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Area Sport Fishing Reports
Juneau

August 4, 2020

Beat the Covid-19 blues! Enjoy summer fishing:

* Just a reminder to all our anglers, please do your part to help slow the spread of Covid-19 by following and reviewing the current State of Alaska Health Mandates in effect. This includes practicing social distancing while sport and personal use fishing and wearing a face covering when fishing and if you are needing fishing supplies from your local store as indicated in Health Alert 010.

Summer salmon & halibut fishing season is here! Lose your Covid-19 blues, socially distance on your boat or on a remote coastline and let your mind clear of all the stress of the last few months. ADF&G Marine Creel personnel began their surveys of marine boat anglers fishing around the Juneau area in early June this year. Please help them collect the requested information so that ADF&G can continue to manage sustainably. This past week, anglers have had limited success in trolling for king (or Chinook) salmon from the backside of Douglas, Benjamin Island, Funter Bay, and N. Shelter Island. Most king salmon have been caught trolling. Shore anglers are reminded that snagging or casting for king salmon is not allowed off the docks or boat ramps in any of the Juneau harbors, but is allowed from the shoreline.

Anglers fishing near DIPAC Macaulay Hatchery should note that fishing for chum (or Dog) salmon and snagging is prohibited along the DIPAC shoreline to 300 feet offshore between the regulatory marker at the southwest corner of the Gastineau Channel Wayside Park Pavilion to the Tonsgard Landing Dock. This closure is in effect from July 15-August 15 in order to protect chum salmon for egg-take goals. This closure will be rescinded when enough chum salmon are passed into the hatchery raceways.

Pink (or Humpy) salmon were harvested from boats in the Juneau marine waters area from Pt Retreat, Funter Bay and N. Shelter. Chum salmon have been hard to find, but a few have been harvested in Funter Bay, Gambier Bay, Pt. Howard and the Breadline. Coho (or Silver) salmon are showing up in increasing numbers in more areas around Juneau, with the most catches from Pt Retreat, Funter Bay, Shelter Island, and the backside of Douglas. Dolly Varden and cutthroat trout are still available in freshwater and the estuaries around the Juneau roadsystem. An increasing number of halibut and rockfish are being reported to ADF&G Creel samplers with the best reports this past week from N. Shelter, Homeshore/the Sisters, Horse and Colt Islands, and the reefs north of Favorite Channel. Rockfish species reported harvested included pelagic Duskies, and nonpelagic Slope Silvergreys and Rougheyes. Prohibited Shelf rockfish species that were reported as released this week include Quillback, Redbanded, Tigers and Yelloweye rockfish.

Anglers are reminded that the bag and possession limit for pelagic rockfish, those that live in schools up in the water column, is 5 fish daily, 10 in possession. These include the Dark, Dusky, Widow, Black, Deacon, and Yellowtail. For the purposes of fishing regulations, anything that is not one of these species is a nonpelagic rockfish. See page 38 of the 2020 Southeast Alaska Sport Fishing Regulations Summary or at https://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=fishregulations.se_sportfish for pictures and identification. Nonpelagic rockfish cannot be kept this season, except for a daily bag and possession limit of 1 slope rockfish. Nonpelagic rockfish, those that do not live primarily up in the water column (such as pelagic rockfish), but instead live near the bottom can be categorized as “slope” or “shelf” rockfish. This refers to their habitat preference for living on the continental shelves (~300’ deep or less) or on the shelf break where the shelves drop into even deeper waters. Anglers cannot keep nonpelagic shelf rockfish such as Yelloweye, Quillback, Copper, China, Canary, Tiger or Rosethorn. These are long-lived, have a low fecundity (produce relatively few offspring) and can more easily be overharvested. Because of this, ADF&G has conservation concerns for these nonpelagic shelf species. Nonpelagic slope rockfish are not normally encountered, unless fishing very deep and there is less of a concern for overharvest. Slope species that can be harvested (1 fish per day and in possession, no annual limit) include: Redbanded, Rougheye, Shortraker, Silvergrey and Vermillion. Try this link for more information on fish identification: https://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=blackrockfish.resources

