Latest Coghill River sockeye count: 20 on Jul 25, 2026 (ADF&G, preliminary). 2026 season count: 6,897 fish (Jun 14 – Jul 25).
- Latest daily count
- 20
- Jul 25, 2026
down 7 vs Jul 14 - 2026 season total
- 6,897
- Jun 14 – Jul 25
2025 to the same date: 76,828 - vs 3-year average
- 9%
- of the 2023–2025 average to Jul 25 (76,092)
- Peak day
- 718
- Jul 13, 2026
- 7-day total
- 20
- Jul 19 – Jul 25 (1 day counted)
down 98% vs the 7 days before
Below the goal range
ADF&G SEG goal: 20,000–75,000
2026 passage: 6,897 fish counted through Jul 25. Passage is the fish counted at the site (preliminary), not final escapement.
- 2026
- 2023–2025 average
- SEG goal
- Daily count
Chart data (weekly running totals)
| Date | 2026 running total | 2023–2025 average running total |
|---|---|---|
| Jun 14 | 1 | 0 |
| Jun 21 | 81 | 1,552 |
| Jun 28 | 1,727 | 10,388 |
| Jul 5 | 4,223 | 21,339 |
| Jul 12 | 6,132 | 38,594 |
| Jul 19 | 6,877 | 56,664 |
| Jul 25 | 6,897 | 76,092 |
| Jul 26 | after the latest count | 77,932 |
| Jul 27 | after the latest count | 78,809 |
| Date | Fish counted | Change vs prior count | Season total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 6 | 136 | −315 | 4,359 |
| Jul 7 | 162 | +26 | 4,521 |
| Jul 8 | 462 | +300 | 4,983 |
| Jul 9 | 161 | −301 | 5,144 |
| Jul 10 | 184 | +23 | 5,328 |
| Jul 11 | 231 | +47 | 5,559 |
| Jul 12 | 573 | +342 | 6,132 |
| Jul 13Peak | 718 | +145 | 6,850 |
| Jul 14 | 27 | −691 | 6,877 |
| Jul 25 | 20 | −7 | 6,897 |
| 2026 season total | 6,897 | ||
| 2023–2025 average to the same date | 76,092 | ||
Source: ADF&G daily fish counts, preliminary; ADF&G can revise them. Days with no count above zero are skipped.
Coghill River Sockeye Salmon Fish Counts
Real-time and historical weir counts tracking Sockeye (Red) salmon on the Coghill River—a remote Prince William Sound gem with exceptional runs.
Understanding Coghill River Sockeye Runs
The Coghill River runs from Coghill Lake to salt water in Prince William Sound. Fish are counted at a weir about 1.75 miles upriver from tidewater as they migrate upstream to spawn. This remote fishery often produces strong sockeye runs, leading to liberalized bag limits when escapement goals are exceeded.
🐟 Sockeye Salmon Run (Mid-June – Late July)
The weir typically counts sockeye from mid-June through late July, with peak passage in late June and July. Runs swing widely: the weir counted 90,196 sockeye in 2024 and 82,019 in 2025, but only 6,897 in 2026 (preliminary).
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About Coghill River Sockeye Salmon Fishing
The Coghill River is a remote gem in Prince William Sound. This pristine river drains Coghill Lake and is known for producing some of the strongest sockeye salmon runs in the region, though not every year. While access is challenging, anglers who make the journey are often rewarded with exceptional fishing and the opportunity to harvest surplus fish when runs exceed escapement goals.
Run Timing & Peak Fishing
Coghill River Sockeye typically begin passing the weir in mid-June, with the bulk of the run passing in late June and July. From 2022 to 2026 the run reached its midpoint at the weir between June 28 and July 18. Counting usually ends in late July. Early-season fish tend to be the brightest and firmest for table fare.
