Districts Affected: Northern Norton Sound
The coho salmon run into the rivers of the Nome Subdistrict is coming to an end. Although the coho salmon run this year in Norton Sound was above average the run in the Nome Subdistrict was well below average. However, the recent restrictions to coho salmon fishing in the Nome Subdistrict have allowed a number of coho salmon to reach the spawning grounds. The department aerial surveys of the rivers have shown most of the coho salmon are now on the spawning grounds.
Effective Wednesday, September 16 at 12:01 a.m., the marine waters east of the Nome River will reopen to subsistence gillnets. The marine waters west of the Nome River will remain closed. Also, effective September 16, in the fresh waters east of Cape Nome and in the Nome River subsistence gillnets will be allowed. Gillnets can be no longer than 300 feet in the ocean and no longer than 50 feet in the fresh waters. Gillnets cannot block more than half any channel in the fresh water areas. Gillnet fishing will be open seven days a week. Check the back of the Nome Subdistrict permit for the subsistence areas for each river where net fishing is allowed. The rivers west of the Nome River will remain closed to salmon gillnets.
Subsistence hook and line coho salmon fishing is open in the Nome River downstream of the VOR and in the waters east of the Nome River. The catch limit is three coho salmon per day per household and no bait can be used. By having no coho salmon fishing upstream of the subsistence areas the spawning salmon that made it upriver during the fishing closure will continue to be protected. The rivers in the western end of the Nome Subdistrict had poor escapements and no coho salmon fishing will be allowed there.
Sport fishing for coho salmon remains closed in the Nome Subdistrict and no bait can be used when sport fishing for other species.
