Fisheries Special Actions
A Special Action Request is an out-of-cycle change in a season, harvest limit, or method of harvest. Special Actions are taken when unusual situations arise, such as a significant change in resource abundance that could not reasonably have been anticipated. The Federal Subsistence Board may take a Special Action to restrict, close, open, or reopen the taking of fish and wildlife on Federal public lands and waters. Such actions are taken to ensure the continued viability of a particular fish or wildlife population, to ensure continued subsistence use, or for reasons of public safety. These guidelines and requirements can be found in 36 CFR 242.19 and 50 CFR 100.19.
View informational flyer on submitting a Special Action Request.
The table below contains information on fisheries special actions currently in effect.
Effective Date | Area | Documents | Description |
Effective: July 16, 2025, 12:01 a.m. fall chum and coho salmon closures for the Coastal District and Districts 1, 2, 3, and the Innoko River
| Yukon River | This Temporary Special Action closes the harvest of fall chum and coho salmon for all users in Federal public waters between the latitude of Point Romanof and the latitude of the westernmost point of the Naskonat Peninsula including those waters draining into the Bering Sea (the Coastal District), and Yukon Districts 1, 2, and 3 (including the Innoko River). | |
Effective: July 5, 2025, 8:00 p.m. for Subdistrict 6-A and Kantishna River
| Yukon River | This Emergency Special Action closes the Federal public waters of Yukon Subdistrict 6-A and the Kantishna River to the use of gillnets of any size for all users for a period when the bulk of the Chinook salmon run is projected to be in these sections of the river. | |
Effective: July 9, 2025, 8:00 p.m. for Subdistrict 5-D Lower
Expires: July 26, 2025, 8:00 p.m. for Subdistrict 5-D Lower 8:00 p.m. for Subdistrict 5-D Middle
| Yukon River | This Emergency Special Action closes the Federal public waters of Yukon Subdistrict 5-D to the use of gillnets of any size for all users for a period when the bulk of the Chinook salmon run is projected to be in these sections of the river. | |
Effective: July 3, 2025, 8 p.m. Subdistrict 5-ABC
Expiration: July 20, 2025, 8 p.m., unless superseded by subsequent special action. | Yukon River | Emergency Special Action closing the Federal public waters of Yukon Subdistrict 5-ABC to the use of gillnets of any size for a period when the bulk of the Chinook salmon runs is projected to be in these river sections. | |
Effective: June 29,2025, 8 p.m., for Subdistrict 4-BC and Koyukuk River
Expiration: July 16, 2025, 8 p.m. unless superseded by subsequent special action. | Yukon River | This Emergency Special Action closes Federal public waters of Yukon Subdistrict 4-BC and the Koyukuk River to gillnet use of any size for a period when the bulk of Chinook salmon run is projected to be in these areas and adds an additional gear restriction to the subsistence harvest and retention of Chinook and summer chum salmon. | |
Effective: June 27, 2025 at 8 p.m. for Y5-D Lower June 30, 2025 at 8 p.m. for Y5-D Middle July 02, 2025 at 8 p.m. for Y5-D Upper
Expires: December 31, 2025 at 8 a.m., unless superseded by subsequent special action.
| Yukon River | This Temporary Special Action closes the Federal public waters of Yukon Subdistrict 5-D to the subsistence harvest and retention of Chinook and summer chum salmon to all users. | |
Effective: June 18, 2025 at 12:01am
Expires: August 16, 2025 at 12:01 a.m., unless superseded by subsequent special action or rescinded | Buskin River | This Emergency Special Action liberalizes the Federal public waters of Buskin River mouth area for Sockeye Salmon to include gillnet as an allowable gear type near the city of Kodiak. | |
Effective: 12:01 a.m. June 17, 2025
Expires: 11:59 p.m., October 31, 2025, unless superseded by subsequent special action | Taku River | This Temporary Special Action establishes the Federal subsistence salmon fishery regulations in the Taku River for the 2025 season. | |
Effective: 12:01 a.m. June 20, 2025
Expires: 11:59 p.m. August 18, 2025, unless superseded by subsequent special action | Chignik River | This Emergency Special Action closes all Federal public waters in the Chignik River drainage to subsistence fishing for Chinook Salmon upstream of the Chignik River weir operated by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. | |
Effective: June 25, 2025, 8:00 p.m. for Subdistrict 6A
8:00 p.m. for Upper Tanana
| Yukon River | This Temporary Special Action closes the Federal public waters of Yukon District 6, which includes the communities of Northway and Nabesna and waters in Denali National Park, Tetlin National Wildlife Refuge, and Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve. | |
Effective: 8:00 p.m., Monday, June 23, 2025, for Subdistrict 4A-Lower;
8:00 p.m., June 27, 2025, for Subdistrict 4A-Upper
Expires: N/A
