August 26th, 2026 – The chum return is over, and we will be updating the harvest graph information as more updated numbers come in from ADF&G.  Checkout the 2026 harvest season graphs for more detail on the returns.

Chum cost recovery is complete & our goal was met with a total harvest to date of 5.6 million pounds via purse seine vessel. Chum egg take at Macaulay Salmon Hatchery (MSH) started on July 15th. Eggtake was complete on August 2nd , and the goal of 135 million eggs was met. DIPAC took an additional 25M eggs for NSRAA’s Hidden Falls Hatchery.

MSH completed its Chinook eggtake last week, meeting the goal of 1.25 million eggs. MSH staff took an additional 640K Chinook eggs for NSRAA’s programs this week with the remaining Chinook in the hatchery system.

Coho returns to Gastineau Channel are expected to be poor this year. Coho will be returning to MSH over the next few weeks, and the hatchery has begun prioritizing broodstock collection. Collection of coho will occur over the next few weeks and eggtake occurs in mid to late October. See the ADF&G Sportfish E.O. for more details on broodstock protection needs.

The Speel Lake weir was installed in mid July & we have passed 4,150 sockeye to date. The lower bound of the escapement goal was made this week.

Sockeye cost recovery at Snettisham Hatchery started on the 13th of August. We have harvested ~70,000 pounds to date. Based on calendar date, run entry into the hatchery system, catch rates in the Speel Arm SHA, and the ADF&G otolith recoveries in the Common Property fisheries, the Snettisham sockeye run is coming in significantly under forecast to-date, and well below historic average returns. As of August 22nd, the hatchery now has its full broodstock secured for the year. Sockeye egg take does not begin until late September.

This is the last harvest update of the season. The graphs on the website will be updated as more data becomes available.

August 20, 2026 – The chum return is over, and we will be updating the harvest graph information as more updated numbers come in from ADF&G.  Checkout the 2026 harvest season graphs for more detail on the returns.

Chum cost recovery is complete & our goal was met with a total harvest to date of 5.6 million pounds via purse seine vessel. Chum egg take at Macaulay Salmon Hatchery (MSH) started on July 15th. Eggtake was complete on August 2nd , and the goal of 135 million eggs was met. DIPAC took an additional 25M eggs for NSRAA’s Hidden Falls Hatchery.

The Speel Lake weir was installed in mid July & we have passed 3,114 sockeye to date. As of this afternoon, there were a little over 400 sockeye staging in the creek below the weir.

Sockeye cost recovery at Snettisham Hatchery started on the 13th of August. We have harvested 44,000 pounds to date. Based on calendar date, run entry into the hatchery system, and the ADF&G otolith recoveries in the Common Property fisheries, the Snettisham sockeye run is coming in under forecast to-date, and well below historic average returns. With updated numbers from ADF&G, our current return is currently estimated at only 29% of our overall forecast and we should be approximately 88% through the return to date. As of today, the hatchery has yet to secure its full broodstock needed for the year. We’re hopeful to secure broodstock over the next few days based on the slow daily recruitment into the hatchery system. See the new “Total Sockeye Return To-Date” web file for more details.

After weeks of waiting, the Chinook that were staging in front of the hatchery finally rushed up the ladder in the last two weeks. MSH will complete its Chinook eggtake tomorrow. Thank you to the Department of Fish & Game, Sportfish Division for keeping the area in front of the hatchery closed to snagging and sportfishing for Chinook as we likely would not have made our goal without this closure in effect.

Coho are showing up in Gastineau Channel and ~30 coho have come up the MSH ladder. DIPAC has a poor forecast for coho salmon returning this year due to low release numbers of Brood Year (BY) 2023 coho (the parent year for the BY2023 return was mostly lost due to the 2020 landslide). DIPAC has requested restrictions to sport fishing in Gastineau Channel beginning September 1st to protect returning broodstock from near shore harvest and snag wounds making them inviable for use as brood fish. If DIPAC can secure enough broodstock this year, we will be out of this every 3 year low coho return cycle to Gastineau Channel. ADF&G Sport Fish Division will be announcing an Emergency Order soon for the closure area and details.