Anglers should also note that a working Deepwater Release Device is required to be onboard while fishing and must be used to release all rockfish that are caught and not kept. This device allows rockfish to be released safely at depth, so their swim bladder can deflate without killing the fish. Do not “fizz” or vent released rockfish. More information can be found here: http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=fishingSportFishingInfo.rockfishconservation

King Salmon fishing

Freshwater drainages crossed by the Juneau Road System are open year-round to king salmon fishing with a bag and possession limit of 4 fish of any size. King salmon caught by nonresidents in these drainages do not count toward their annual limit. In addition, liberalized methods and means are in effect for Fish Creek Pond from June 1- August 31. Please consult the Southeast Alaska Sport Fishing Regulations Summary Booklet for these regulations: http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/static/regulations/fishregulations/PDFs/southeast/2020se_sfregs_complete.pdf

Hatchery king salmon fishing has slowed down this past week but a few hatchery king salmon were caught along the shoreline near DIPAC Macaulay Hatchery. Snagging is prohibited in saltwater at the mouth of Auke Creek, at the mouth of Fish Creek, and currently from shore near the Gastineau Channel Wayside Park fishing dock. Instead, anglers should try casting with large spoons or spinners to entice a strike.

Sport Fishing Regulations for King Salmon in salt waters of Southeast Alaska and the Juneau area:

Southeast Regionwide regulations are now in place that provide increased opportunity for king salmon harvest in the sport fishery in marine waters. These are effective July 31 at 12:01 am through 11:59 pm Wednesday, September 30, 2020:

Alaska Resident

  • The resident bag and possession limit is five king salmon, 28 inches or greater in length,
    no annual limit;

Nonresident

Immediately upon landing and retaining a king salmon a nonresident must enter the species, date, and location, on their sport fishing license or on a nontransferable harvest record;

  • The nonresident bag and possession limit is three king salmon, 28 inches or greater in length;
  • The nonresident annual limit is nine king salmon, 28 inches or greater in length;

These regionwide regulations will apply to all areas including the designated saltwater hatchery sport harvest areas as described below.

Anglers fishing north of the area should review the advisory announcement announcing regulations for the Haines/Skagway areas. Anglers fishing south of the Juneau area should review the advisory announcement announcing regulations for the Petersburg/Wrangell and Ketchikan areas.

Sport Fishing Regulations for Hatchery Areas near Juneau:

Regional regulations also now apply in all marine waters in the Juneau area including the Lena Cove, Auke Bay and Gastineau Channel designated hatchery sport harvest areas and will be in effect from 12:01 a.m. Monday, July 31 through 11:59 p.m. Monday, September 30, 2020. These new regulations are as follows:

Alaska Resident

  • The resident bag and possession limit is five king salmon, 28 inches or greater in length,
    no annual limit;

Nonresident

Immediately upon landing and retaining a king salmon a nonresident must enter the species, date, and location, on their sport fishing license or on a nontransferable harvest record;

  • The nonresident bag and possession limit is three king salmon, 28 inches or greater in length;
  • The nonresident annual limit is nine king salmon, 28 inches or greater in length;

For further information concerning this announcement please contact Region 1 office in Douglas at (907) 465-4270.

Other Salmon fishing

Saltwater

Coho (silver), chum (dog), and pink (humpies) salmon are now beginning to be caught in Juneau area marine waters and will continue to be available to anglers through August. Marine harvest rates for chum and pink salmon should peak over the next two weeks. Coho salmon fishing is generally excellent later in the year but cohos have started to show up in the marine sport fisheries around Shelter Island and Pt. Retreat.

Anglers usually harvest salmon in marine waters by trolling or mooching herring, hoochies, flies, or plugs. Trolling involves actively pulling terminal fishing gear through the water fast enough to provide a spin or roll which imitates a wounded baitfish. Mooching is done from an anchored or drifting boat and is an effective technique when fishing in medium to strong currents. This type of fishing involves jigging or mooching gear that allows the gear to flutter and drift with the current.

