The China Poot Creek dipnet fishery opens today (July 1).
The personal use dipnet fishery is open to all Alaska residents with an ADF-and-G sportsfishing license, but no permit is required.
The lakes above China Poot Bay are stocked with sockeye salmon by the Cook Inlet Aquaculture Association. Fish that elude the commercial harvest are available for personal use harvest.
The fishery is restricted to China Poot Creek, between the ADF-and-G regulatory markers. There is a bag and possession limit of six sockeye salmon, which may be taken through August 7. King, pink, chum, and coho salmon may not be retained or possessed, and must be released immediately and returned to the water unharmed if caught.
It’s important to "mark" salmon harvested in the personal use fishery by clipping both tips of the tail fin. Fish and Game suggests scissors or shears. The salmon must be marked before they are concealed from plain view, such as put in a cooler, or before the salmon is transported from the fishing site. Failure to mark the salmon is a violation, and may be subject to fines and loss of future personal use fishing privileges.
According to Fish and Game, the sockeye salmon generally return to China Poot Creek by July 1, with the typical peak of the run between July 18 and July 31. China Poot Bay is located approximately four miles southeast of the Homer Spit, across Kachemak Bay. There is no road access.