Koktuli River Drainage
The rule for this water, with the receipt.
Special regulations modifying the Bristol Bay area defaults, as the 2026 book words them
Bristol Bay area County · River · AK
The rules for this water, verbatimOfficial text
Straight from AK's official regulations. Rules in force today lead; out-of-season rows are dimmed. Nothing is paraphrased. Not legal advice: verify the posted rules at the water.
- Open year-round to sport fishing for species other than king salmon.
- May 1-July 24: Open to king salmon fishing.
- Only unbaited, single-hook, artificial lures or flies may be used year-round.
Bristol Bay area (Southwest Region) rules (base layer)
Area waters: All fresh waters draining into Bristol Bay between Cape Menshikof and Cape Newenham, and all salt waters east of a line from Cape Newenham to Cape Menshikof.
- Fishing is open year-round for all species unless otherwise noted below or in special regulations.
| Species | Bag limit | Size and specifications | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| King Salmon | 3 per day, 3 in possession | May 1-July 31: Open to king salmon fishing. There is an annual limit of 5 king salmon 20 inches or longer in Bristol Bay salt and fresh waters combined. Of those 5 total king salmon, no more than 4 may be harvested from the Nushagak/ Mulchatna River Drainage, and no more than 2 may be harvested from the Wood River Drainage. If you retain a king salmon 20 inches or longer, you must immediately record that harvest. See page 4 for recording instructions. Fresh Waters: 20 inches or longer: 3 per day, 3 in possession, only 1 of which may be 28 inches or longer. Less than 20 inches: 10 per day, 10 in possession. King salmon removed from the water must be retained. Any king salmon removed from the fresh water drainages of Bristol Bay from Salt Waters: 3 per day, 3 in possession, only 2 of which may be 28 inches or longer. King salmon removed from the water must be retained. Any king salmon removed from the salt water of Bristol Bay from Cape Menshikof to Cape Newenham MUST BE RETAINED and becomes part of the bag limit of the person who originally hooked it. If you intend to release a king salmon, you may not remove it from the water before releasing it. | Open year-round |
| Chum, Coho, Pink, & Sockeye Salmon (Combo) | 5 per day, 5 in possession | 5 per day, 5 in possession, no size limit. | Open year-round |
| Arctic Char/Dolly Varden (Combo) | 3 per day, 3 in possession | June 8-October 31: Open to Arctic char/Dolly Varden fishing. 3 per day, 3 in possession, no size limit. November 1-June 7: Open to Arctic char/Dolly Varden fishing. 10 per day, 10 in possession, no size limit. | Open year-round |
| Rainbow Trout | 2 per day, 2 in possession | June 8-October 31: Open to rainbow trout fishing. 2 per day, 2 in possession, only 1 of which may be 20 inches or longer. November 1-June 7: Open to rainbow trout fishing. 5 per day, 5 in possession, only 1 of which may be 20 inches or longer. | Open year-round |
| Arctic Grayling | 2 per day, 2 in possession | 2 per day, 2 in possession, no size limit. | Open year-round |
| Lake Trout | 4 per day, 4 in possession | 4 per day, 4 in possession, no size limit. | Open year-round |
| Northern Pike | No limit | 5 per day, 5 in possession, only 1 of which may be 30 inches or longer. 15 per day, 15 in possession, no size limit. February 1-December 31: Open to halibut fishing. Unguided anglers: 2 per day, 4 in possession. Consult federal regulations for the following: Bag, possession and size limits, and other regulations for guided (charter) anglers. Filleting requirements for fish cleaned at sea: No person shall possess on board a vessel, including charter vessels and pleasure crafts used for fishing, Pacific halibut that have been filleted, mutilated, or otherwise disfigured in any manner, except that each Pacific halibut may be cut into no more than 2 ventral pieces, 2 dorsal pieces, and 2 cheek pieces, with a patch of skin on each piece, naturally attached. No limit. | Open year-round |
ADF&G 2026 Southwest book - Bristol Bay · Captured in the state's own words; checked against the source July 4, 2026.
How this answer was assembled
- StatewideStatewide river rules are the base layer: default season, gear, bait, and limits.
- This waterSpecial rules written for this exact water replace the statewide defaults where they speak.
- Emergency orderEmergency orders in effect today override everything else. They sync quietly when the phone has coverage and never lock you out of the app.
Where this stretch begins and ends
The drawn shape is the named water, matched from the official list against OpenStreetMap and accepted only because the name resolved to a single feature in this water's county.
Different sections of this water can have different rules. The exact section boundaries are not marked on the map yet; each rule above describes in plain words where it starts and ends, and that written description is the authoritative boundary. Map boundaries come water by water, never as a guess.
Season at a glanceDerived
Sampled mid-month from the dated rows; short windows can slip between samples. The rows above are authoritative.
At the water nowContext
Forecast: National Weather Service. Flow: nearest active USGS gauge in this water's area, which may sit on a different reach. Conditions are context, not rules.
What are you fishing for here?Advice
Pick from the species named in Koktuli River Drainage's rules. Setups are checked against the gear rules in force today, and your picks are remembered on this device only. These are rule-aware suggestions, not a claim about what is biting; advice, not law, and the rules above govern.
Receipts
Local services near Koktuli River Drainage
Tackle shops, guides, and boat launches that serve this water will appear here - a separate lane below the rules, so a local business can reach you without ever getting between you and the regulation.
Run a shop or guide service on Koktuli River Drainage? Get listed.