5 AAC 67.020 - General provisions for seasons and bag, possession, annual, and size limits for the Bristol Bay Area

Except as otherwise provided in 5 AAC 67.022, 5 AAC 67.025, or by an emergency order issued under AS 16.05.060, the seasons and bag, possession, annual, and size limits for finfish and shellfish in the Bristol Bay Area are as follows:

(1) king salmon:

(A) in fresh waters, as follows:

(i) 20 inches or greater in length; may be taken only from May 1 through July 31; bag and possession limit of three fish, of which only one fish may be 28 inches or greater in length; annual limit of five fish 20 inches or greater in length taken in combination from fresh waters and salt waters; a harvest record is required as specified in 5 AAC 75.006;

(ii) less than 20 inches in length; may be taken from January 1 through December 31; bag and possession limit of 10 fish;

(B) in salt waters: may be taken only from May 1 through July 31; bag and possession limit of three fish, of which only two fish may be 28 inches or greater in length; annual limit of five fish 20 inches or greater in length taken in combination from fresh waters and salt waters; a harvest record is required as specified in 5 AAC 75.006;

(C) a king salmon removed from the water shall be retained and becomes part of the bag limit of the person originally hooking it; a person may not remove a king salmon from the water before releasing the fish;

(2) salmon, other than king salmon: may be taken from January 1 through December 31; bag and possession limit of five fish; no size limit;

(3) rainbow/steelhead trout: may be taken

(A) from June 8 through October 31; bag and possession limit of two fish, of which only one fish may be over 20 inches in length;

(B) from November 1 through June 7; bag and possession limit of five fish, of which only one fish may be over 20 inches in length;

(4) Arctic char/Dolly Varden, may be taken

(A) from June 8 through October 31; bag and possession of three fish; no size limit;

(B) from November 1 through June 7; bag and possession limit of 10 fish; no size limit;

(5) Arctic grayling: may be taken from January 1 through December 31; bag and possession limit of two fish; no size limit;

(6) lake trout: may be taken from January 1 through December 31; bag and possession limit of four fish; no size limit;

(7) northern pike: may be taken from January 1 through December 31; bag and possession limit of five fish, of which only one fish may be over 30 inches in length;

(8) burbot: may be taken from January 1 through December 31; bag and possession limit of 15 fish; no size limit;

(9) halibut: may be taken only from February 1 through December 31; bag limit of two fish and possession limit of four fish; no size limit;

(10) sharks: may be taken only as specified in 5 AAC 75.012;

(11) king crab: may be taken only from June 1 through January 31; bag and possession limit of six crab; male crab only; minimum size limit is six and one-half inches carapace width; a shellfish harvest recording form is required as specified in 5 AAC 75.016;

(12) Tanner crab: may be taken from January 1 through December 31; bag and possession limit of 12 crab; male crab only; minimum size limit is five and one-half inches carapace width; a shellfish harvest recording form is required as specified in 5 AAC 75.016;

(13) Dungeness crab: may be taken from January 1 through December 31; bag and possession limit of 12 crab; male crab only; minimum size limit is six and one-half inches carapace width; a shellfish harvest recording form is required as specified in 5 AAC 75.016;

(14) other finfish and shellfish not specified in this section: no bag, possession, or size limits.

Notes

5 AAC 67.020

In effect before 1983; am 4/3/83, Register 85; am 4/28/84, Register 90; am 5/11/85, Register 94; am 5/22/88, Register 106; am 5/29/88, Register 106; am 7/26/90, Register 115; am 9/2/90, Register 115; am 6/19/92, Register 122; am 3/24/95, Register 133; am 4/23/98, Register 146; am 6/14/2001, Register 158; am 4/9/2004, Register 170; am 2/28/2010, Register 193; am 6/1/2013, Register 206; am 2/23/2014, Register 209, April 2014; am 8/27/2016, Register 219, October 2016

Authority:AS 16.05.060

AS 16.05.251