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King salmon have moved into local waters and are being caught at the traditional fishing spots. According to the second week of our creel survey, the Picnic Cove/Outer Point area was the most productive, followed by the Breadline and Auke Bay.

Last week, it took the average Juneau area marine boat angler 120 rod hours to harvest a king, similar to the prior week's 133 rod hours. Last year it took 126 rod hours and the five-year average was 48 rod hours per fish. King salmon fishing will improve in the coming weeks, and should peak around Memorial Day. Remember, anglers must have in possession a 2009 fishing license and a king salmon stamp.

The following 2009 sport fishing regulations for king salmon in Southeast Alaska and Yakutat will be effective April 2.

Alaska residents have the bag and possession limit of two king salmon 28 inches or greater in length, with no annual limit.

Nonresidents have the bag and possession limit of one king salmon 28 inches or greater in length with an annual limit of three king salmon 28 inches or greater in length.

Please check online or call the sport fish office for the full king salmon regulation, in addition to the most current lingcod and rockfish News Releases.

Also, effective from April 25-June 30 in the marine waters of District 11 around Juneau, king salmon sport fishing regulations have been liberalized. Please check the news release for areas and specific regulations.

The Department of Fish and Game reminds anglers that, beginning April 27, 2009, marine boat anglers possessing sport caught king and coho salmon, lingcod or non-pelagic rockfish may not fillet, mutilate, or de-head these fish until the fish have been offloaded, unless they are preserved or have been consumed onboard. Gutting and gilling is allowed. Once you offload at port, you may head and/or fillet your catch. This restriction allows our creel survey crew at the docks to check for coded-wire-tags and collect biological information.

Please consult your sport fishing regulation booklet for further specifics on regulations and fisheries in the Juneau area. A complete list of news releases can be found on the State of Alaska Sport Fish web site: sf.adfg.state.ak.us/statewide/eonr/index.cfm

For further information concerning sport fishing opportunities, current regulations and news releases in the Juneau area, please call the Division of Sport Fish at (907) 465-4270.