Alaska Administrative Code › Title 5 - Fish and Game › Part 2 - Sport Fishing and Personal Use Fishery › Chapter 60 - Knik Arm Drainages Area › 5 AAC 60.122 - Special provisions for the seasons, bag, possession, annual, and size limits, and methods and means for the Knik Arm Drainages Area

Current through May 31, 2024
(a) Unless
				otherwise specified by an emergency order issued under
				AS
				16.05.060, the following are localized
				additions and exceptions to the general seasons, bag, possession, annual, and
				size limits, and methods and means specified in
				5 AAC 60.120 and 5 AAC 75 for the Knik Arm Drainages
				Area:
(1) From June 15 - April 14, the
				flowing waters of the Palmer- Wasilla Zone are open to sport fishing, except
				that northern pike and Alaska blackfish may be harvested from January 1 -
				December 31 using bow and arrow or spear; the Palmer-Wasilla Zone consists of
				all flowing waters inside a zone bounded on the north and west by the Little
				Susitna River, on the south by Cook Inlet and Knik Arm, and on the east by the
				Matanuska River and Moose Creek, but excluding the Little Susitna River, the
				Matanuska River, Moose Creek, and Goose Creek;
(2) the Bodenburg Creek drainage, including
				all waters within a 100-yard radius of its confluence with the Knik River, is
				closed to sport fishing for salmon;
(3) from July 1 - April 14, the outlet at
				Upper Bonnie Lake to the inlet of Lower Bonnie Lake is open to sport
				fishing;
(4) in the Cottonwood
				Creek drainage,
(A) from June 15 - April 14,
				from its mouth upstream to an ADF&G marker located one mile upstream from
				the Palmer Hayflat State Game Refuge access road, sport fishing is allowed only
				on Saturdays and Sundays from 5:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., except that sport
				fishing for king salmon is closed;
(B) the flowing waters upstream of an
				ADF&G regulatory marker located one mile upstream from the Palmer Hayflat
				State Game Refuge access road are closed to sport fishing for salmon;
(C) a person who takes a bag limit of salmon
				from Cottonwood Creek may not sport fish for any species of finfish that same
				day in waters open to sport fishing for salmon;
(D) all Cottonwood Creek drainage lakes are
				closed to sport fishing for salmon;
(E) repealed 6/21/2020;
(5) in the Fish Creek drainage,
(A) from its mouth, including all waters
				within a one-quarter mile radius of its confluence with Knik Arm at 61°
				26.13' N. Iat" 149° 46.14' W. long., upstream to an ADF&G regulatory
				marker located one-quarter mile upstream from the Knik-Goose Bay Road, are open
				to sport fishing from June 15 - July 14, and beginning the second Saturday in
				August through December 31 from 5:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., except that sport
				fishing for king salmon is closed;
(B) after taking a bag limit of salmon a
				person may not sport fish that same day in waters open to salmon
				fishing;
(C) the waters from an
				ADF&G regulatory marker located one-quarter mile upstream from the
				Knik-Goose Bay Road upstream to an ADF&G regulatory marker located
				one-quarter mile upstream of the Lewis Road Bridge are closed to sport
				fishing;
(D) the waters upstream of
				an ADF&G regulatory marker located one-quarter mile upstream of the Lewis
				Road Bridge, including Meadow Creek, are closed to sport fishing for
				salmon;
(E) Fish Creek drainage
				lakes, including Big Lake, are closed to sport fishing for salmon;
(F) in Big Lake, Mirror Lake, and Flat Lake.
(i) from November 1 - April 30, only one
				unbaited, single-hook, artificial lure may be used, except when fishing through
				the ice two lines may be used; if only one single hook is used on each line; a
				person may not place any substance in the water for the purpose of attracting
				fish by scent, including fish eggs in any form; natural or preserved animal,
				fish, shellfish, or insect parts: fish oil; natural or processed vegetable
				matter; and natural or synthetic chemicals.