The next update will be Thursday the 27th of August.

August 13, 2026 –  The chum return is over, and we will be updating the harvest graph information as more updated numbers come in from ADF&G. Checkout the 2026 harvest season graphs for more detail on the returns.

Chum cost recovery is complete & our goal was met with a total harvest to date of 5.6 million pounds via purse seine vessel. Chum egg take at Macaulay Salmon Hatchery started on July 15th. Eggtake was complete on August 2nd , and the goal of 135M eggs was met. DIPAC took an additional 25M eggs for NSRAA’s Hidden Falls Hatchery.

The Speel Lake weir was installed in mid July & we have passed 1,200 sockeye to date.

Cost recovery at Snettisham started today & this is the latest start to a sockeye harvest on record for this facility. The harvest graph on the website will be updated tomorrow with the actual total fish harvested. Based on calendar date, run entry into the hatchery system, and the ADF&G otolith recoveries in the Common Property fisheries, the Snettisham sockeye run is coming in under forecast to-date, and well below historic average returns.

The staff at Macaulay Salmon Hatchery officially secured enough adult Chinook for our broodstock needs & conducted the first eggtake yesterday. Chinook eggtake is on track to be completed in the next two weeks.

DIPAC produced coho are showing up in very small numbers around the Juneau area & DIPAC is predicting a small return. Only one DIPAC tag was picked up in the Golden North Salmon Derby this last weekend. Although there have been recent changes with Chinook tagging at DIPAC, there have been no changes to the DIPAC coho mark/clip rate. Only 7% of the coho produced by DIPAC are adipose fin clipped and coded wire tagged.

The next update will be Thursday, the 20th of August.

 August 6, 2026 – Gillnet chum catch numbers were low as we are at the end of the run. There were no chum samples taken this week. Checkout the 2026 harvest season graphs for more details on the returns. Chum cost recovery via purse seine vessel is now complete for the season. Total harvest was 5.6 million pounds.

Chum egg take at Macaulay Salmon Hatchery started on July 15th & was completed on August 2nd. Our goal of 135M chum eggs was met, and DIPAC assisted NSRAA this week with an additional 25M eggs taken for Hidden Falls Hatchery for the Thomas Bay release site.

The Speel Lake weir has been installed and we have passed 669 sockeye to date.   

Sockeye cost recovery at Snettisham has yet to begin. To date, less than 20 sockeye have entered the hatchery system. Based on calendar date, run entry into the hatchery system, and the ADF&G otolith recoveries in the common property fisheries, the Snettisham sockeye run is coming in under forecast, and well below historic average returns. Cost recovery will begin once there is sufficient run entry into the hatchery system.

DIPAC staff at Macaulay Salmon Hatchery hope to be conducting the first Chinook eggtake sometime next week. A few large schools of Chinook are visible off the hatchery dock, and they are starting to run up the ladder.  We have yet to secure enough for our brood stock needs. We will continue to move fish through the system over the next few weeks to hopefully meet our goal of 1.25 million Chinook eggs by the end of August.

The coho return is projected to be poor, and only one DIPAC tag has been recovered to date in any fishery. See our 2026 coho forecast here. We will be working with the ADF&G Division of Sport Fish for near shore protections of the coho returning to the hatchery to try to ensure broodstock collection for future generations.

DIPAC is having a public celebration of its 50th anniversary as an organization & Wild Alaska Salmon Day this weekend on Sunday, August 9th. If you or your family are in Juneau this weekend, please have them stop by the Macaulay Salmon Hatchery from 10AM to 4PM for behind-the-scenes tours & special deals in the gift shop. Visitation to the hatchery is free on Sunday for all Alaska residents. More information on DIPAC’s 50 years of operation can be seen here.

