The following press release is courtesy of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game:
Sport Fishing Closed at Peterson Creek
(Juneau) – The Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Division of Sport Fish announced today that a portion of Peterson Creek, north of Juneau, is closed to sport fishing for all species. The specific restrictions are as follows:
- The waters of Peterson Creek, including Peterson Lagoon, from intertidal waters within a 200-yard radius of the creek’s mouth in salt water to the falls approximately 1.5 miles upstream are CLOSED in sport fishing from April 1 – June 30, 2024 to protect spawning steelhead.
Based on snorkel survey extensions, in years when concurrent weir counts are available, total steelhead production in Peterson Creek has declined in recent years. Over the past 9 years (2015–2023), snorkel survey indices conducted each spring were below the 1997–2014 average of 28 (equivalent to approximately 116 fish), when steelhead abundance in creek looks pretty stable. In 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023 the number of snorkel surveys was 6, 3, 11, 24, 18, and 27 fish, respectively. A conservative approach is required to manage the Peterson Creek steelhead stock during this period of very low escapement.
For more information, please call the Division of Sport Fish Region 1 office in Douglas at 465-4270.