| Yukon River | This Emergency Special Action closes the Federal public waters of Yukon Subdistrict 4A to the use of gillnets of any size. | |
Effective: 8:00 p.m. June 21, 2025, for District 3,
8:00 p.m. June 23, 2025, for Innoko River,
Expires 8:00 p.m. July 8th, 2025, for District 3
8:00 p.m. July 10, 2025, for Innoko River, unless superseded by subsequent special action | Yukon River | Federal public waters of Yukon District 3 and the Innoko River will be closed to the use of gillnets of any size for a period when the bulk of the Chinook salmon run is projected to be in these sections of the river. | |
Effective: 8:00 p.m. June 20, 2025, for Subdistrict 5-ABC
Expires: 8:00 a.m. Dec. 31, 2025, unless superseded by subsequent special action | Yukon River | Federal public waters of Yukon Subdistrict 5-ABC will be closed to the subsistence harvest and retention of Chinook and summer chum salmon to all users. | |
Effective: 8:00 p.m. June 16, 2025, for Coastal District and District 1
8:00 p.m. June 18, 2025, for District 2
Expiration: 8:00 p.m. July 3, 2025 for Coastal District and District 1
8:00 p.m. July 5, 2025 for District 2, unless superseded by subsequent special action | Yukon River | Emergency Special Action closes the Federal public waters between the latitude of Point Romanof and the latitude of the westernmost point of the Naskonat Peninsula including those waters draining into the Bering Sea (the Coastal District), and Federal public waters of Yukon Districts 1 and 2 to the use of gillnets of any size for a period when the bulk of the Chinook salmon run is projected to be in these sections of the river. All gillnets must be removed from the water during this gillnet closure period. | |
Effective: 8:00 p.m., June 16, 2025, for Subdistrict 4-BC
8:00 p.m., June 20, 2025, for Koyukuk River Drainage
Expires: 8:00 a.m. Dec. 31, 2025, unless superseded by subsequent special action
| Yukon River | Federal public waters of Yukon Subdistrict 4-BC will be closed to the subsistence harvest and retention of Chinook and summer chum salmon to all users. | |
Effective: 8:00 p.m., June 11, 2025 for District 4-A Lower
8:00 p.m., June 14, 2025 for District 4-A Upper
Expires: 8:00 a.m., December 31, 2025, unless superseded by special action | Yukon River | Federal public waters of Yukon Subdistrict 4-A will be closed to the subsistence harvest and retention of Chinook and summer chum salmon. | |
Effective: 8:00 p.m., June 7, 2025 for District 3
8:00 p.m., June 9, 2025, for Innoko River
Expires: 8:00 a.m. Dec. 31, 2025, unless superseded by special action | Yukon River | Federal public waters of the Yukon District 3, will be closed to the subsistence harvest and retention of Chinook and summer chum salmon. | |
Effective: 8:00 p.m., June 1, 2025 for Coastal District and District 1 8:00 p.m., June 3, 2025, for District 2
Expires: 8:00 a.m. Dec. 31, 2025, unless superseded by special action | Yukon River | The Federal public waters will be closed between the latitude of Point Romanof and the latitude of the westernmost point of the Naskonat Peninsula including those waters draining into the Bering Sea (the Coastal District), and Federal waters of Yukon districts Y-1 and Y-2 to the subsistence harvest and retention of Chinook and summer chum salmon. | |
Effective: Set gillnet:
Gillnet (drift and/or set): | Kuskokwim River | The Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge (YDNWR) In-Season Manager, announces five gillnet fishing opportunities within the YDNWR boundary in the Kuskokwim River mainstem for Federally qualified subsistence users only. | |
Effective: 12:01 a.m. June 1, 2025
Expires: 11:59 p.m. July 30, 2025, unless superseded by special action | Situk River | The Situk River will be closed to the harvest of Chinook Salmon due to conservation concerns. The use of bait and gillnets is prohibited in the Situk River when fishing for other species during this closure to minimize the incidental mortality of Chinook Salmon. Incidentally caught Chinook Salmon may not be removed from the water and must be released immediately. | |
Effective: 12:01 a.m. June 1, 2025
Expires: 11:59 p.m. Aug. 31, 2025, unless superseded by special action | federal public waters of the Kuskokwim River | The closure of federal public waters to the use of gill nets and the harvest of Chinook, Chum, and Coho salmon. Gill net opportunities within the main stem Kuskokwim River may be announced. | |
Effective: 12:01 a.m., Thursday, May 15, 2025
Expires: 11:59 p.m. Friday, June 20, 2025, unless superseded by subsequent emergency special action | Stikine River | This Emergency Special Action closes the May 15–June 20, 2025 Federal subsistence Chinook Salmon fishery in the Stikine River. | |
Effective: 12:01 a.m. Saturday, March 01, 2025
Expires: 11:59 a.m. Monday, April 15, 2025, unless superseded by subsequent emergency special action | Ketchikan - District 1 | Federal public waters that flow into District 1 will be closed to the taking of Eulachon except to Federally-qualified subsistence users in the Unuk River drainage. |