Latest Nushagak River king count: 54 on Jul 22, 2026 (ADF&G, preliminary). 2026 season count: 36,339 fish (Jun 6 – Jul 22).
- Latest daily count
- 54
- Jul 22, 2026
down 132 vs Jul 21 - 2026 season total
- 36,339
- Jun 6 – Jul 22
2025 to the same date: 33,395 - vs 3-year average
- 102%
- of the 2023–2025 average to Jul 22 (35,695)
- Peak day
- 7,175
- Jun 28, 2026
- 7-day total
- 912
- Jul 16 – Jul 22 (6 days counted)
down 65% vs the 7 days before
Below the goal range
ADF&G SEG goal: 55,000–120,000
2026 passage: 36,339 fish counted through Jul 22. 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 6 | 29 | 161 |
| Jun 13 | 203 | 3,341 |
| Jun 20 | 5,497 | 8,048 |
| Jun 27 | 10,474 | 19,622 |
| Jul 4 | 29,032 | 28,225 |
| Jul 11 | 34,065 | 32,820 |
| Jul 18 | 36,014 | 35,371 |
| Jul 22 | 36,339 | 35,695 |
| Jul 25 | after the latest count | 35,873 |
| Date | Fish counted | Change vs prior count | Season total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 12 | 360 | −111 | 34,425 |
| Jul 13 | 615 | +255 | 35,040 |
| Jul 14 | 159 | −456 | 35,199 |
| Jul 15 | 228 | +69 | 35,427 |
| Jul 16 | 177 | −51 | 35,604 |
| Jul 17 | 276 | +99 | 35,880 |
| Jul 18 | 134 | −142 | 36,014 |
| Jul 20 | 85 | −49 | 36,099 |
| Jul 21 | 186 | +101 | 36,285 |
| Jul 22 | 54 | −132 | 36,339 |
| 2026 season total | 36,339 | ||
| 2023–2025 average to the same date | 35,695 | ||
Source: ADF&G daily fish counts, preliminary; ADF&G can revise them. Days with no count above zero are skipped.
Nushagak River King Salmon Fish Counts
Real-time and historical sonar fish counts tracking Bristol Bay's legendary Chinook (King) salmon run on the Nushagak River—one of Alaska's premier wilderness fisheries.
Understanding Nushagak River Chinook Runs
The Nushagak River hosts one of Alaska's most significant wild Chinook salmon runs, monitored by sonar at Portage Creek. The river flows into Nushagak Bay in the Bristol Bay region. The river supports important commercial, subsistence, and sport fisheries, with Chinook salmon being highly prized for their size and fighting ability.
👑 King Salmon Run (June – July)
Wild Chinook salmon migrate upstream past the Portage Creek sonar, with peak passage typically in the second half of June. Nushagak kings were designated a stock of concern in 2022, and recent runs have fallen short of the escapement goal.
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About Nushagak River King Salmon Fishing
The Nushagak River in Bristol Bay, Southwest Alaska, is one of the state's premier destinations for wild Chinook (King) salmon fishing. The Nushagak is accessible primarily by bush plane to remote lodges and camps.
Fish are monitored by sonar at Portage Creek, about 37 miles upstream of Nushagak Bay. Counts are posted from early June through late July, providing daily counts that help managers balance commercial harvest, subsistence needs, and sport fishing opportunity with escapement goals.
World-Class Trophy Fishery
The Nushagak River is renowned for producing trophy-class King salmon. The remote wilderness setting, combined with historically strong runs, makes the Nushagak a bucket-list destination for serious salmon anglers. Most fishing occurs from guided drift boats or jet boats operated by remote lodges in the region.
Run Timing & Peak Periods
Counting at the Portage Creek sonar typically starts in early June, and passage builds through June. From 2022 to 2026 the run reached its midpoint at the sonar between June 20 and June 29, and the busiest single day fell between June 18 and June 28. Passage tapers through July.
Conservation Concerns
Recent years have seen concerning declines in Nushagak Chinook returns. Sonar counts of about 31,500 (2023), 42,600 (2024), 33,500 (2025) and 36,300 (2026, preliminary) all fell well below the escapement goal range of 55,000-120,000 and ADF&G's inriver goal of 95,000. Nushagak king salmon were designated a stock of concern in 2022, and ADF&G has made the sport fishery catch-and-release only by emergency order in each season from 2023 through 2026, most recently from June 28 through July 31, 2026.
Commercial & Subsistence Fisheries
The Nushagak District supports important commercial salmon fisheries, primarily targeting the massive sockeye salmon runs that pass through Bristol Bay. Chinook salmon are caught incidentally in these nets, contributing to the commercial harvest. The river also supports vital subsistence fisheries for local communities, including Dillingham.
Sport Fishing Regulations
Sport fishing for Chinook salmon on the Nushagak is managed by ADF&G with regulations designed to balance harvest opportunity with conservation. Bag limits, gear restrictions, and seasonal closures may be adjusted based on in-season run strength. Given recent declines, anglers should check current emergency orders before planning trips, as restrictions may be implemented to protect the spawning population. In 2026, for example, king salmon could not be retained in the Nushagak-Mulchatna drainage (outside the Wood River drainage) from June 28 through July 31, so the fishery was catch-and-release only.
