Latest Deshka River coho count: 1,461 on Aug 28, 2025 (ADF&G, preliminary). That is from the 2025 season, the latest in our data; no 2026 count above zero in our data.
- Latest count (2025)
- 1,461
- Aug 28, 2025
up 925 vs Aug 27 - 2025 season total
- 3,869
- Jul 26 – Aug 28
2024 to the same date: 642 - vs 3-year average
- 206%
- of the 2022–2024 average to Aug 28 (1,876)
- Peak day
- 1,461
- Aug 28, 2025
- 7-day total
- 2,649
- Aug 22 – Aug 28
up 232% vs the 7 days before
Below the goal range
ADF&G SEG goal: 10,200–24,100
2025 passage: 3,869 fish counted through Aug 28. Passage is the fish counted at the site (preliminary), not final escapement.
- 2025
- 2022–2024 average
- SEG goal
- Daily count
Chart data (weekly running totals)
| Date | 2025 running total | 2022–2024 average running total |
|---|---|---|
| Jul 14 | 0 | 1 |
| Jul 21 | 0 | 17 |
| Jul 28 | 40 | 123 |
| Aug 4 | 256 | 821 |
| Aug 11 | 334 | 1,552 |
| Aug 18 | 831 | 1,759 |
| Aug 25 | 1,755 | 1,876 |
| Aug 28 | 3,869 | 1,876 |
| Date | Fish counted | Change vs prior count | Season total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 19 | 185 | +112 | 1,016 |
| Aug 20 | 118 | −67 | 1,134 |
| Aug 21 | 86 | −32 | 1,220 |
| Aug 22 | 131 | +45 | 1,351 |
| Aug 23 | 177 | +46 | 1,528 |
| Aug 24 | 91 | −86 | 1,619 |
| Aug 25 | 136 | +45 | 1,755 |
| Aug 26 | 117 | −19 | 1,872 |
| Aug 27 | 536 | +419 | 2,408 |
| Aug 28Peak | 1,461 | +925 | 3,869 |
| 2025 season total | 3,869 | ||
| 2022–2024 average to the same date | 1,876 | ||
Source: ADF&G daily fish counts, preliminary; ADF&G can revise them. Days with no count above zero are skipped.
Deshka River Coho (Silver) Salmon Fish Counts
Real-time and historical weir counts tracking Coho (Silver) salmon on the Deshka River—a remote Susitna River tributary facing recent conservation challenges.
Understanding Deshka River Coho Runs
The Deshka River is a 44-mile tributary of the Susitna River in Southcentral Alaska. Coho salmon are counted at a weir as they migrate upstream to spawn. Historically known for productive Silver salmon runs, the Deshka has experienced concerning declines in recent years, prompting management restrictions.
🐟 Coho Run (Late July – Mid-September)
Silver salmon typically begin arriving in late July, with peak passage occurring in August. ADF&G runs the weir at river mile 7 from about May 20 through September 15. Most fishing occurs in the mouth area and lower 7 miles of river.
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About Deshka River Coho Salmon Fishing
The Deshka River is a 44-mile tributary of the Susitna River in Southcentral Alaska. Historically renowned for excellent Silver salmon fishing, the Deshka has experienced significant Coho declines in recent years, leading to progressive restrictions and closure of the retention fishery in 2025 and again in 2026.
Recent Conservation Concerns
The Deshka River Coho population has fallen dramatically below its Sustainable Escapement Goal (SEG) of 10,200-24,100 fish:
• 2026: No usable count. Flooding damaged the weir on July 15; it logged 0 Coho on August 3-5 while flooded, and ADF&G closed Coho retention from August 19
• 2025: Only 3,869 Coho counted—fishery closed to retention August 21
• 2024: 642 Coho counted before flooding ended the weir season on August 16, an incomplete count (ADF&G: about 70% of the run)
• 2023: 1,817 Coho counted
In 2025, ADF&G implemented emergency restrictions: bag limits were reduced to one fish on August 15, bait was prohibited, and the fishery was fully closed to retention on August 21. In 2026, ADF&G closed Coho retention across the Susitna River drainage, including the Deshka, from August 19 and kept the bait ban. These measures aimed to protect the remaining spawning stock.
Run Timing & Peak Fishing
Deshka River Coho salmon typically arrive in late July, with peak passage in August. ADF&G says the weir operates from about May 20 through September 15. When the fishery is open, most angling occurs in the mouth area and lower 7 miles of the river where fish congregate before moving upstream.
Weir Monitoring
Coho and king salmon are counted at an ADF&G resistance board weir at river mile 7. This long-term monitoring is essential for tracking population trends and informing management decisions. The weir provides accurate daily counts as salmon migrate upstream to spawn.
Access & Location
The Deshka River is located within a roadless area, requiring boat or floatplane access:
• Primary Access: Jetboat from Deshka Landing near Willow
• Other Launch: Susitna Landing at the mouth of the Kashwitna River
• Best Fishing Areas: Mouth area and lower 7 miles of river
• Alternative Access: Floatplane to upriver locations
The remote setting and pristine wilderness add to the fishing experience, though anglers should plan carefully and bring appropriate equipment for river travel.
Fishing Regulations
Due to conservation concerns, regulations on the Deshka River are subject to emergency orders. Recent rules:
• Bag and Possession Limits: Set by regulation and changed by emergency order; Coho retention was closed from August 21, 2025 and from August 19, 2026
• Bait: Prohibited by emergency order in late summer 2025 and 2026
Always check current ADF&G emergency orders before fishing, as regulations can change quickly based on real-time run assessments.