(ii) from November 1 - March 15, from 8:00
				a.m. to 5:00 p.m., five lines may be used to take northern pike through the
				ice; allowable gear is limited to standard ice fishing gear specified in
				5 AAC 60.120(7) (B); only a single hook
				with a gap between the point and the shank that is three-fourths inch or larger
				may be used; each hook must be set above the bottom of the lake; only a whole
				and intact bait fish for which no seasonal or harvest limit exists as specified
				in 5 AAC 75.026(b)
				may be used as bait; fishing gear must be closely attended as specified in
				5 AAC 75.033; all other species of fish caught must be
				released immediately and returned to the water unharmed;
(iii) from November 1 - March 14, the bag and
				possession limit for burbot is two fish, except that from March 15 - April 30,
				burbot may not be retained or possessed;
(G) Arctic char/Dolly Varden may not be
				retained or possessed;
(H) the
				waters from an ADF&G regulatory marker located at the mouth of Fish Creek
				to an ADF&G regulatory marker located approximately one-quarter mile
				upstream of the Knik Goose Bay Road, are open to sport fishing to a person
				under 16 years of age, from 5:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. on the first consecutive
				Saturday and Sunday in August;
(6) repealed 6/21/2020;
(7) Johnson Lake (near Palmer) is closed to
				all sport fishing;
(8) in the Knik
				River drainage, including Jim Creek and the Eklutna Tailrace, as follows:
(A) the Knik River within a 100-yard radius
				of its confluence with Bodenberg Creek is closed to sport fishing for
				salmon;
(B) Upper Jim Creek
				(upstream of Leaf Lake), Leaf Lake, Mud Lake, Jim Lake, and McRoberts Creek are
				closed to sport fishing for salmon;
(C) in the Eklutna Tailrace, the bag and
				possession limit for salmon, other than king salmon, 16 inches or greater in
				length is three fish, of which three may be coho salmon;
(D) in flowing waters from April 15 - June
				15, rainbow/steelhead trout may not be retained or possessed; rainbow/steelhead
				trout caught must be released immediately and returned to the water
				unharmed;
(E) in the Eklutna
				Tailrace, and in the waters within a one-half mile radius and downstream a
				distance of two miles from its confluence with the Knik River, from January 1 -
				December 31, the bag and possession limit for king salmon 20 inches or greater
				in length is one fish; after taking a bag limit of one king salmon 20 inches or
				greater in length, a person may not sport fish for any species of finfish on
				that same day; bait is allowed; except as provided in (b) of this section,
				there is an annual limit of five king salmon 20 inches or greater in length and
				a harvest record is required as specified in
				5 AAC 75.006;
(F) except as specified in (B) of this
				paragraph, in the Jim Creek drainage, downstream to the Knik River and
				continuing downstream on the Knik River to the boundary of the closed waters
				described in (A) of this paragraph, from January 1 - December 31, sport fishing
				is open for all finfish species except king salmon, except that
(i) from August 1 - December 31, sport
				fishing is only open from 5:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. daily, and is closed on
				Mondays and Tuesdays; and
(ii)
				after taking a bag limit of salmon, a person may not sport fish for the
				remainder of that day in waters open to sport fishing for
				salmon;
(G) a person 16
				years of age or older may not sport fish in the Eklutna Tailrace youth fishery
				zone, established by ADF&G regulatory markers to include a portion of the
				Eklutna Tailrace between the confluence with the Knik River and upstream to the
				Pedestrian Bridge, during designated youth fishery days, which occur from 6:00
				a.m. until 6:00 p.m. on the third Saturday in June and from 6:00 a.m. until
				6:00 p.m. on the third Saturday in August;
(9) in the Little Susitna River drainage,
(A) from January 1 - July 13, in flowing
				waters from its mouth upstream to the Parks Highway, sport fishing is open for
				king salmon with a bag and possession limit of one king salmon 20 inches or
				greater in length; except as provided in (b) of this section, there is an