Planning Your Trip
Fishing the Nushagak River requires significant planning due to its remote location. Most anglers book trips with fly-out lodges based in Dillingham or King Salmon, which provide bush plane transportation, guided fishing, and accommodations. The fishing season runs from late May through July, with June-early July offering the best combination of fish numbers and trophy potential.
Tracking Nushagak River Chinook fish counts is essential for understanding run strength and timing your trip. Peak daily counts at the sonar typically occur in the second half of June. ADF&G's inriver goal is 95,000 kings past the sonar, and its spawning escapement goal is 55,000-120,000.
Nushagak River king salmon count: common questions
Plain answers on how the Portage Creek sonar works, what past seasons looked like and what the numbers mean for king fishing in Bristol Bay. 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 Nushagak River fish count?
It is ADF&G's daily sonar estimate of salmon swimming up the Nushagak River in Bristol Bay. This page covers king salmon (Chinook). Each day's count is added to a running total for the season, which ADF&G compares with its inriver and escapement goals.
Where is the Nushagak River sonar?
At Portage Creek, about 37 miles upstream of Nushagak Bay. ADF&G's count page notes that in 2022 its Division of Commercial Fisheries changed how fish moving downstream are accounted for at the site.
When do king salmon run in the Nushagak River?
Mostly in June. ADF&G's online counts started on June 6 in every season from 2019 to 2026, and from 2020 to 2026 they ended on July 24 or 25. From 2022 to 2026 the run reached its halfway point at the sonar between June 20 and June 29. The biggest single day in each of those seasons was:
- 2022: June 18
- 2023: June 25
- 2024: June 28
- 2025: June 22
- 2026: June 28
ADF&G described 2023 run timing as slightly late and 2025 as average.
How many Nushagak River kings were counted in 2026?
ADF&G's preliminary 2026 count was 36,339 king salmon, from June 6 to July 25. The biggest day was June 28, at 7,175 fish. That is well below the 55,000 low end of the escapement goal and the inriver goal of 95,000. By June 24 only an estimated 6,240 kings had passed the sonar, and ADF&G banned king retention from June 28.
What is the record Nushagak River king count?
The highest season total in ADF&G's online data, which goes back to 2011, is 125,368 kings in 2016. The two biggest single days are also from 2016: 20,931 fish on June 18 and 17,024 on June 17.
What were the Nushagak River king counts in past years?
Season counts at the Portage Creek sonar, from ADF&G's online data:
- 2026: 36,339 (preliminary)
- 2025: 33,498
- 2024: 42,621
- 2023: 31,499
- 2022: 44,434
- 2021: 55,222
- 2020: 43,032
- 2019: 46,763
- 2018: 97,239
- 2017: 56,961
Over the five seasons from 2022 to 2026 the count averaged about 37,700 kings a year. Final and preliminary figures in ADF&G's reports can differ from the online data; for example, its 2025 Bristol Bay summary gives a preliminary 34,322 for 2025.
What is the escapement goal for Nushagak kings?
A sustainable escapement goal of 55,000 to 120,000 spawning kings. Escapement is the number of fish that get past the fisheries to spawn. ADF&G manages for an inriver return of 95,000 kings past the sonar to provide for that goal. The sonar count has been below 55,000 in every season from 2022 to 2026, and has not reached 95,000 since 2018.
Why are Nushagak kings a stock of concern?
Because runs have stayed below the goal. ADF&G designated Nushagak River king salmon a stock of concern in 2022, and says recent runs have continued to fall short of the 55,000 to 120,000 goal.
Can you keep a king on the Nushagak River?
Not in recent seasons once the run proved weak. ADF&G has made the sport fishery catch-and-release by emergency order every season from 2023 to 2026:
- 2023: limits cut on July 7; king retention and bait banned from July 13
- 2024: catch-and-release from July 3 through July 31
- 2025: king retention and bait banned from July 3
- 2026: king retention banned from June 28 through July 31
The 2026 order covered all waters of the Nushagak-Mulchatna River drainage except the Wood River drainage, and kings could not be taken out of the water. Check ADF&G's sport fishing regulations and current emergency orders before you fish. This page is not a regulations source.
Do commercial fisheries catch Nushagak kings?
Yes, as bycatch. ADF&G says about 6,847 kings were caught in the Nushagak District commercial fishery in 2023, and about 3,625 were caught during the 2025 sockeye commercial fishery. Those fish are caught below the sonar, so they are not in the count.
How many kings pass the sonar in a day?
In 2026 the busiest day was 7,175 on June 28, while by late July most days were under 200 and the last three, July 23 to 25, were 0. Single days swing a lot, so the running total against the average for the same date is the better guide.
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. 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 Nushagak River king salmon count. We republish them with averages so the trend is easier to read. The closures, harvest and run-timing notes come from ADF&G's emergency orders and its Bristol Bay season summaries.
How do I get alerts when new counts post?
In the Alaska FishTopia app, favorite the Nushagak River king 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 Nushagak sockeye count 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.