The next update will be Thursday the 13th of August.

July 30, 2026 – Gillnet chum catch numbers were lower than last week as we are nearing the end of the run. The overall run is tracking to be under the midpoint projection of our preseason forecast of 3 million fish, but we will wait for updated numbers from ADF&G before we can fully analyze the return. Based on calendar date, we are likely around 90% through the DIPAC chum return.

Sample information from the 7/26 gillnet opener is as follows: Lynn Canal  – average weight of 6.7lbs and a sex ratio of 24% male and 76% female. The age comp was 0% - 6's, 19% - 5's, 74% - 4's and 7% - 3's. Taku  – no sample collected. Checkout the 2026 harvest season graphs for more detail on the returns.

Cost recovery at Amalga Harbor started on the 23rd of June & in Gastineau Channel on June 29th. Total harvest to date is approximately 5.5 million pounds. DIPAC has met its goal for chum cost recovery, and the Amalga Harbor THA is open to the seine fleet today for the 5th & final seine opening of the season.

Chum egg take at Macaulay Salmon Hatchery started on 7/15. We have collected 115 million eggs of our 135M egg goal. Eggtake will continue through the weekend.

The Speel Lake weir has been installed and we have passed 44 sockeye to date.  There still are no sockeye entering the hatchery system as of today. Cost recovery will begin once sockeye begin showing up at the hatchery.

There have been no DIPAC coho tags recovered in any commercial or sport fisheries yet this year. On average through Stat Week 30, there are typically ~1,200 coho accounted for through the ADF&G coded wire tag recovery database. DIPAC is projecting a poor coho return. See our 2026 coho forecast here.

The next update will be Thursday the 6th of August.

July 23, 2026 – Gillnet chum catch numbers took a step down this week in both Taku inlet and Lynn Canal. We have now passed the traditional peak of the DIPAC chum run.

Preliminary sample information from the 7/19 gillnet opener is as follows: Lynn Canal - average weight of 6.8 pounds with a sex ratio of 23% male and 77% female. The age comp was 0% - 6's, 11% - 5's, 79% - 4's and 10% - 3's. Taku Inlet – average weight of 6.9 pounds with a sex ratio of 22% male and 78% female. The age comp was 0% - 6's, 20% - 5's, 76% - 4's and 4% - 3's. Checkout the 2026 harvest season graphs for more detail on the returns.

Cost recovery at Amalga Harbor started on the 23rd of June & in Gastineau Channel on June 29th. Total harvest to date is approximately 5.3 million pounds. DIPAC has met its goal for chum cost recovery, and the Amalga Harbor THA is open to the seine fleet today for the 4th seine opening of the season.

Chum egg take at Macaulay Salmon Hatchery started on 7/15. We have collected 56 million eggs to date of our 135M egg goal. Eggtake will continue at a rapid pace over the next two weeks.

The Speel Lake weir is in place, and we have passed 16 sockeye to date. As of this morning, there were no sockeye staging in the creek.

No sockeye have entered the fish ladder at Snettisham Hatchery & very few have been spotted in the areas near the entrance of the ladder. Cost recovery at Snettisham will start once more fish arrive.

There have been no DIPAC coho tags recovered in any commercial or sport fisheries yet this year. On average through Stat Week 29, there are typically ~600 coho accounted for through the ADF&G coded wire tag recovery database. DIPAC is projecting a poor coho return. See our 2026 coho forecast here.

The next update will be Thursday the 30th of July.

July 16, 2026 – Gillnet chum catch numbers began dropping below weekly forecasts in Lynn Canal and in Taku Inlet through the fourth opener of the season.

Sample information for the 7/12 opener is as follows:  Lynn Canal - average weight of 7.4 pounds and a sex ratio of 37% male and 63% female. The age comp was 0% - 6's, 24% - 5's, 74% - 4's and 2% - 3's. Taku Inlet – average weight of 7.2 and sex ratio of 38% male and 62% female. The age comp was 0% - 6's, 24% - 5's, 72% - 4's and 4% - 3's.

