June 23, 2026 — The 2026 Bristol Bay sockeye salmon season is beginning to take shape, with early catches concentrated in the Ugashik District and fishery managers reporting that run timing remains on track with preseason expectations.
According to the June 19 KDLG Bristol Bay Fisheries Report, fishermen across the bay have harvested 151,668 sockeye salmon so far this season, including 31,167 fish landed on Thursday. Total run strength has reached 199,369 fish, while cumulative escapement stands at 47,701 fish.
This year’s forecast calls for an inshore run of 44.1 million sockeye salmon. While that projection is 26 percent below the recent 10-year average, it remains 21 percent above the long-term average run of 37.4 million fish.
Ugashik has accounted for the bulk of the early harvest. Fishermen there landed 27,813 sockeye on Thursday, bringing the district’s cumulative catch to 107,281 fish. The district’s inshore run is forecast at 5.2 million fish, with a projected harvestable surplus of approximately 4.3 million fish after escapement needs are met.
Egegik’s cumulative catch has reached 38,784 fish. Escapement counts there climbed to 2,658 sockeye after 2,340 fish passed the counting towers Thursday. The district is forecast to receive an 8.9 million fish run, with a potential harvestable surplus of 7.5 million fish.