Where to Dipnet

The Chitina personal use fishery is centered around the town of Chitina, Alaska. It is a 5 or 6 hour drive from Fairbanks and an hour shorter drive from the Anchorage area. Drive to Glennallen and head south on the Richardson Highway, towards Valdez. After about 30 miles, turn east (left) on the Edgerton Highway towards Kenney Lake, Chitina, and McCarthy. Chitina is about 33 miles down the Edgerton Highway.

Chitina personal use fishermen are restricted to fishing within the boundaries of the Chitina Sub-district, an area downstream of the McCarthy road Copper River bridge and extends to Haley Creek, about 7.6 miles downstream. Upstream of the bridge is the Glennallen Subdistrict, a subsistence use area that is not open to personal use dipnetters. ADF&G has more subsistence fishing information.

Popular areas to fish within the boundaries are in the flats just downstream of the bridge and from the river shoreline between O’Brien Creek and the south terminus at Haley Creek. O’Brien Creek is the trailhead for dipnetter access to Woods Canyon. That trail lies within a 300’ state public right of way (ROW) and extends all the way to Haley Creek. Ground underlying the ROW is owned by the Ahtna regional and Chitina Village Native corporations, but where the downhill edge of the ROW meets the ordinary high water mark of the river, public access is provided. The ADF&G dipnetter brochure, which you can print at the time you purchase your online Chitina personal use dipnet permit, has a map showing areas of the trail where access is not public and a land use permit purchased from Ahtna is needed to legally access the river. Please respect the owners’ property rights as you use the right-of-way to access fishing spots! KEEP IT CLEAN!

The Copper River is not the only place for personal use fisherman to take advantage of Alaska’s bounty. The Kenai Peninsula has several personal use fisheries that may be more accessible and/or productive for you. Details at ADF&G’s Cook Inlet Personal Use page.

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