Commercial Salmon Fisheries
Taku River Fishwheels - Coho Counts

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Fish wheels on the Taku River are an essential platform for the Chinook, sockeye, and coho salmon mark-recapture program, which provides inseason and postseason escapement estimates. Because fish wheel catchability can be affected by factors such as water level, fish size, abundance, daily spin time, etc., daily fish wheel catches do not necessarily have a meaningful relationship with upriver abundance. In 2023, fish wheel operation protocols were changed (fish wheels operations are now 8 hours a day instead of 16 hours a day) so catch numbers are not comparable to previous years. Questions related to the Taku River fish wheel project can be directed to Jeff Williams at (907) 465-8251.

The 2026 bilateral preseason terminal forecast for Taku River coho salmon is 89,000 fish. The Taku River coho salmon biological escapement goal range is 50,000 to 90,000 fish, with a management objective of 70,000 fish.

Bilateral mark-recapture data for Taku River coho salmon through day 3 of statistical week (SW) 36 (September 1) includes 244 tags released, 6,093 fish inspected, and 54 recoveries. Assuming a sulk rate of 3 days between the release and recapture locations, a Pooled Petersen was used to generate an inriver run estimate of coho salmon past Canyon Island as of September 1 (10-year average run timing = 52%).

Current estimates are as follows:

Inriver Run: 27,145 (SE = 3,180)
Canadian Harvest to Date: 6,093 (3,051 after SW33)
Current Escapement: 21,052
Projected Inriver Run: 52,049

U.S. Harvest to Date: 6,677 (3,578 after SW33)
Projected Terminal Run: 62,680

Preseason Forecast (terminal run): 89,000
10-year Average Terminal Run: 91,000

The Taku River coho salmon biological escapement goal range is 50,000 to 90,000 fish, with a management objective of 70,000 fish.

Chilkoot Lake Weir | Chilkat Lake Weir | Hugh Smith Weir | Redoubt Lake Weir (Sockeye)
Situk (Lower) Weir (Chinook) | Situk (Lower) Weir (Sockeye) | Taku River Fishwheels (Sockeye)
Taku River Fishwheels (Coho)