 Cost recovery at Amalga Harbor started on the 23rd of June & in Gastineau Channel on June 29th. Total harvest to date is approximately 5 million pounds.

 Chum egg take at Macaulay Salmon Hatchery started on 7/15.  We have collected 15 million eggs to date.

The Speel Lake weir was installed July 14th, and we have passed 0 sockeye to date. The Speel Lake Escapement graph will be updated once we begin to pass fish. Cost recovery at Snettisham will start in the next few weeks dependent on fish presence.

The next update will be Thursday the 23rd of July.

July 9, 2026 – Gillnet chum catch numbers were well above forecast for this stat week in both Lynn Canal & Taku Inlet in the third opener of the season. With updated catch numbers from ADF&G, the Lynn Canal gillnet catch to-date rates are well above overall forecast to date. Taku Inlet is tracking close to the overall forecast to date.

Preliminary sample information for the 7/5 opener is as follows: Lynn Canal - average weight of 8.6 pounds and sex ratio of 52% male and 48% female. The age comp was 0% - 6's, 33% - 5's, 65% - 4's and 2% - 3's. Taku Inlet – average weight of 8.4 pounds and sex ratio of 49% male and 51% female. The age comp was 2% - 6's, 41% - 5's, 58% - 4's and 0% - 3's.

Checkout the 2026 harvest season graphs for more detail on the returns.

Cost recovery at Amalga Harbor started on the 23rd of June. Cost Recovery began in Gastineau Channel on June 29th. Total harvest to date is just over 3.4 million pounds.

Chum egg take at Macaulay Salmon Hatchery will start mid next week.

The Speel Lake weir will be fish tight by July 15th. The Speel Lake Escapement graph will be updated once we begin to pass fish. The ladder is on, and we have seen one adult sockeye to date at Snettisham Hatchery. Checkout the 2026 sockeye forecast for more info on what we expect from this return.

The next update will be Thursday the 16th of July.

July 2, 2026 – Preliminary gillnet chum catch numbers were slightly under forecast in Taku Inlet and slightly above forecast in Lynn Canal for the second opener of the season.

Sample information from the 6/28 gillnet opener is as follows: Lynn Canal - average weight of 8.4 pounds and a sex ratio of 59% male and 41% female. The age comp was 1% - 6's, 34% - 5's, 64% - 4's and 1% - 3's. Taku Inlet/Stephens Passage – average weight of 8.7 pounds and a sex ratio of 61% male and 39% female. The age comp was 4% - 6's, 50% - 5's, 45% - 4's and 1% - 3's. Checkout the 2026 harvest season graphs for more detail on the returns.

Cost recovery at Amalga Harbor started on the 23rd of June & in Gastineau Channel on June 29th. Total harvest to date is 1.3M pounds. Chum cost recovery harvest is ahead of forecast for this date.

The next update will be Thursday, July 9th.

June 25, 2026 – Preliminary chum catch numbers are slightly below forecast for Lynn Canal and above the forecast for Taku Inlet/Stephens Passage for the first opener of the season.

 Sample information from the 6/21 gillnet opener is as follows: Lynn Canal – Average weight of 9 pounds and a sex ratio of 66% male and 34% female. The age comp was 1% - 6's, 36% - 5's, 62% - 4's and 1% - 3's *. Taku Inlet/Stephens Passage – Average weight of 8.9 pounds and a sex ratio of 66% male and 34% female. The age comp was 1% - 6’s, 64% 5’s, 34% - 4’s and 1% - 3’s. Checkout the 2026 harvest season graphs for more detail on the returns.

Cost recovery at Amalga Harbor started on Tuesday June 23rd. We have harvested 160,000 lbs to date. We are keeping a close eye on Gastineau Channel with a tentative plan to start cost recovery sometime next week.

 The next update will be Thursday the 2nd of July.

*These ages have been updated since the original posting.