The Yakutat area has five Pacific salmon:
Pink salmon, Chinook salmon, coho salmon, sockeye salmon and chum salmon
1. In freshwater streams, adult females lay thousands of eggs in shallow, gravel nests, called redds.
2. Before being covered by gravel, the eggs are fertilized by the males.
3. Both adult females and males die after spawning.
4. The eggs hatch in winter or spring.
5. The young salmon, called alevins, remain in the gravel until they absorb their yolk sacs.
6. Once they emerge from the gravel they are known as fry. The fry of some species migrate directly to the ocean and others remain in fresh water for up to 2 years before beginning their migration to salt water.
The pink salmon is the smallest Pacific salmon native to North America, weighing 3 1/2to 4 lbs. and measuring 20 to 25 inches long. They are also called "humpbacks" or "humpies" because of the pronounced hump which develops on the backs of adult males before spawning. In many Alaskan coastal communities, pink salmon are considered Alaska's'bread and butterfish because of their importance to commercial fisheries and thus to local economies.
Pink salmon have the shortest life cycle of all the Pacific salmon, only 2 years. Adult pink salmon enter Alaska spawning streams between late June and mid October, and most spawn within a few miles of the coast, commonly within the inter-tidal zone at the mouths of streams. After the eggs hatch in early to mid winter, the smelts migrate to the ocean in late winter or spring. Once in the ocean, the juvenile pink salmon move along the beaches in dense schools near the surface, feeding on plankton, larval fishes and insects. Predation is heavy, but growth is rapid. By fall, the juvenile salmon are 4 to 6 inches long and are moving into their feeding grounds in the Gulf of Alaska and Aleutian Islands areas. When they're 2 years old, they return to spawn.
Pink salmon fisheries are important in all coastal regions of Alaska south of Kotzebue Sound. Commercial canning and salting of pink salmon began in the late 1800s, but, during the 1940s and 1950s, runs declined markedly. Since then intensive efforts have been made to rebuild and enhance those runs through hatcheries, fish ladders and improved management practices. In 1989 Alaskan harvest of pink salmon represented just over 80% of the total North American harvest and almost 40% of the total worldwide catch. Pink salmon also contribute substantially to the catch of sport anglers and subsistence users in Alaska.
The Chinook salmon is one of the most important sport and commercial fish native to the Pacific coast of North America. It is the largest of all Pacific salmon, commonly weighing about 30 pounds. Chinook salmon are also called quinnat, tyee, tule, spring and blackmouth.
Alaska streams normally receive a single run of Chinook salmon between May and July. Chinook salmon mature in 2 to 7 years; and, therefore, spawning fish may vary greatly in size. Small Chinook that mature after spending only one winter in the ocean are commonly referred to as "jacks" and are usually males. Chinook salmon often make extensive freshwater spawning migrations to reach their home streams on some of the larger river systems. Yukon River spawners bound for the extreme headwaters in Yukon Territory, Canada, will travel more than 2,000 river miles during a 60 day period. Chinook salmon, like other salmon, do not feed during the freshwater spawning migration, so their condition deteriorates gradually during the spawning run. The newly laid eggs hatch in late winter or early spring. Most young Chinooks remain in fresh water for a year until the next spring when they migrate to the ocean. Juvenile Chinooks in fresh water first feed on plankton, then later eat insects. In the ocean, they eat a variety or organisms including herring, pilchard, sandlance, squid and crustaceans. Salmon grow rapidly in the ocean and often double their weight during a single summer season.
There is an excellent commercial market for Chinook salmon because of their larger size and their excellent flavor and texture. Fish taken commercially average about 18 pounds. Also, Chinook salmon are perhaps the most highly prized sport fish in Alaska, with over reported 76,000 taken annually (1988). The Southeastern and Cook Inlet areas are fished extensively for Chinook salmon. Chinook salmon also contribute substantially to subsistence users, especially in the Yukon and Kuskokwim river areas.
Coho salmon are found in the coastal waters of Alaska from the Southeast to Point Hope of the Chukchi Sea and in the Yukon River to the Alaska Yukon border. Although they have been known to weigh up to 30 pounds, they usually weigh 8 to 12 pounds and measure 24 to 30 inches long.
Coho salmon prefer small streams and shallows in which to spawn, and in large rivers adults may need several weeks or months to reach their headwater spawning grounds. They usually enter spawning streams from July to November. After the eggs have hatched the following spring, the young Coho spend one to 2 years growing in freshwater. These fiy live in ponds, lakes and pools in streams and rivers, feeding on insects. Some males mature early (called "jacks") and return after only 6 months at sea, while most fish stay 18 months before returning as adults.
The commercial catch of Coho salmon reached 6.25 million fish in 1986, increasing significantly from low catches in the 1960s. About half of this catch was taken in southeast Alaska. The Coho salmon is a premier sport fish and is taken in fresh and salt water from July to September. In 1986 anglers throughout Alaska took 201,000 Coho Salmon.
Sockeye salmon make up one of the most important commercial fisheries on the Pacific coast of North America. They are also increasingly sought after by sport anglers and continue to be an important mainstay of subsistence users. Sockeye can grow to almost 3 feet in length and weigh up to 15 pounds, but they average 25 inches in length with a weight of 6 pounds. Both males and females turn brilliant to dark red on the back and sides when they spawn.
Sockeye salmon travel thousands of miles from ocean feeding areas to spawn in the same freshwater system where they were born. They return from the ocean during the summer months after spending one to 4 years in the ocean. Spawning occurs in rivers, streams and upwelling areas along lake beaches. Freshwater systems with lakes produce the greatest numbers of sockeye salmon.
