Author: Jeff Perschbacher

Publisher:

Published: 2018

Total Pages: 81

ISBN-13:

Sport-angler effort, catch, and harvest of late-run Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) were estimated from a creel survey conducted 1-31 July on the lower Kenai River in 2015. The Chinook salmon sport fishery was closed to fishing during the entire early run (1 May-30 June). During the late run, anglers caught 6,522 (SE 549) and harvested 3,896 (SE 430) Chinook salmon with 77,276 (SE 2,869) angler-hours of effort. Approximately 53% of late-run Chinook salmon were harvested downstream of the river mile (RM) 13.7 Chinook sonar site, the remaining 47% were harvested upstream of RM 13.7. The age composition of harvested late-run Chinook salmon was 2.6% age-1.1, 18.8% age-1.2, 47.0% age-1.3, 29.9% age-1.4, 0.9% age-1.5, and 0.9% age-2.3 fish. A standardized gillnetting program at RM 8.6 estimated the Chinook salmon age composition, catch rates, and species composition within midriver and nearshore areas 16 May-20 August 2015. During the early run, 150 Chinook salmon and 1,443 sockeye salmon were captured in gillnets (midriver and nearshore combined). The estimated age composition of 114 early-run Chinook salmon captured in gillnets was 4.4% age-1.1, 41.2% age-1.2, 36.8% age-1.3, 16.7% age-1.4, and 0.9% age-1.5 fish. During the late run, 311 Chinook salmon, 2,864 sockeye salmon, 113 coho salmon, and 5 pink salmon were captured in gillnets. The estimated age composition of 238 late-run Chinook salmon captured in gillnets was 5.0% age-1.1, 29.4% age-1.2, 36.1% age-1.3, 27.7% age-1.4, and 1.7% age-1.5 fish. During both runs, Chinook salmon captured nearshore were smaller and younger than those captured midriver.