Section 5 AAC 70.011 - Seasons and bag, possession, and size limits for the Northwestern 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 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 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; the size limit for blue king crab is five inches minimum carapace width; the size limit for red king crab is 4.75 inches minimum carapace width; a shellfish harvest recording form as specified in 5 AAC 75.016 is required;(11) Tanner crab: the bag and possession limit for C. bairdiand C. opilioTanner crab, in combination, is 12 male crab; the size limit for C. bairdiTanner crab is 5.5 inches minimum carapace width; the size limit for C. opilioTanner 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 Northwestern 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;(C) sockeye salmon is three fish, with no size limit;(D) chum salmon is three fish, with no size limit, except that sport fishing for chum salmon is closed in the Penny River and Cripple River;(E) Arctic grayling is two fish with no size limit;(4) in the Pilgrim River drainage, including Salmon Lake, the bag and possession limit for Arctic grayling is one fish with no size limit;(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 (B) Arctic grayling is closed;(7) in the Snake River drainage, (B) the bag and possession limit for Arctic grayling is one fish with no size limit;(8) in the Solomon River drainage, sport fishing for (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 two fish; an angler fishing for king salmon must possess and complete a current year's nontransferable harvest record as described in 5 AAC 75.006;(B) the annual limit for king salmon 20 inches or greater in length is two fish; an angler fishing for king salmon must possess and complete a current year's nontransferable harvest record as described in 5 AAC 75.006;(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.Eff. 5/19/2004, Register 170; am 6/7/2007, Register 182; am 9/12/2008, Register 187; am 3/14/2009, Register 189; am 4/13/2013, Register 206; am 2/23/2014, Register 209, April 2014; am 2/22/2015, Register 213, April 2015; am 5/24/2023, Register 246, July 2023Authority:AS 16.05.060
AS 16.05.251