Sources & methodology
AlaskaFishData aggregates every public Alaska fisheries dataset we can find, normalizes inconsistent schemas, fills gaps with sister-system inference, and publishes a single versioned API. We do not modify upstream values — every record carries its source URL and timestamp.
Data sources
| Source | Scope | Refresh |
|---|---|---|
| ADF&G Sport Fish Counts | Daily sonar, weir, and tower counts across 200+ rivers | Daily |
| ADF&G Commercial Statistics | Ex-vessel pricing, harvest, openings, blue sheets, EOs | Daily during season |
| ADF&G Stocking Database | Hatchery release records by year, species, and water | Quarterly |
| NOAA Alaska Stock Assessments | Federal stock status, BSAI/GOA groundfish, halibut | Annual |
| NOAA Ecosystem Indicators | Marine heatwave severity, SST, chlorophyll | Weekly |
| SASAP Historical Salmon | 100-year salmon datasets, escapement, harvest | Static archive |
| USFWS Alaska Reports | Federal subsistence and refuge fisheries | Annual |
Methodology
Normalization. Each upstream feed is mapped to a canonical schema covering river slug, species code, gear type, management area, and count source (sonar / weir / tower / aerial).
Run percentile. A given day's year-to-date count is ranked against the 30-year empirical distribution for that river and species. 50th = median season; 90th+ = exceptionally strong.
Forecast model. A Bayesian run-timing prior is updated daily with passage deltas, sister-system leading indicators, and Gulf of Alaska SST. Confidence bands published at 70/90/95%.
Not affiliated. AlaskaFishData is an independent platform. We are not affiliated with ADF&G, NOAA, or USFWS. All regulatory decisions should reference official agency publications.