The Alaska Department of Fish and Game’s Division of Sport Fish will be accepting public comment on its 2023 Statewide Stocking Plan for Sport Fisheries until the end of the month.

A press release from the division said that it plans to release around 7 million fish for each of the next five years “to benefit anglers.”

The 2023 Stocking Plan outlines the locations, numbers, sizes and life stages for each species of fish that will be stocked.

Statewide Stocking Coordinator Summer Woods is quoted in the release, saying, “Public input is important to the Division as we finalize the Statewide Stocking Plan for 2023. The Division commits a significant portion of the annual budget toward stocking fish throughout the state. Hearing from anglers is a critical piece of the fisheries management process and we welcome your comments on the plan”

The plan is available for view on the division’s webpage and hard copies are available at local fish and game offices.

In the Southcentral Region, the stocking plan outlines efforts to enhance and reconstruct chinook returns in areas like the Kasilof River, Crooked Creek, Kachemak Bay. It also details stocking plans for nearly 30 Kenai Peninsula lakes, including John Hedberg Lake, Longmere Lake, Elephant Lake, Scout Lake, Sport Lake and others.

The full report can be found here.

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