Other Trout/Dolly Varden fishing

Spring and early summer is the time when sea run Dolly Varden and other trout (rainbows and cutthroat) foraging in the marine and nearshore waters around the area. Lake outlets and streams that connect to the salt water are prime places to harvest these fish in the spring. After the outmigration, the saltwater shoreline fishing can be productive before they again follow the salmon back upstream. Out in saltwater, spoons and spinners work well, as do smolt and fry imitation flies. Try egg-sucking leaches, egg imitations and even yarn flies for early summer fun in freshwaters as the salmon begin showing up.

In addition to Dollies, sea run cutthroat trout can also be found near stream mouths and along area shorelines. On the Juneau Road System, the regulations for Dolly Varden is 2 per day, 2 in possession, no size limit and for cutthroat it is 2 per day, 2 in possession, with a 14-inch minimum and 22-inch maximum length. Please check the regulation summary booklet for the watershed you are fishing for trout regulations. Similar techniques used for harvesting Dollies can be effective while fishing for sea-run cutthroat. Some popular fishing spots for Dollies and cutthroat include Montana Creek, Cowee Creek, Gastineau Channel, Auke Lake, and Windfall Creek (closed June and July) and Windfall Lake. Anglers should note that Peterson Creek is again open to fishing beginning July 1, since the spawning migration of steelhead will be over and steelhead will have already spawned and returned to the ocean. Peterson Creek, Salt Chuck and estuary are open July 1; Juneau Road System regulations apply, except that in the Salt Chuck the use of bait is prohibited and only unbaited, artificial flies and lures can be used year-round. Additional freshwater opportunities exist for trout and char that are partially or completely isolated from marine waters. On the Juneau road system, these systems include Peterson Creek (above the falls) and lake, Salmon Creek Reservoir (brook trout), Dredge Lakes off backloop road, and Fish Creek above Eaglecrest Road. Dolly Varden and trout caught in these systems are generally small (6” – 10”) and are mostly considered to be resident fish.

Lake Fishing near Juneau:

Please check the 2020 Sport Fishing Regulations Booklet (https://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=fishregulations.se_sportfish) for lakes that are open and the associated regulations. Remember, most lakes in the Juneau area are off limits to the use of bait so be sure to check the regulations.

Lakes where bait is NOT allowed:

Auke Lake

  • Bait prohibited, only unbaited artificial lures or flies may be used year-round
  • Closed to sockeye salmon and Dolly Varden fishing. All sockeye salmon and Dolly Varden caught must be released immediately
  • Cutthroat and rainbow trout limits (in combination): 2 daily, 2 in possession, 14-inch minimum and 22-inch maximum size limit

Mendenhall Lake

  • Bait prohibited, only unbaited artificial lures or flies may be used year-round
  • Closed to Dolly Varden fishing. All Dolly Varden caught must be released immediately
  • Cutthroat and rainbow trout limits (in combination): 2 daily, 2 in possession, 14-inch minimum and 22-inch maximum size limit

Morraine and Glacier lakes in the Dredge Lakes area

  • Bait prohibited, only unbaited artificial lures or flies may be used year-round
  • Dolly Varden: no size restrictions—2 daily, 2 in possession
  • Cutthroat and rainbow trout limits (in combination): 2 daily, 2 in possession, 14-inch minimum and 22-inch maximum size limit
  • Remainder of lakes in the Dredge Lakes Area (i.e.- Crystal, Dredge, Moose, etc.) have the same bag and possession limits above but bait is allowed Sept. 15 – Nov. 15

Windfall Lake (and all inlet streams)

  • Bait prohibited, only unbaited artificial lures or flies may be used year-round
  • Dolly Varden: no size restrictions—2 daily, 2 in possession
  • Cutthroat and rainbow trout limits (in combination): 2 daily, 2 in possession, 14-inch minimum and 22-inch maximum size limit

Lakes where bait IS allowed:

Twin Lakes

  • The use of bait is allowed year-round
  • Cutthroat and rainbow trout limits (in combination): 5 daily, 5 in possession, no size limit