Recent Seasons
In 2025 the weir passed 82,019 sockeye, above the escapement goal, though ADF&G reported no management actions in the 2025 Prince William Sound sport fishery. The 2026 run was far weaker: the weir counted only 6,897 sockeye, well below the goal.
Escapement Goals & Management
The Alaska Department of Fish and Game has set the Coghill River sockeye salmon escapement goal at 20,000 to 75,000 fish. When runs are strong and escapement goals are projected to be exceeded, ADF&G typically issues emergency orders to increase bag and possession limits. In 2024, limits were increased to 12 fish per day and 24 in possession from July 3 through December 31. ADF&G's 2025 and 2026 Prince William Sound sport fishing notices list no Coghill limit increase.
Access & Getting There
The Coghill River is not easily accessible—there are no roads to this remote location. Anglers typically reach the area by:
• Floatplane: Charter flights from Anchorage, Valdez, or Cordova
• Boat: Water taxi or private vessel from Whittier or Valdez
• Guided trips: Several outfitters offer multi-day fishing trips to the area
The remote setting means careful planning is essential. Bring all necessary gear, food, and supplies, and be prepared for changing weather conditions typical of Prince William Sound.
Fishing Regulations
Standard Prince William Sound sockeye salmon regulations apply, though emergency orders frequently modify limits based on run strength. In strong years such as 2024, limits have been increased to 12 sockeye per day with 24 in possession. Always check current ADF&G emergency orders before your trip, as regulations can change mid-season based on escapement counts at the weir.
Why Fish Coghill River?
Despite the challenging access, the Coghill River offers several unique advantages:
• Less fishing pressure: Remote location means fewer anglers
• Liberalized limits: Strong runs often mean higher bag limits
• Pristine wilderness: Stunning Prince William Sound scenery
• Quality fish: Excellent table fare from cold, clean waters
• Multi-species opportunities: Pink, chum, coho, and chinook also available in season
Tracking Coghill River Sockeye fish counts helps anglers time their trips for peak runs and monitor whether liberalized limits are in effect. The weir data provides accurate daily escapement counts essential for planning a successful expedition to this remote fishery.
Coghill River sockeye count: common questions
Plain answers on how the count works, what past seasons looked like and how the weir drives fishing rules in this part of Prince William Sound. This season's numbers are in the season recap and live chart above. The figures below come from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) and were checked on October 21, 2026.
What is the Coghill River fish count?
It is ADF&G's daily count of sockeye salmon, also called red salmon, passing its weir on the Coghill River in Prince William Sound. The river runs from Coghill Lake to salt water. Each day's count is added to a running total for the season, which ADF&G compares with the escapement goal.
Where is the Coghill River weir?
About 1.75 miles upriver from tidewater. ADF&G says fishing is allowed along the whole river and in the lake, but the area within 300 feet of the weir is closed. In 2024, when the run was strong, ADF&G cut that closed area to 50 feet upstream and downstream of the weir, marked by ADF&G markers.
How fast do sockeye reach the weir from salt water?
Within a few hours, according to ADF&G, though it depends a lot on water flow and the tide. So a jump in the weir count means fish have just come in from salt water.
When do Coghill River sockeye run?
From mid-June through late July. From 2022 to 2026 counting started between June 9 and June 21 and ended between July 25 and July 27, except in 2022, when high water stopped it after July 17. The run reached its halfway point at the weir between June 28 and July 18, and the biggest single day came between late June and late July:
- 2022: June 28
- 2023: July 11
- 2024: June 28
- 2025: July 23
- 2026: July 13
How many Coghill River sockeye were counted in 2026?
ADF&G's preliminary 2026 count was 6,897 sockeye, with fish passing from June 14 to July 25. The biggest day was July 13, at 718 fish. That is far below the escapement goal of 20,000 to 75,000, and it is the lowest season total in ADF&G's online Coghill data, which goes back to 1974. ADF&G had forecast a weak run: its preseason forecast was 104,000 fish in total, 53% below the 10-year average of 223,000.
