Area Sport Fishing Reports
Petersburg

Archived Sport Fishing Report

May 06, 2016

The 2016 fishing season is here! Longer days, warming water, and strengthening catch rates mean it is time to get out fishing. This is the first fishing report of the season and the first completed week of marine boat sport fish creel sampling.

Fishing Opportunities

King Salmon

The regional king salmon regulations have been issued, please see the link to the news release at the bottom of this page for 2016 sport fishing king salmon limits. For the local area, the preseason projection of Stikine river king salmon returns is strong; which means increased sport fishing opportunity within district 8. Please see the link to the news release for the Stikine River also at the bottom of this page. News releases are also posted near the entrance to harbors and boat launches in Petersburg and Wrangell.

Catches of king salmon were fairly low this last week although poor weather did not make for ideal fishing conditions. Catch rates are expected to increase quickly as we approach the peak of our marine king salmon fishery in late May/early June.
 

Steelhead

The steelhead season is well underway. Steelhead can be found in local streams and rivers as they return to spawn during the spring. This year we have observed an earlier than average run timing which means that best fishing period is behind us. However, steelhead are still present in most systems and ocean bright fish can still be found. Expect steelhead fishing opportunity to taper off as we get farther into the month of May.

Dolly Varden, Rainbow trout and Cuthroat trout

There are several great locations for fishing trout and Dolly Varden both on and off the road system in the Petersburg/Wrangell area. With the warming freshwater temperatures anglers often find these fish active and aggressive. Dolly Varden can also be an exciting catch in the nearshore marine waters. When fishing for trout be sure to check the "2016 Southeast Alaska Sport Fish Regulation Summary"(available anywhere licenses are sold or on the website) to understand regulations for the waterbody you intend to fish. Regulations regarding size limits, bag limits and the use of bait can vary by waterbody.

Halibut

Halibut are currently being caught in local waters. Halibut catch rates typically increase throughout the summer as these fish migrate into the area and remain stable throughout the early fall.