204 
BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES 
WESTERN PART 
KNIGHT ISLAND PASSAGE DISTRICT 
This district embraces all localities of the mainland and adjacent islands within 
and bounded by a line from Cape Fairfield on the west through Montague Strait to 
Point Helen at the southern extremity of Knight Island, thence along the watershed 
of that island, across Ingot and Eleanor Islands to Point Eleanor and thence to the 
point on the south side of the entrance to Port Nellie Juan. 
Bainbridge Passage . — These data include a small catch of pinks reported from 
Big Bay in 1926. Although a small catch of pink and red salmon was reported from 
this passage in 1913, no serious fishing effort was made here until 1917 when 24,191 
pinks and 105 reds were taken. The catch in 1918 was 79,443 pinks, 5,040 chums, 
and 1,696 reds, but it declined rapidly thereafter (with no catch reported from 1921 
to 1924) until in 1927 only 470 pinks, 322 chums, and 1,565 cohos were taken. No 
reds or kings were taken in 1926 or 1927. In the 8 years for which data are available, 
catches of cohos were made in 3 years, chums in 4, pinks in each year, lungs in 2, and 
reds in 5. There are several possible explanations for such irregularity: (1) The 
runs may be of local origin and easily exhausted; (2) the routes of migration may not 
be constant, or (3) the fishing operations may have varied in different years. So far 
as these data indicate, the fishery in Bainbridge Passage appears to be irregular and 
uncertain. 
Chenega Creek and Island. —Prior to 1918, the name “Chenega” seems to have 
been used interchangeably with Eshamy as there is no authentic record that any 
salmon were taken at what is now known as Chenega until after 1917. No doubt 
exists that there was confusion in the use of these names as no catch was reported 
from Eshamy in 1904 or from 1906 to 1911, inclusive, whereas in 1905 none was 
reported from Chenega. Moser (loc. cit.) states “Chenega is between Rubber Boot 
and Point Nowell and has the largest run of redfish in Prince William Sound. In 
1895 it furnished about 100,000 but a safe value is 50,000.” The only stream of con- 
sequence between the points named by Moser is Eshamy, whereas the stream now 
known as Chenega is on Chenega Island, several miles south of Point Nowell. As 
the first red-salmon fishery in the western part of the sound was developed at Eshamy 
and as the entire catch at Chenega from 1904 to 1911 consisted of red salmon, there 
is slight reason to question the assumption that these catches actually came from 
Eshamy and are properly allocated to that stream. In late years (beginning with 
1918) the east shore of Chenega Island has become one of the most productive fishing 
areas in the western part of the sound, due largely to the operation of traps. Table 
2 shows graphically the catch of cohos, chums, pinks, and reds at Chenega. 
Table 2. — Graphic table showing the catch of salmon at Chenega, 1918-1927 
[Each letter represents the following number of fish: Reds, 2,000; pinks, 20,000; ehums, 1,000; and cohos, 250] 
Year 
Reds 
Pinks 
Chums 
Cohos 
1918.... 
mmmmMmmmmM 
mmmmMm 
mmmmMmmmm 
mmmmMmmmm 
1919 
mm 
m 
mm 
mm 
1920 
mmm 
mmmmMmmm 
mmm 
mmmmM 
1921 
mmmmM 
m 
m 
mm 
1922 
mmmmMmmmmMmm 
mm 
m 
1923 
mmmmM 
m 
m 
1924~_-. 
mmm 
mmmmMmmmmMmmmm 
mm 
m 
mmmmM 
mmmmMmm 
mmmmM 
m 
1926 
mmmmMmmmmMmmmmM 
mmmmMmmmmMmmmmMmmmmMm 
mmmmMmm 
mmmmMm 
1927- I-- 
mmmmMmmm 
mmmmMmmmmMmmmmMmmmmMm 
mmmmMm 
mmmmM 