What happened in 2024 and 2025?
Both runs were strong. The weir counted 90,196 sockeye in 2024 and 82,019 in 2025, both above the top of the goal. In 2024 ADF&G raised the sport limit to 12 sockeye per day and 24 in possession from July 3 through December 31, after an estimated 28,239 fish had passed by June 30. In 2025 ADF&G installed the weir on June 21, about a week later than usual, and reported no management actions in the sport fishery.
What is the highest Coghill River sockeye count?
Since 2007, the highest season count in ADF&G's online data is 116,315 sockeye in 2012, including the biggest day of that period, 16,897 fish on July 4, 2012. ADF&G's online data for 1977 to 2006 lists many days twice, so we have not quoted a record from those years. Even counting each day once, several seasons in the 1980s topped 140,000 fish.
What were the Coghill River sockeye counts in past years?
Season counts at the weir, from ADF&G's online data:
- 2026: 6,897 (preliminary)
- 2025: 82,019
- 2024: 90,196
- 2023: 64,212
- 2022: 34,092 (incomplete; high water stopped counting after July 17)
- 2021: 101,216
- 2020: 53,891
- 2019: 29,382
- 2018: 30,954 (counting ended July 9)
- 2017: 50,312
Over the five seasons from 2022 to 2026 the count averaged about 55,500 sockeye a year. ADF&G's 2022 season summary says that year's count is incomplete, because high water stopped the crew from counting after July 17. These are weir counts. Fish caught upstream of the weir, in the river above it or in the lake, are not taken out.
What is the escapement goal for Coghill River sockeye?
20,000 to 75,000 sockeye, a sustainable escapement goal. Escapement is the number of fish that get past the fisheries to spawn. The weir count was inside or above that range in every season from 2017 to 2025, and above the top of it in 2021, 2024 and 2025. In 2026 it fell well short.
How do the counts affect the sport bag limit?
When the run is strong, ADF&G can raise the sockeye limit by emergency order. It raised it to 12 per day and 24 in possession on July 2, 2022, and again from July 3, 2024. ADF&G's 2025 and 2026 Prince William Sound sport fishing notices list no Coghill limit increase. Limits can change during the season, so check ADF&G's sport fishing regulations and current emergency orders before you fish. This page is not a regulations source.
How do the counts affect the commercial fishery?
ADF&G manages commercial fishing time in the Coghill District partly on the weir. Its 2026 plan said that if weir counts ran above daily passage objectives, fishing time would be expanded, and that sustained strong passage could open fishing out to the mouth of the Coghill River. Because the 2026 forecast was weak, ADF&G expected a reduced schedule in north Port Wells and College Fiord.
How do you get to the Coghill River?
By boat or plane. ADF&G describes the Coghill River as not easily accessible, typically requiring a boat or plane to reach.
How does today's count compare with the average?
Check the season recap and chart above. They show the daily count and the running total for the season, with 3-year and 5-year averages and the goal range. Runs here swing widely from year to year, so compare the running total with the average for the same date rather than any single day. Current-year counts are preliminary and can be revised. On ADF&G's own table, days with no count show as a dash.
Where does the data come from?
The counts in the chart and the past-season totals above come from ADF&G's public sockeye count for the Coghill River. We republish them with averages so the trend is easier to read. The forecast, limits and fishery details come from ADF&G's Cordova announcements, its 2024 emergency order and its 2025 Prince William Sound season summary.
How do I get alerts when new counts post?
In the Alaska FishTopia app, favorite the Coghill River count and you'll get a push alert when a new count posts. The alert gives the day's count and the season total so far, and says whether the run is ahead of, on or behind the typical pace for the date, based on the 3-year average. The app also covers the Copper River and other Alaska counts, plus tides, marine weather, sport fishing regulations and AI fish ID. It comes with a 3-day free trial, then $9.99 a year. Get it on the App Store or Google Play.