Other Fishing Opportunities
While Coho fishing may be restricted, the Deshka River offers additional angling opportunities:
• Pink Salmon: Strong runs in even years (June-August)
• Chum Salmon: Available July through mid-August
• Rainbow Trout: Catch-and-release during salmon runs
• Arctic Grayling: Present throughout the river system
Tracking Deshka River Coho fish counts helps anglers understand run timing and strength, while the escapement data supports conservation efforts essential for rebuilding this once-productive Silver salmon fishery.
Deshka River coho count: common questions
Plain answers on how the count works, what past seasons looked like and why recent counts are hard to read. Past seasons are in the 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 Deshka River coho count?
It is ADF&G's daily count of coho salmon, also called silver salmon, passing a weir on the Deshka River, a west-side tributary of the Susitna River. Each day's count is added to a running total for the season. ADF&G's 2025 season summary says the Deshka is the only place in the Susitna River drainage where coho are counted.
Where are the coho counted?
At ADF&G's resistance board weir at river mile 7. The same weir counts king salmon earlier in the summer. ADF&G says it runs from about May 20 through September 15.
When do silver salmon run in the Deshka River?
From late July through August. From 2022 to 2025 the first coho passed the weir between July 14 and July 26. In the recent seasons ADF&G does not mark as incomplete, the biggest single day came in August:
- 2017: August 19
- 2018: August 7
- 2019: August 31
- 2025: August 28
How many Deshka River coho were counted in 2026?
None that can be used. ADF&G says the weir was damaged during flooding on July 15, 2026, and was no longer operational. Its coho table has only three entries for 2026, August 3 to 5, each a 0 marked "Weir flooded", and its king table notes on August 5 that the weir was damaged beyond repair. Those zeros mean the weir could not count, not that no coho came back. There is no 2026 season total.
Why does the chart show no 2026 coho?
Because ADF&G posted no 2026 coho count above zero. The count summary and chart above show the latest season with real counts, 2025, compared with the 2022 to 2024 average. ADF&G treats current-year counts as preliminary.
How many coho were counted in 2025?
3,869 coho, with the first fish on July 26. ADF&G's 2025 season summary says low water slowed the run into August, and a flash flood on August 29 forced the weir out after about 98% of a typical run had passed. ADF&G calls the count a minimum, but says that, based on run timing, it likely would not have topped 4,000. The run came late: when ADF&G closed coho retention on August 21, it said only 831 coho had passed the weir. The biggest day was August 28, at 1,461 fish.
What is the record Deshka River coho count?
The record is 2004. ADF&G counted 62,940 coho at the weir that season, the highest total in its online Deshka coho data, which goes back to 1996. The biggest single day in that data is 29,524 fish on August 13, 2006.
What were the Deshka River coho counts in past years?
Season counts at the river mile 7 weir, from ADF&G's online data:
- 2026: no usable count (weir damaged by flooding)
- 2025: 3,869 (a minimum; the weir came out after an August 29 flood)
- 2024: 642 (incomplete; flooding ended counting about 70% of the way through the run)
- 2023: 1,817 (incomplete)
- 2022: 3,168 (incomplete)
- 2021: 3,338 (incomplete)
- 2020: 5,368 (incomplete)
- 2019: 10,445
- 2018: 12,933
- 2017: 36,869
ADF&G's 2024 Cook Inlet season summary marks the 2020 to 2024 counts as incomplete because the weir was pulled before the end of the run. Its report figures also differ slightly from the online data in some years.
Why are so many recent counts incomplete?
Mostly high water. The Deshka weir has been flooded or damaged in late summer in several recent seasons, while coho were still arriving. In 2024, ADF&G says flooding stopped counting for six days starting August 9 and major damage ended the project on August 16. So recent totals are minimums. They still show a weak run: ADF&G said the goal was unlikely to have been met in 2024 even with a full count.
What is the escapement goal for Deshka coho?
10,200 to 24,100 coho, a sustainable escapement goal. Escapement is the number of fish that get past the fisheries to spawn. The count was inside or above that range in 2017, 2018 and 2019, and has been below it in every season with a count since.
Is the Deshka River open to coho fishing?
Coho retention has been closed late in each recent season. In 2024 ADF&G cut the Susitna drainage coho limit to one fish and banned bait on August 6, then closed the drainage to coho fishing on August 15. In 2025 it closed the Deshka to coho retention on August 21 and kept a bait ban. In 2026 it closed coho retention across the Susitna River drainage, including the Deshka, from August 19, and continued the bait ban. Check ADF&G's sport fishing regulations and current emergency orders before you fish. This page is not a regulations source.
How do I check the Deshka River coho count today?
Look at the count summary and chart at the top of this page. In season they show the latest count ADF&G has posted and the season total so far, with 3-year and 5-year averages and the goal range. On ADF&G's own table, days with no count show as a dash. Counts for the current year are preliminary and can be revised.
Are king salmon counted at the same weir?
Yes. The river mile 7 weir counts king salmon in June and July. See our Deshka River king salmon counts.
Where does the data come from?
The counts in the chart and the past-season totals above come from ADF&G's public coho count for the Deshka River. We republish them with averages so the trend is easier to read. The notes on incomplete counts and closures come from ADF&G's Cook Inlet season summaries and emergency orders.
How do I get alerts when new counts post?
In the Alaska FishTopia app, favorite the coho count for the Deshka River 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 Deshka king count, the Little Susitna 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.