Yukon River Drainage and Tanana River Drainage sport fisheries closed to the retention of Chum Salmon effective September 4 09/02/09 Email this story to a friend The Division of Sport Fish is closing all waters of the Yukon River drainage and Tanana River drainage to the retention of chum salmon, effective 12:01 a.m. Friday September 4, 2009. The bag and possession limit for salmon (other than king salmon) will remain 10 fish, with no size limit in the Yukon River drainage and 3 fish, with no size limit in the Tanana River drainage. Estimated passage of fall chum salmon at the Pilot Station sonar through August 29 is 211,432 fish, significantly below the historic average of 644,000 fish for this date. With over 80% of the fall chum salmon run typically in the Yukon River by this date the 2009 run is not projected to achieve the minimum escapement goal of 300,000 fall chum salmon. Consistent with 5 AAC 01.249. Yukon River Drainage Fall Chum Salmon Management Plan (2)(c), when the projected run size is 300,000 chum salmon or less, the commercial, sport, and personal use directed chum salmon fisheries will be closed. In accordance with the management plan, there has been no commercial salmon fishing on the Yukon River since August 5; the Tanana River personal use salmon fisheries will be closed by emergency order on September 2. This action does not prohibit sport fishing for coho salmon in the Yukon River or Tanana River drainages.