Worried that another dismal king salmon season is looming, biologists at the Alaska Department of Fish and Game on Tuesday closed three more Southcentral king salmon fisheries before the first salmon arrived.

Anglers are banned from fishing for kings on the Theodore, Lewis and Chuitna rivers. Even catch and release is off limits.

That makes five area king fisheries sharply restricted before the season starts. Most have been completely shuttered, though the Ayakulik River on Kodiak Island remains open to catch-and-release fishing. The Karluk River on Kodiak Island has been closed.

None of the three Cook Inlet rivers has met its escapement goal the past three years, according to Fish and Game. That goal is the number of fish biologists want upstream to spawn, ensuring future runs.

"There's going to be a lot of people upset," said Bruce Knowles, chairman of the Mat-Su Mayor's Sportsmen's Committee. "I submitted those three streams to the Board of Fish to declare them streams of concern back in February."

Fish and Game's escapement goal for the Chuitna is 1,200 to 2,900 kings.

"It's a fly-in fishery," Knowles said. "It's nothing compared to the Deshka but it was really popular 15-20 years ago. It's kind of dropped off now."

The Theodore (500-1,700) and Lewis (250-800) have lower escapement goals, reflecting typically smaller runs.

"The Chuitna is only one that will affect anglers much," said Steve Runyan, manager of Three Rivers Fly and Tackle in Wasilla. "Quite a few people have been fishing it lately."

Commercial fishing will also be closed in the area from one mile south of the Chuitna River to the Susitna River.

Area management biologist Dave Rutz of Fish and Game said biologists will closely track Susitna River tributaries that have missed their escapement goals in recent years, ready to restrict anglers or close fishing if returns prove weak.

One of those tributaries is the Deshka River, the second largest Southcentral king fishery behind the Kenai River. Last year, 11,960 kings passed the Deshka weir -- below the minimum escapement goal of 13,000, but some 4,400 more than the previous year.

Biologists closed it to anglers on June 13, the second consecutive year they've closed it in June.

Weeks later, they shut down the Kashwitna River and Willow, Little Willow, Greys, Caswell, Sheep, Montana, Goose, Sunshine, Birch, Trapper and Rabideux creeks as well as all flowing waters of the Susitna River from the confluence with the Deshka upstream to the confluence with the Talkeetna River.

As recently as 2006, more than 31,000 kings passed the Deshka weir.