Alaska Department of Fish and Game

Tomorrow, anglers on the Russian River will be able to catch up to six sockeye a day and be in possession of 12 — an increase from the current bag limit of three sockeye and possession limit of six.

Mike Booz with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game said the department is limiting and restricting king fisheries amid a downturn in king salmon in Cook Inlet.

The fishery opened last Wednesday under catch and release restrictions. But Fish and Game Sportfish Area Manager Colton Lipka said the run’s been underperforming.

As of Sunday, only 72 large king salmon had passed through the sonar in Soldotna. That’s 200 fewer than the same time last year.

A $132 million package of federal relief funds is heading to Alaska fishermen and researchers to offset what’s known as fishing disasters in the state.

Alaska fishermen could see a record sockeye salmon harvest of 74 million fish this year, most of which will come from Bristol Bay. In Upper Cook Inlet, Fish and Game forecast predicts a commercial harvest of about 2.05 million sockeye.

The beaches at Ninilchik and Clam Gulch have been closed to harvesters since 2015. Officials say recovery of razor clams on the east side of Cook Inlet has been slow since a crash a decade ago.

The decision is the latest in a legal battle dating back to 2016.

Fish and Game has kept the beaches on the east side of Cook Inlet closed to digging since 2015. But the department says improvements in clam abundance at Clam Gulch and Ninilchik could warrant a limited reopening of the fishery.

The department said the policy will give the set-netters the 24 hours they’re allowed to fish during the week while also moving fish into the rivers for dip-netting on the weekends.