All king salmon fishing, including fishing for hatchery salmon or catch and release fishing, will be closed on the Kasilof River starting Monday, the State Department of Fish and Game announced Thursday.

An advisory announcement from the department says that the emergency order is being issued to protect returning king salmon, citing weak returns.

The daily count of king salmon at nearby Crooked Creek shows that only 162 fish have been counted this year, with counting having begun on June 20. On the Kenai River, 520 kings have been counted since July 1, far below counts observed in each of the last four years.

All sport fishing for king salmon is closed on the Kasilof River from Monday through the end of the month. King salmon caught while fishing for other species also may not be removed from the water; they must be immediately released. Additionally, from the river’s mouth to the outlet of Tustumena Lake, fishers are restricted to one unbaited, single-hook artificial lure for the same period under the emergency order.

The announcement also notes that Crooked Creek is closed to sport fishing until Aug. 1.

“King salmon runs across the Kenai Peninsula are significantly below preseason and inseason expectations,” says Area Management Biologist Phill Stacey in the announcement. “Regulatory restrictions and closures have been issued across peninsula king salmon sport fisheries. In an effort to maximize achieving the escapement goal for Crooked Creek wild king salmon, it is warranted to close king salmon fishing on the Kasilof River to ensure adequate escapement of Kasilof River late-run king salmon.”

For more information about fishing regulations and opportunity, visit adfg.alaska.gov.

Reach reporter Jake Dye at jacob.dye@peninsulaclarion.com.