Wrangell Sentinel -

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game announced a preseason run size for Stikine River king salmon at 26,000 fish.

Because the size of the forecast is small there will be no directed fisheries in early May.

Tom Kowalske, ADFG assistant area management biologist in Wrangell, said estimated run sizes have recently been reduced by nearly half.

“For the past seven years the run size was overestimated by an average of 45 percent or so,” Kowalske said.

The Stikine River king salmon forecast model initially produced an estimated run size of 37,700 fish. The 26,000 forecast is the result of re...