Salmon notes

Here are observations from the young salmon season so far.

• Action is picking up across Alaska, with anticipation building for the big Bristol Bay fishery. The statewide harvest just clicked over 1 million salmon, with most coming from the Prince William Sound region including the Copper River. You can track the catch on the Blue Sheet.

• Speaking of the Copper River, the sockeye catch stands at about 274,000 fish, which lags the 20-year average for this date of 595,000. Measures to conserve the weak Chinook run have constrained the sockeye fishery. But fishermen are still getting openers, with the Copper River District opening today for a 12-hour driftnet fishing period.