5 AAC 70.011. Seasons and bag, possession, and size limits for the Northwestern Management Area

(a) Except as otherwise specified in this section or through an emergency order issued under AS 16.05.060 , sport fishing is permitted year round in the waters of the Northwestern Management Area;

(b) Except as otherwise specified in (c) of this section, the following are the general bag, possession, and size limits for finfish and shellfish in the waters of the Northwestern Management Area:

(1) king salmon 20 inches or greater in length: the bag and possession limit is one fish;

(2) salmon, other than king salmon: the bag and possession limit is 10 fish, with no size limit;

(3) Arctic char/Dolly Varden and lake trout:

(A) in all lakes: the bag and possession limit is two fish of all species combined, with no size limit;

(B) in all flowing waters and salt waters: the bag and possession limit is 10 fish of all species combined, of which only two fish may be 20 inches or greater in length, and of which only two fish may be lake trout;

(4) Arctic grayling: the bag and possession limit is five fish, with no size limit;

(5) sheefish: the bag and possession limit is 10 fish, with no size limit;

(6) northern pike: the bag and possession limit is 10 fish, with no size limit;

(7) burbot: the bag and possession limit is 15 fish, with no size limit;

(8) halibut: may be taken only from February 1 through December 31; the bag limit is two fish and the possession limit is four fish, with no size limit;

(9) Dungeness crab: the bag and possession limit is 12 male crab, with a 6.5 inches minimum carapace width;

(10) blue and red king crab: the bag and possession limit is six male crab, with no size limit; in the waters south of 60УИ N. lat., male king crab may be taken only from June 1 through January 1;

(11) Tanner crab: the bag and possession limit for C. bairdi and C. opilio Tanner crab, in combination, is 12 male crab; the size limit for C. bairdi Tanner crab is 5.5 inches minimum carapace width; the size limit for C. opilio Tanner crab is 3.1 inches minimum carapace width;

(12) finfish and shellfish species that are not specified in this section: there are no bag, possession, or size limits.

(c) The following are the exceptions to the general bag, possession, and size limits, and fishing seasons specified in (a) and (b) of this section for the Northwest Management Area:

(1) in the Kobuk River drainage, upstream of the mouth of the Mauneluk River, the bag and possession limit for sheefish is two fish, with no size limit;

(2) in the Selawik River drainage, upstream of the mouth of the Tagagawik River, the bag and possession limit for sheefish is two fish, with no size limit;

(3) in Northern Norton Sound, which is described as all waters draining into Norton Sound from Cape Darby to Cape Prince of Wales on the Seward Peninsula, except Salmon Lake, the bag and possession limit for

(A) pink salmon is 10 fish, with no size limit;

(B) coho salmon is three fish, with no size limit;

(D) chum salmon is three fish, with no size limit, except that in all fresh water drainages and the salt waters of Norton Sound between the tip of Cape Rodney and the tip of Topkok Head, including the Sinuk, Cripple, Penny, Snake, Nome, Flambeau, Eldorado, Bonanza, and Solomon Rivers, sport fishing for chum salmon is closed;

(E) Arctic grayling is five fish, of which only one fish may be 15 inches or greater in length;

(4) in the Pilgrim River drainage, including Salmon Lake, the bag and possession limit for Arctic grayling is two fish, of which only one fish may be 15 inches or greater in length;

(5) in Salmon Lake, its tributaries, and the outlet stream 300 feet downstream from the lake outlet, salmon fishing is closed;

(6) in the Nome River drainage, sport fishing for

(A) chum salmon is closed;

(B) Artic graying is closed;

(7) in the Snake River drainage,

(A) sport fishing for chum salmon is closed;

(B) the bag and possession limit for Arctic grayling is two fish, of which only one fish may be 15 inches or greater in length;

(8) in the Solomon River drainage, sport fishing for

(A) chum salmon is closed;

(B) Arctic grayling is closed;

(9) in the Unalakleet River drainage,

(A) the bag and possession limit for king salmon is two fish, of which only one fish may be 20 inches or greater in length;

(B) the annual limit for king salmon 20 inches or greater in length is four fish, of which only two fish may be taken from the North River; an angler fishing for king salmon must possess and complete a current year's nontransferable harvest record as described in 5 AAC 70.024(b) ;

(C) the bag and possession limit for salmon, other than king salmon, is 10 fish, of which only four fish, in combination, may be coho, chum, and sockeye salmon;

(D) a salmon removed from the water must be retained and becomes part of the bag limit of the person originally hooking it; a person may not remove a salmon from the water before releasing it;

(E) the bag and possession limit for Arctic grayling is five fish, of which only one fish may be 15 inches or greater in length.

History: Eff. 5/19/2004, Register 170

Authority: AS 16.05.251

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