Anchorage’s popular Ship Creek to close to sport fishing for 2 weeks

Jared Fletcher and Bobbie D food during nan 2017 Slam’n Salm’n Derby astatine Ship Creek. (Henry Leasia/Alaska Public Media)

Anchorage’s celebrated Ship Creek will beryllium closed to each athletics sportfishing for 2 weeks, nan Alaska Department of Fish and Game announced Wednesday. The closure starts astatine 6 a.m. Saturday.

Fish and Game area guidance biologist Brittany Blain-Roth says officials dream nan closure will thief support salmon banal numbers astatine nan William Jack Hernandez Fish Hatchery. 

“The overarching extremity is that we get capable brood banal up location to make judge we tin meet nan goals to beryllium capable to proceed having fish, king salmon specifically, disposable down nan roadworthy for anglers to harvest,” Blain-Roth said.

Ship Creek — nan world’s only municipality king salmon fishery —  will reopen to athletics sportfishing astatine 12:01 a.m. connected Sunday, July 14. But, Blain-Roth said, king salmon runs person been slow successful caller years, and anglers will not beryllium allowed to support their regular limit of 1 king salmon that they usually could. 

“If we get immoderate benignant of parameter otherwise, we tin revisit to spot astir opening it up to retention again,” Blain-Roth said. “But to beryllium connected nan precautionary side, we will beryllium keeping it closed to kings conscionable passim nan remainder of nan season.”

For Anchorage fishermen hoping to drawback a king this summer, Blain-Roth said they tin still food done Friday astatine Ship Creek during nan normal sportfishing hours. Additionally, she said nan Eklutna Tailrace area adjacent nan Knik River remains unfastened to king salmon fishing.