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.