In the spring, the fry move to rearing areas. In systems with lakes, juveniles usually spend one to 3 years in freshwater before migrating to the ocean in the spring as smolts weighing only a few ounces. However, in systems without lakes, many juveniles migrate to the ocean zoom after emerging as fry.
Sockeye salmon return to their "home stream" to spawn after spending one to 4 years in the ocean. Mature salmon that have spent only one year in the ocean are called "jacks" and are almost without exception, males. Once in the ocean, sockeye salmon grow quickly. while in freshwater, juvenile sockeye salmon feed mainly upon zoo-plankton and insects. In the ocean, sockeye salmon feed on zoo-plankton, larva fish, small adult fish and, occasionally, squid in some areas, populations of sockeye salmon have developed which remain in freshwater all their lives. This form of sockeye salmon, called "kokanee," is much smaller than the ocean-reared salmon and rarely grows over 14 inches long. Populations of kokanee are common in Alaska.
The largest commercial harvest of sockeye salmon in world occurs in the Bristol Bay area of southwest Alaska where 10 to 20 million sockeye salmon are caught each year. Relatively large harvests, one to 6 million sockeye salmon, are also taken to Cook Inlet, Prince William Sound and Chinook Lagoon.
There is a growing sport fishery for sockeye salmon throughout the state, most notably in the Russian and Kasilof rivers on the Kenai Peninsula and various river systems within Bristol Bay. Subsistence users harvest sockeye salmon in many areas of the state, principally in the Bristol Bay area.
For salmon, whose life cycles occur in both fresh and salt waters, the ocean provides the abundant food required for rapid growth. In turn, these native fish return to streams where they themselves provide a rich food source for two of Alaska's most famous predators. Both eagles and bears feed substantially on salmon during their spawning runs. In Southeast Alaska, bald eagles congregate wherever salmon are spawning. The largest such concentration occurs on the Chilkat River near Haines.
Alaska's bears are also found feeding at salmon streams, generally in mid to late summer. Both brown bears and black bears feed on spawning salmon, but normally they are not seen feeding together.
Even spawned-out salmon that die and are not eaten by bears and eagles enter the aquatic food chain and contribute to the life cycle of future generations of salmon. As Salmon decompose, rich nutrients return to the rivers and streams and provide a source of food for invertebrates which, in turn, provide a food source for next year's salmon.
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Trophy fish certificates are issued by the department
to give special recognition to anglers taking fish that meet minimum weight qualifications
for each species.
Honorary trophy fish certificates and a patch will be issued to entrants who catch and release trophy qualifying fish of specific species.
1. ENTRIES MUST MEET MINIMUM WEIGHT QUALIFICATIONS AND MUST BE WEIGHED ON A CURRENTLY
CERTIFIED SCALE.
The scale must be certified annually by the Division of Weights and Measures. Weighing must occur in the presence of witnesses and a Trophy Fish Official who sign the affidavit. Division of Sport Fish biologists may also serve as Trophy Officials. At least one witness is mandatory.
2. The entrant must sign the affidavit in the presence of a Trophy Fish
Official. Trophy Fish Officials have
been designated at numerous locations throughout Alaska: for a list of the Trophy Fish
Officials in your area, contact your local ADF&G office. An updated list of officials
will be posted and linked to this page for 1997.
3. Length measurements must be straight line measurements from the tip of
the snout to the tip of the tail.
4. Halibut entries may also qualify by meeting a minimum length requirement of 84 inches.
The fish must be measured in the presence of a Trophy Fish Official. Halibut not weighed
on a certified scale will not be considered for state or annual records.
5. The entrant must submit an original affidavit no later than January 31 of the year
following the catch to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Division of Sport Fish, PO
Box 25526, Juneau, AK 99802-5526. Trophy Certificate forms are available from Fish and
Game offices and are printed on the back of all Alaska Sport Fishing Regulation Summaries.
Correspondence concerning your entry should be directed to the above address. Please
notify ADF&G of any change of address to ensure delivery of your certificate.
6. ADF&G reserves the right to check fish identification or to refuse any
questionable affidavits. Decisions of the department are final.
7. Fish must be hooked and played by only one angler. Assistance is permissible in landing
or boating the fish.
8. Fish must be legally caught in compliance with current ADF&G sport fishing
regulations. A current sport fishing license and any applicable tags or harvest record
requirements must be met. Fish caught from waters not open to the public are not eligible.
9. A separate affidavit form must be completed in full and submitted for each entry.
Incomplete forms may disqualify entrants.
10. A clear photograph, showing a close-up side view of the fish must accompany each
entry form. A size-reference object must be included in the picture. The
photograph will not be returned: it becomes the property of the department and may be used
in information releases or posted on the Trophy Fish Gallery.
Trophy fish certificates for catch-and-release and
a patch are issued to entrants who catch-and-release resident fish of trophy size. Species
considered for Trophy Catch-and Release certificates are Arctic char/Dolly Varden, Arctic
grayling, brook trout, cutthroat trout, lake trout, rainbow trout, or sheefish. In order
to reduce additional handling of the fish, entrants should estimate its length instead of
actually measuring it. A clear photograph showing a closeup side view of the fish
(preferably in the water) must accompany each entry form. Photographs may be posted on the
Trophy Fish Gallery.
Entries exhibiting any indication of improper handling or injury in the
photograph will be disqualified. At least one witness is mandatory.
Minimum lengths for catch-and-release certificates:
Visit the Trophy Fish Gallery for
photographs of some trophy fish and anglers.
Visit Alaska State Records for
minimum weights of species and current state records.
Information and some images provided by the Alaska Department of Fish & Game
Jeff@JohnnysEastRiverLodge.com
or click below