CONTENTS 



Page 



Introduction 1 



The sockeye salmon fishery of Bristol Bay 2 



Determining the distribution and migratory pattern of Bristol Bay sockeye salmon .... 3 



Offshore distribution 3 



Exploratory fishing 3 



Results of exploratory fishing 3 



Synopsis: Distribution of sockeye salmon in the eastern Bering Sea and Bristol 



Bay during spawning migration 6 



Offshore tagging 6 



Results of tagging 9 



Synopsis: segregation of sockeye salmon stocks in the eastern Bering Sea and 



outer Bristol Bay H 



Inshore distribution 12 



Capturing and tagging fish and recovery of tags 12 



Analysis of recovery data 12 



Interpretation of tagging results 16 



Distribution of sockeye salmon stocks occurring on the east and west sides of 



inner Bristol Bay 17 



Distribution of Ugashik River sockeye salmon in inner Bristol Bay 18 



Distribution of Egegik River sockeye salmon in inner Bristol Bay 18 



Distribution of Naknek and Kvichak River sockeye salmon in inner Bristol 



Bay 21 



Distribution of Nushagak Bay sockeye salmon stocks in inner Bristol Bay . . 22 

 Synopsis: Segregation of sockeye salmon stocks in the inshore region of 



Bristol Bay 24 



Synopsis of distribution and migratory routes of sockeye salmon in the eastern Bering Sea 



and Bristol Bay 24 



Summary 25 



Literature cited 25 



Figures 



1. Principal sockeye salmon river systems in Bristol Bay 2 



2. Transects in the eastern Bering Sea and outer Bristol Bay where exploratory fishing was 



carried out in the 8 yr selected for study to determine the distribution of sockeye sal- 

 mon in offshore area of Bristol Bay 4 



3. Gill net catches of sockeye salmon along approximately long. 170°W, 17-28 June 1958. 4 



4. Gill net catches of sockeye salmon along approximately long. 170° W, 27 June-3 July 1959. 5 



5. Gill net catches of sockeye salmon along approximately long. 170° W, 12-25 June 1961. 5 



6. Gill net catches of sockeye salmon between Cape Mordvinof and Pribilof Islands, 6 June- 



3 July 1940 " 5 



7. Gill net catches of sockeye salmon between Pribilof Islands and Nunivak Island, 17-21 



June 1940 5 



8. Gill net catches of sockeye salmon between Cape Mordvinof and Nunivak Island, 7-11 



July 1941 • 5 



9. Gill net catches of sockeye salmon along approximately long. 161°30'W, 24 June-6 



July 1965 and 1966 6 



10. Gill net catches of sockeye salmon between Cape Seniavin and Cape Newenham, 27 



June-23 July 1939 . 10 



11. Distribution of sockeye salmon in eastern Bering Sea and Bristol Bay during spawning 



migration, showing main migration route. Distribution was determined from results 

 of exploratory fishing 7 



12. Areas of tagging by United States and Japan in the 6 yr selected for study to determine 



the distribution of sockeye salmon stocks in offshore area of Bristol Bay 9 



13. Distribution of tags recovered in catch (commercial fishery) and observed in the escape- 



ments from sockeye salmon released at nine tagging sites in Naknek-Kvichak and 

 Egegik fishing districts (inshore area) in 1955 13 



iii 