Salmon Creek Reservoir

  • The use of bait is allowed year-round
  • Brook trout: no size limit—10 daily, 10 in possession

Peterson Lake

  • No restrictions on use of bait
  • Cutthroat and rainbow trout limits (in combination): 2 daily, 2 in possession, 14-inch minimum and 22-inch maximum size limit

Dungeness and Tanner Crab

Dungeness and Tanner crab are currently open for harvest. Residents targeting crab will fish under personal use regulations and may keep 20 male Dungeness crab per day and 30 male Tanner crab per day. Non-residents fish under sport regulations and can harvest 3 males (in combination) that are 6 ½” minimum carapace width for Dungeness and 5 ½” minimum carapace width for Tanners. Sport caught herring, chum and pink salmon as well as fish species with no sport limit may be used as bait. For other species that are caught while sport fishing, only the head, tail, fins, closely trimmed skeleton, and viscera may be used. Please check the 2020 Southeast Alaska Sport Fishing Regulations Summary booklet page 8 and pages 33-36 for regulation details and restrictions specific to taking shellfish under sport and personal use regulations at: https://www.adfg.alaska.gov/static/regulations/fishregulations/PDFs/southeast/2019se_sfregs_shellfish.pdf

King Crab

King crab fishing is only allowed for residents of Alaska. For section 11-A, the marine waters near Juneau are currently closed. Once the 2020 red and blue king crab stock assessment survey data have been analyzed, an advisory announcement will be issued in mid-August 2020, explaining survey results and, if appropriate, announcing an opening date for the fishery, associated bag and pot limits, and information on obtaining a personal use fishing permit required to participate in the Section 11-A fishery.

For other southeast marine waters please use the link below to get specifics on which areas are currently open. Please note that a separate permit is required to fish for king crab in southeast Alaska.
http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/static/applications/dcfnewsrelease/1157565356.pdf

Shrimp

Sport and personal use shrimp fisheries in the Juneau area will remain closed until further notice. The closed area consists of all marine waters of Section 11-A north and west of a line extending from a regulatory marker near point Bishop to the Coast Guard marker and light on Point Arden, extending to a line at the latitude of Little Island light, and east of a line from Little Island light to Point Retreat light. The Sport and Personal Use News Release can be found at: http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/sf/EONR/index.cfm?ADFG=region.NR&Year=2019&NRID=2513

Outside of the 11-A area, sport and personal use fishing remains open. Sport and personal use shrimpers who have a valid sport fishing license must also have a free shrimp permit available on the ADF&G online store at: https://www.adfg.alaska.gov/Store/ or from any of the ADF&G offices. Participating anglers must sign their permit in ink to make it valid and have the permit in possession while taking shrimp in Southeast Alaska. Shrimp Limits and gear requirements for sport and personal use shrimp fishing cab be found on pages 33-36 of the 2020 Southeast Alaska Sport Fishing Regulations Summary or at https://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=fishregulations.se_sportfish. Reporting of effort and harvest is required and must be submitted to the department even if you did not fish.

Clams

Every year, the Douglas office gets questions about harvesting clams in the Juneau area. ADF&G does not recommend harvesting clams from any waters in the Juneau area due to the possibly that the clams may contain Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning (PSP) toxins, especially during the summer months. Currently, no beaches in the Juneau area are monitored on a regular basis (i.e- ‘certified’) for PSP toxins. If you harvest, you do so at your own risk of PSP poisoning. Sporadic sampling has been conducted by the SouthEast Alaska Tribal Ocean Research (SEATOR) project http://www.seator.org/, but clams of any species and at any time during the year may still contain toxic levels of PSP. Please navigate to the following Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) web page for more information about PSP: https://dec.alaska.gov/eh/fss/shellfish/paralytic-shellfish-poisoning.

Interactive Fishing Location Maps

NEW! Check out the wefishak page on the ADF&G website for the new Juneau/Glacier Bay interactive map to discover popular fishing locations and information on species run timing, fishing gear selections, and boat and angler access tips thru the Sport Fish gofishak application.

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