Stock Status

of Steelhead in Alaska- 2004

By Steve Hoffman

ADF&G Sport FishKetchikan, Alaska

Steelhead Distribution

Steelhead Distribution

Steelhead User Groups in Alaska

1. Sport a. Southcentral. Regulations vary from 1 or 2 per day over 20”,

spring spawning closures, annual limit of two, to catch and release only.

b. Kodiak. Regulations vary from 2 per day,1 over 20”, spring spawning closures, to catch and release only .

c. Alaska Peninsula. Catch and release only except Anchorage Bay Runway Lake – 2 per day, only one over 20”.

d. S.E. Alaska. Regulations Region wide are 1 per day, 2 per year, 36” minimum size. Ketchikan Creek and Klawock River allow up to 2 hatchery fish (as evidenced by missing adipose fin) per day, no minimum size and no annual limit.

Subsistence

2. Subsistence

a. Southcentral. Federal regulations allow retention of any steelhead caught while fishing for salmon on federal lands unless restricted on federal permit. State regulations mirror Federal regulations in all areas.

b. Kodiak. Federal regulations allow retention of any steelhead caught while fishing for salmon on federal lands unless restricted on federal permit. State regulations mirror Federal regulations in all areas.

c.Alaska Peninsula. Federal regulations allow retention of any steelhead caught while fishing for salmon on federal lands unless restricted on federal permit. State regulations mirror Federal regulations in all areas.

d. S.E. Alaska. Federal regulations allow harvest by permit in the Situk and Ahrnklin Rivers near Yakutat, Hamilton Bay and Kadake Bay rivers near Petersburg. Prince of Wales (POW)/ Kosciusko Islands by permit ( spring season 3/1 thru 5/31 with 5 fish per household, season cap of 500 and winter season of 12/1 thru last day of February, 2 fish per household, season cap of 100) . Retention of steelhead in rest of SE allowed while fishing for other salmon by permit. State regulations allow harvest in Situk and Ahrnklin Rivers near Yakutat with cap of 300. State regulations also allow directed harvest in parts of Districts 3,7 and 8 plus bycatch in remainder of SE Alaska when fishing for salmon by permit

Subsistence cont.

Commercial

• a. Southcentral. Regulations allow the sale by all fisheries but many are not reported correctly as they are sold as other species or retained for personal use.

• b. Kodiak. Regulations allow the sale by all fisheries but many are not reported correctly as they are sold as other species or retained for personal use. Highest reported harvest approached 1,000.

• c. Alaska Peninsula. Regulations allow the sale by all fisheries but many are not reported correctly as they are sold as other species or retained for personal use.

• d. S.E. Alaska. Regulations allow retention for personal use but non- sale for seine and gillnet fisheries since 1997 with no reporting requirement.Prior to 1997, reported catch by seine and gillnet fleets averaged 2,900 per year. Retention for personal use and/or sales by troll fleet still allowed but very small numbers ( approx 50/yr).

Stock Status Monitoring

1. Escapement weirs

2. Snorkel Counts

3. State Wide Postal Survey

Escapement Weirs

Southcentrala. Ninilchik River – USFW project 3-400 escapement.

b. Upper Copper River tributaries such as Gulkana R., Dicky Cr. operated by ADF&G found escapements of 1-300 fish.

Kodiak

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

7000

8000

Num

ber

of S

teel

head

1991

1993

1995

1997

1999

2001

2003

Year

Downstream Kelt Weir Counts

Karluk

Ayakulik

Alaska Peninsula

No weirs operated.

SE ALASKAa. Sitkoh Creek emigrant steelhead weir counts.

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

1936 1937 1982 1990 1993 1996 2003

Year

Num

ber

of S

teel

head

SE ALASKAa. Sitkoh Creek Emigrant Steelhead Weir Counts.

SE Alaska Cont.

B. Situk River Emigrant Steelhead Escapement Weir Count.

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

7000

8000

9000

10000

1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003

Year

Nu

mb

er o

f S

teel

hea

d

2. Snorkel survey peak counts.

a. Southcentral - No countsb. Kodiak - No counts.c. Alaska Peninsula – No counts.d. SE Alaska from 11 index streams.

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

Nu

mb

er o

f S

teel

hea

d

1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003

Year

SE Alaska

3. Statewide Postal Surveysa. Southcentral Statewide Catch and Harvest Postal Survey 1991-2002 Southcentral, Alaska (excluding Kodiak Area).

Steelhead Catch

0

2000

4000

60008000

10000

12000

14000

1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002

Year

Nu

mb

er

Steelhead Harvest

0

500

1000

1500

2000

1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002

Year

Nu

mb

er

b. Kodiak

Statewide Catch and Harvest Postal Survey 1991-2002 – Kodiak, Alaska Area.

Steelhead Catch

0

2000

4000

6000

8000

10000

12000

1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002Year

Nu

mb

er

Steelhead Harvest

0

50

100

150

200

1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002

Year

Nu

mb

er

c. Alaska Peninsula

No steelhead postal survey catch and harvest data reported.

d. SE Alaska

Steelhead Catch

0

5000

1000015000

20000

25000

30000

1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002

Year

Num

ber

Steelhead Harvest

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002

Year

Nu

mb

er

State Wide Catch and Harvest Postal Survey 1991-2002. Southeast Alaska

Summary

Limited data and information throughout the distribution of steelhead in Alaska. Runs appear generally below historical levels, at least in small to mid-

size streams in most areas as well as the majority of the larger streams. Some improvement noted in SE Alaska but additional years needed to verify this trend.

All resource agencies in Alaska need to re-direct or obtain new funding

to gain current stock status data on this species throughout Alaska.

Questions !!!