There were lots of salmon caught Saturday on the Kuskokwim River, but not many were kings.
The numbers indicate that 447 drift boats and dozens of set nets lined the federal waters from the mouth of the Kuskokwim to Aniak, netting king, red, and chum salmon during Saturday's half-day gillnet opening.
Fishermen harvested about 33,470 salmon from these federal waters. Chum marked the biggest catch at an estimated 20,410 fish, followed by reds at 8,500, and kings at 4,560.
These estimates come from a collaboration between the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Bethel Orutsararmiut Native Council, the Kuskokwim River Inter-Tribal Fisheries Commission, and the Bering Sea Fishermen’s Association.
Fishery managers say that chum and red salmon are running strong on the Kuskokwim this season. Both are tracking along the state’s 10-year historical average. Meanwhile, the kings are running below average and could see their lowest run on record.
