Salmon Management in the Federal Waters of Cook Inlet (Cook Inlet EEZ)

NMFS is implementing Federal fishery management for all salmon fishing that occurs in the Cook Inlet EEZ Area. NMFS adopted amendment 16 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Salmon Fisheries in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) Off Alaska and published regulations for fishery participants on April 30, 2024. The Cook Inlet EEZ Area is an area of Federal waters located in the Cook Inlet north of a line at 59°46.15′ N (Cook Inlet EEZ Area Maps). Drift gillnet and recreational salmon fishing are permitted within the Cook Inlet EEZ Area, and have historically been managed by the State of Alaska. To comply with rulings from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska, starting in June 2024, NMFS will manage all fishing (commercial and recreational) for sockeye, coho, Chinook, chum, and pink salmon in the Cook Inlet EEZ Area. To learn more about the history of this action, please see the preamble of the final rule. 

If you cannot find what you are looking for, please reach out to one of the contacts listed below. For information on salmon fishing within State waters, please contact the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.

Small Entity Compliance Guide

For frequently asked questions and more details on the new requirements for commercial and recreational fishing in the Cook Inlet EEZ Area, please see the Small Entity Compliance Guide.

Regulations

NMFS published final regulations governing commercial and recreational fishing in the Cook Inlet EEZ Area in the Federal Register on April 30, 2024 and created a small entity compliance guide that provides more information about these new requirements. The final regulations can be found at the eCFR. This rule is effective on May 30, 2024.

Commercial salmon fishing

The 2026 commercial fishing season for the Cook Inlet EEZ Area will open on June 22 and will close on or before August 15. Fishing is allowed only at the following times, unless closed by NOAA Fisheries.

• From the beginning of the fishing season until July 15. 
  • Mondays and Thursdays from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. 
• From July 16 until July 31.
  • Thursdays from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. 
• From August 1 until August 15.
  • Mondays and Thursdays from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. 

Commercial fishing in the Cook Inlet EEZ Area may close before August 15 if a total allowable catch limit for a salmon species is reached and will be announced in an information bulletin. As outlined in the small entity compliance guide, there are new salmon-specific permits required for commercial drift gillnet vessels operating in the Cook Inlet EEZ Area, as well as processors and receivers of that salmon. NMFS will publish all inseason management actions for the Cook Inlet EEZ Area in the Federal Register (see the harvest specifications section below)

Monitoring and Recordkeeping

Commercial salmon fishermen operating in the Cook Inlet EEZ Area are required to follow new monitoring procedures to accurately account for catch and fishing location. 

The Cook Inlet EEZ Salmon Harvest Specifications establish a catch limit (referred to as a Total Allowable Catch or  “TAC”), for each salmon species. NMFS has issued final harvest specifications which can be viewed at NOAA Fisheries’ Cook Inlet Salmon Harvest Specifications.

Recreational salmon fishing

No Federal permits are required to recreationally fish for salmon in the Cook Inlet EEZ Area. However, anglers must comply with Federal regulations while fishing in the Cook Inlet EEZ Area and State of Alaska regulations when landing salmon in Alaska, including bag limits. For additional information about Federal requirements, see 50 C.F.R. 679.119 and the Small Entity Compliance Guide.

More Information