An area immediately off the mouth of Auke Creek will be closed to snagging and attempted snagging from midnight on Friday, June 24 through Wednesday, August 31.

The ban will be in effect inside of a boundary line that goes from Auke Bay Laboratory’s boat dock, south to the two orange floating markers that mark the location of the University of Alaska’s saltwater intake pipe, and then on to an Alaska Department of Fish and Game regulatory sign located on the Fritz Cove Road shoreline, about 200 yards from the mouth of Auke Creek.

This action is taken to protect adult sockeye salmon returning to the waters of the Auke Lake drainage. Anglers fishing or snagging for hatchery-released king salmon near the mouth of Auke Creek inadvertently snag sockeye salmon, and therefore snagging is prohibited. Fish hooked elsewhere but in the mouth must be released immediately, and the use of weighted hooks and lures, except lures of standard manufacture, and the use of treble hooks with a gap between the point and shank that is larger than one-half inch are also banned.

For more information, call the Division of Sport Fish at 465-4270.