Kenai River subsistence rod-and-reel king salmon fishing halted

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says subsistence rod-and-reel fishing in Alaska’s Kenai River will be closed due to low numbers from the early king salmon run.

The Peninsula Clarion reported the rod-and-reel prohibition was scheduled to begin Monday and last through July 15 from the river’s outlet of Skilak Lake.

The agency says king salmon caught while fishing for other species may not be removed from the water and must be released immediately.

The subsistence fishery’s closure is part of an ongoing effort by state and federal fishery managers to conserve the king salmon population in the river.