State sportfish biologists closed Chilkoot River to retention of sockeye salmon this week, in the wake of low escapement of mature fish into Chilkoot Lake.
Through July 15, 4,355 sockeye had passed Chilkoot weir, compared to a 10-year average of 12,962 in escapement by the same week. “The probability of making minimum escapement (of 38,000) is not very good,” said Brian Elliott, assistant area management biologist for Alaska Department of Fish and Game’s Division…