				annual limit of five king salmon 20 inches or greater in length and a harvest
				record is required as specified in
				5 AAC 75.006;
(B) from October 1 - August 5, in the flowing
				waters from its mouth upstream to the Parks Highway, only unbaited, artificial
				lures may be used;
(C) from April
				15 - June 14, in the flowing waters from its mouth upstream to the Parks
				Highway, rainbow/steelhead trout may not be retained or possessed;
				rainbow/steelhead trout caught must be released immediately and returned to the
				water unharmed;
(D) from May 15 -
				July 13, in waters open to sport fishing for king salmon, fishing is not
				allowed from 11:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.;
(E) in waters open to sport fishing for king
				salmon, a person may not sport fish for any species of fish on the same day
				after taking and retaining a king salmon 20 inches or greater in
				length;
(F) a person, after taking
				a bag limit of salmon, other than king salmon, 16 inches or greater in length
				from the Little Susitna River, may not sport fish that same day for any species
				of fish in waters open to sport fishing for salmon on the Little Susitna
				River;
(G) from June 15 - April 14,
				the flowing waters upstream of the Parks Highway are open to sport fishing,
				except for salmon;
(H) the flowing
				waters upstream of the Parks Highway are closed to sport fishing for
				salmon;
(I) repealed
				6/12/2011;
(J) in flowing waters
				upstream of the Parks Highway, only one unbaited, single-hook, artificial lure
				may be used;
(K) the Nancy Lake
				Creek drainage upstream of an ADF&G regulatory marker located approximately
				one-quarter mile upstream of its confluence with the Little Susitna River is
				closed to sport fishing for salmon;
(L) a person may not sport fish from a boat
				that is powered by use of a motor unless the motor is a four-stroke motor or a
				direct fuel injection two-stroke motor;
(M) the waters from ADF&G regulatory
				markers approximately 1,500 feet downstream of the Little Susitna weir upstream
				to the weir are closed to sport fishing;
(10) in Nancy Lake Recreation Area Lakes, as
				follows:
(A) Nancy Lake is closed to sport
				fishing for burbot;
(B) repealed
				6/21/2020;
(C) in Nancy Lake, from
				November 1 - March 15, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., five lines may be used to
				take northern pike through the ice; allowable gear is limited to standard ice
				fishing gear specified in
				5 AAC 60.120(7) (B); only a single hook
				with a gap between the point and the shank that is three-fourths inch or larger
				may be used; each hook must be set above the bottom of the lake; only a whole
				and intact bait fish for which no seasonal or harvest limit exists as specified
				in 5 AAC 75.026(b)
				may be used as bait; fishing gear must be closely attended as specified in
				5 AAC 75.033; all other species of fish caught must be
				released immediately and returned to the water unharmed;
(11) the Wasilla Creek drainage, including
				Rabbit Slough,
(A) repealed
				6/8/2017;
(B) except as provided in
				(D) of this paragraph, is closed to sport fishing for salmon;
(C) repealed 6/12/2011;
(D) from June 15 - April 14, downstream of
				the Alaska Railroad Bridge is open to sport fishing for salmon, except king
				salmon, only on SATURDAYS and SUNDAYS from 5:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.; bag and
				possession limit of three fish, of which only two may be coho salmon; a person
				who takes the bag limit of salmon from Wasilla Creek may not sport fish for any
				species of fish that same day in waters open to sport fishing for
				salmon;
(12) in Wishbone
				Lake (near Sutton) and Long Lake (Kepler-Bradley Complex)
(A) sport fishing is open from May 1 -
				October 31; only one unbaited, single-hook, artificial lure may be
				used;
(B) rainbow/steelhead trout
				may not be retained or possessed; rainbow/steelhead trout caught must be
				released immediately and returned to the water unharmed;
(13) the Wolverine Lake drainage (near
				Palmer) from its confluence with Wolverine Creek upstream to and including
				Wolverine Lake is open to sport fishing from June 15 - April 14;
(14) repealed 6/21/2020.