided in (b) of
				this section; 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 must be retained and becomes part of the
				bag and possession limit of the person originally hooking it; a person may not
				remove a king salmon from the water before releasing the
				fish;
(E) a person may
				not possess a king salmon that has been filleted, mutilated, or otherwise
				disfigured in a manner that prevents the determination that the fish is a
				hatchery king salmon, until the person has stopped fishing in the Ninilchik
				River drainage for the day and has moved more than 100 yards away from waters
				open to sport fishing in the Ninilchik River drainage;
(F) open to sport fishing, except for salmon,
				from August 1 - October 31 upstream of ADF&G regulatory markers located
				approximately two miles upstream from the mouth;
(G) the Ninilchik River from the outlet of
				the Ninilchik small boat harbor to ADF&G regulatory markers approximately
				two miles upstream is open to sport fishing to a person under 16 years of age
				during the designated youth fishery which occurs on the second Wednesday after
				Memorial Day between the hours of 6:00 a.m. and 9:59 p.m.; the king salmon bag
				and possession limit is two hatchery king salmon of any size and
				naturally-produced king salmon may not be retained: annual limit and other
				restrictions specified in (D)(iii) of this paragraph apply; a harvest record is
				required as specified in
				5 AAC 75.006; a person who takes and retains two king
				salmon may not sport fish in the Ninilchik River for the rest of the
				day;
(7) English Bay
				River drainage:
(A) English Bay River from
				its mouth, including the lagoon, upstream to Lower English Bay Lake, from June
				1 - July 31, is fly-fishing-only water;
(B) upstream of the outlet of Lower English
				Bay Lake, the drainage, including flowing waters, lakes, and ponds, from
				January 1 - December 31, are open to sport fishing, except for
				salmon;
(8) Kasilof River
				drainage, excluding Crooked Creek and Tustumena Lake and its tributaries:
(A) king salmon may be taken from January 1 -
				June 30, upstream of the Sterling Highway Bridge, and from January 1 - July 31,
				downstream of the Sterling Highway Bridge; bag and possession limit for king
				salmon 20 indies or greater in length is one fish; annual limit of five king
				salmon 20 inches or greater in length, except as provided in (b) of this
				section; a harvest record is required as specified in
				5 AAC 75.006; from January 1 - June 30,
(i) the bag and possession limit for king
				salmon 20 inches or greater in length is two fish, of which only one fish may
				be a naturally-produced king salmon; a king salmon 20 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 king
				salmon from the water before releasing the fish;
(ii) a naturally-produced king salmon may be
				retained on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays only; a naturally-produced king
				salmon 20 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 king salmon from the water before releasing the fish;
				the commissioner may, by emergency order, increase the days for retention of
				naturally-produced king salmon;
(iii) a person may not possess a king salmon
				that has been filleted, mutilated, or otherwise disfigured in a manner that
				prevents the determination that the fish is a hatchery king salmon, until the
				fish is permanently offloaded from the vessel, if the fish was taken from a
				vessel, or permanently transported away from the fishing site, if the fish was
				taken from the riverbank, and in all cases moved more than 100 yards away from
				waters open to sport fishing for king salmon in the Kasilof River
				drainage;
(B) the
				following special provisions apply in that portion downstream of the Sterling
				Highway Bridge:
(i) from July 1 - July 31,
				the bag and possession limit for king salmon 20 inches or greater in length is
				one fish; a king salmon 20 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 king salmon from the water
				before releasing the fish;
(ii) in
				flowing waters, from September 16 - May 15, only one unbaited, single-hook,
				artificial lure may be used;
(iii)
				on any Sunday in July, a person may not sport fish from a registered sport
				fishing guide vessel;
(iv) from
				January 1 - July 31, a person may not sport fish from a vessel that has on
				board a motor that is more than 10 horsepower;
