Southeast Alaska Personal Use Herring Fishery
Permits & Regulations

Herring and Herring Spawn

No permit is required to take herring, but a permit is required to take herring spawn-on-kelp.

For information on permits, areas open, and bag limits for herring spawn-on-kelp, see your local ADF&G office.

The season is open year-round.

There is no annual possession limit for herring or for herring spawn which is not on kelp.

Herring and herring spawn may be taken by gear listed in 5 AAC 01.010

Herring spawn-on-kelp may only be taken under the authority of a personal use fishing permit. When issuing a personal use permit for the taking of spawn-on-kelp, the department may specify on the permit the times and locations for harvesting and the species of kelp which may be taken. The annual possession limit for herring spawn-on-kelp is 32 pounds for an individual or 158 pounds for a household of two or more persons, however, the department may, in its discretion, issue an additional permit for taking spawn-on-kelp above the annual possession limit if harvestable surpluses of herring spawn-on-kelp are available.

In the 72 hours before and 72 hours after an open commercial herring fishing period in the southeastern Alaska Area, a vessel that, or crew member or permit holder who participates in that commercial herring fishery opening may not take or possess herring under this chapter in any district in the southeastern Alaska Area.

Herring taken under personal use regulations may not be used as bait in a commercial fishery.

Herring may not be taken in Auke Bay, east of a line from the mouth of Waydelich Creek to a department marker located one-fourth mile south of the mouth of Auke Creek, from April 1 through May 31.