Alaska salmon limits depend on the species, drainage, river section and date: a daily bag limit controls what you keep that day, a possession limit controls what you hold, and an annual limit applies across the specified fisheries for the year. Gear rules are separate restrictions. In 2026, ADF&G emergency orders closed directed wild king salmon fishing in Northern Cook Inlet and prohibited coho retention in the Susitna drainage and qualifying coho retention in the Little Susitna during the periods described below.
Daily, possession and annual limits
A daily bag limit is the maximum number of fish you may retain during a day under the applicable rule. A possession limit governs fish in your possession, so yesterday’s retained catch matters alongside today’s. A possession allowance does not increase the daily bag.
A combined limit covers the named species together. If chum, coho and sockeye share a limit, each retained fish uses part of that allowance; each species does not receive a separate bag. A species-specific restriction can further reduce what the combined allowance permits.
ADF&G’s 2026 Susitna regulations specify a combined annual limit of five king salmon measuring 20 inches or longer across the listed Cook Inlet areas, including the Susitna drainage and Knik Arm. The same booklet requires immediate recording of retained kings of that size. That annual allowance did not authorize king fishing during the 2026 closures; verify with ADF&G on its emergency order page before fishing.
Removing a fish can require retention
Under ADF&G’s 2026 Susitna regulations, a king salmon measuring 20 inches or longer removed from the water must be retained and counts toward the bag of the person who hooked it. A coho measuring 16 inches or longer removed from fresh water must also be retained and counted. Lifting a fish for a photograph can therefore have consequences beyond handling stress.
A retention requirement does not override a closure. ADF&G’s 2026 Little Susitna king order requires incidental kings to be released immediately without leaving the water, and the applicable 2026 coho orders also require release without removal. Keep a fish in the water while resolving identification; the salmon identification guide explains useful distinguishing features.
The measurement convention is specific to the rule. ADF&G’s 2026 Unit 1 and Unit 5 combined chum, coho and sockeye limits specify fish measuring 16 inches or longer; the Unit 2 combined-limit wording does not state that threshold. The Little Susitna’s 2026 stop-fishing rule also specifies salmon measuring 16 inches or longer. Do not turn those provisions into a universal counting rule; verify with ADF&G in the applicable booklet and emergency orders.
What legal-gear terms mean
Read gear terms together. Permission to use an artificial lure does not establish that bait, additional hooks or a particular hook configuration is allowed. A fly remains subject to the applicable hook and bait restrictions.
- Bait: material used to attract fish by scent or taste; check the booklet’s definition before adding scent or other attractants to a lure.
- Multiple hooks: More than a single hook under the applicable gear provision; inspect the entire rig.
- Single-hook: A restriction on hook configuration, not merely the number of lures attached.
- Unbaited artificial lure: A manufactured lure used without bait.
- Fly: An artificial fly subject to the river’s gear restrictions.
- Hook gap: The opening between the hook point and shank; a gap restriction is separate from hook count.
ADF&G’s 2026 Deshka booklet provisions allow bait and multiple hooks in the lower section from June 1 through August 31, subject to orders. The 2026 Little Susitna booklet instead lists August 6 through September 30 for bait and multiple hooks below the Parks Highway. Those calendars cannot be transferred between rivers; verify with ADF&G in the relevant booklet and emergency orders.
Hook-gap restrictions can be narrower still. Little Susitna Emergency Order 2-KS-2-11-26 required one unbaited, single-hook artificial lure with a gap of one-half inch or less during its May 1 through July 13, 2026 effective period. The booklet’s general provisions also set out how fish may be taken, so read them before improvising with unfamiliar methods.
Compare the river and unit before counting fish
This table separates booklet allowances from later restrictions. All booklet entries come from ADF&G’s 2026 Susitna or Knik Arm regulations, before emergency orders. Read the 2026 Susitna regulations for section boundaries and exceptions.
| Unit or river | Chum, coho and sockeye booklet allowance | 2026 order note |
|---|---|---|
| Unit 1: Deshka | Fish 16 inches or longer: 3 daily, 6 in possession, combined. | Order 2-SS-2-47-26 prohibited coho retention from August 19 through December 31 unless superseded. |
| Unit 2: Parks Highway streams | Unstocked lakes and flowing waters: 3 daily, 3 in possession, combined; only 2 may be coho. | Order 2-SS-2-47-26 prohibited coho retention from August 19 through December 31 unless superseded. |
| Unit 5: Talkeetna | Fish 16 inches or longer: 3 daily, 3 in possession, combined. | Order 2-SS-2-47-26 prohibited coho retention from August 19 through December 31 unless superseded. |
| Little Susitna | See the Knik Arm booklet. | Order 2-SS-2-48-26 prohibited retention of coho 16 inches or longer from August 19 through December 31 unless superseded. |
Verify with ADF&G on its regulations and emergency order pages before using any table entry. Stream exceptions and subsequent orders can change the applicable allowance.
Emergency orders override the booklet
ADF&G’s April 22, 2026 announcement, Emergency Order 2-F-H-04-26, closed directed sport and commercial wild king salmon fisheries in Northern Cook Inlet for the season. The 2026 Susitna and Knik Arm booklets also identify the relevant king closures. Historical limits and gear permissions do not authorize targeting closed species.
Susitna Emergency Order 2-SS-2-47-26 also restricted flowing waters in the named units to unbaited artificial lures during its effective period. Little Susitna Order 2-SS-2-48-26 imposed an unbaited-artificial-lure restriction below the Parks Highway from August 19 through September 30, 2026. The emergency order guide explains how to read overlapping restrictions.
Emergency orders can change anything in the regulations booklet at short notice. Verify with ADF&G on its official emergency order page. This guide is not legal advice.
Check before making a cast
Complete this check at the river, before assembling the rig. Confirm the applicable license and king salmon stamp requirements separately.
- Identify the drainage, unit and river section.
- Read general rules and section-specific exceptions.
- Check emergency orders and effective periods.
- Confirm species, daily allowance and possession allowance.
- Inspect bait, hooks and any gap restriction.
- Check whether retaining a bag ends further fishing.
- Prepare to release restricted fish without removing them from the water.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a larger possession allowance let me keep more today?
No. The daily bag still limits that day’s retained catch, while the possession limit applies separately.
Can I photograph a coho before releasing it?
Keep it in the water. The applicable 2026 Susitna and Little Susitna coho orders required immediate release without removal; verify with ADF&G on its emergency order page.
Does an annual king allowance permit catch-and-release fishing?
No. An annual retention allowance does not authorize targeting kings during a closure, including catch-and-release where prohibited.
Is bait permission the same throughout the valley?
No. River sections and seasonal provisions differ, and emergency orders can further restrict gear. Verify with ADF&G in the applicable regulations booklet and emergency orders before using bait.