All of Blind Slough, near Petersburg, is open to sport fishing for king salmon as of July 18.
The state Department of Fish and Game announced the move Friday, which extends the area that sport anglers can fish and increases the amount they can harvest.
King salmon travel up the freshwater slough to return to the Crystal Lake Hatchery, which uses the fish to produce the next generation.
This year’s return is stronger than expected, “well over” the preseason projection of 2,300 fish, according to Friday’s announcement.
Enough hatchery kings have made it back, leading to more fishing opportunity.
Residents can take up to three king salmon daily. Original state regulations capped residents at two kings per day.
Nonresidents can also catch more fish — up to two kings per day, with no annual limit. Nonresidents were originally limited to one fish a day, and just two total per year.
There is a regulatory line across Blind River Rapids, just downstream of the hatchery. Anglers normally can’t fish past that line in order to allow the chance for hatchery kings to return. Now that the hatchery has met its numbers, the upstream area is open.
Sport fishing in the Wrangell Narrows/Blind Slough Terminal Harvest Area closes by regulation on August 15.