(v) from January 1 - July 31, a motor may
				only be used between the mouth of the Kasilof River and an ADF&G regulatory
				marker located approximately four miles upstream, and only after fishing from
				the vessel has ceased for the day; a person may not deploy sport fishing gear
				from a vessel after a motor has been used to propel that vessel on the same
				day;
(vi) from January 1 - June 30,
				a person may not sport fish from an anchored vessel from an ADF&G
				regulatory marker located near the confluence of Crooked Creek, downstream
				approximately 2, 700 feet to an ADF&G regulatory marker located near the
				cutbank;
(vii) repealed
				6/8/2017;
(C) from August
				1 - August 15, fishing from a boat is prohibited in the flowing waters of the
				Kasilof River upstream of the Sterling Highway Bridge;
(D) rainbow/steelhead trout may not be
				possessed or retained; rainbow/steelhead trout caught must be released
				immediately; a person may not remove a rainbow/steelhead trout from the water
				before releasing the fish;
(E) from
				January 1 - August 15, in the Kasilof River from the boat launch at Tustamena
				Lake Campground downstream to the Sterling Highway bridge, only one unbaited,
				single-hook, artificial lure may be used;
(9) Resurrection Bay drainages:
(A) in flowing water, from September 1 -
				December 31, only unbaited, artificial lures may be used;
(B) closed to sport fishing for
				salmon;
(C) Seward Lagoon and the
				waters draining out of Seward Lagoon are closed to sport fishing, except that a
				person under 16 years of age may sport fish during a designated youth sport
				fishery, as follows:
(i) unless modified by
				emergency order, the designated youth sport fishery occurs for king salmon from
				June 17 - June 30;
(ii) unless
				modified by emergency order, the designated youth sport fishery occurs for coho
				salmon from August 25 - September 7;
(iii) a single hook, or a single-hook
				artificial lure, with bait may be used;
(iv) bag and possession limit of two
				fish;
(v) as specified in
				5 AAC 75.022(c), a person may not snag
				a fish;
(vi) after taking a bag
				limit, a person may not sport fish in the Seward Lagoon or waters draining out
				of Seward Lagoon that day;
(D) notwithstanding (B) of this paragraph,
				the waters downstream from the Seward Highway and downstream from Nash Road are
				open to sport fishing for salmon, except king salmon, from June 16 - December
				31; only single-hook, artificial lures may be used; the bag and possession
				limit is three salmon per day, of which only two may be coho salmon;
(E) a person 16 years of age or older may not
				sport fish in First Lake during the four designated youth fishing days, which
				occur from the Thursday before the third Saturday in May through the following
				Sunday;
(10) Stariski
				Creek drainage:
(A) only one unbailed,
				single-hook, artificial lure may be used
(i)
				from July 1 - July 15 and from September 1 - October 31 from its mouth upstream
				to the Sterling Highway Bridge;
(ii) from August 1 - October 31 upstream of
				the Sterling Highway Bridge;
(B) rainbow/steelhead trout may not be
				possessed or retained; rainbow/steelhead trout caught must be released
				immediately; a person may not remove rainbow/steelhead trout from the water
				before releasing the fish;
(C) from
				its mouth upstream to the Sterling Highway Bridge, from July 1 - October 31, is
				open to sport fishing, except for king salmon;
(D) upstream from the Sterling Highway
				Bridge, from August 1 - October 31, is open to sport fishing, except for
				salmon;
(11) Swanson
				River drainage:
(A) sport fishing with bait
				is allowed in all waters open to sport fishing;
(B) flowing waters, from June 11 - April 30,
				are open to sport fishing, except for king salmon;
(C) Sucker Creek is closed to sport fishing
				for salmon;
(D) the bag and
				possession limit for rainbow/steelhead trout is five fish, of which only one
				may be 20 inches or greater in length;
(12) Tustumena Lake and its tributaries:
(A) Tustumena Lake and its tributaries are
				closed to sport fishing for sockeye salmon;
(B) except as specified in (A) of the
				paragraph, the tributaries of Tustumena Lake are open to sport fishing only
				from June 11 - April 30;
(13) repealed 5/18/2014;
(14) the waters of Bench Creek drainage,
				including Bench Lake, are open to sport fishing from June 11 - April
				30.