Area Sport Fishing Reports
Yakutat

Archived Sport Fishing Report

August 18, 2015

Marine fishing


Marine fishing harvest success information can be found by following the link above right “marine harvest rates”.
 

  • Coho angling in salt waters of Yakutat Bay is getting good. Many boats are getting full limits in with some groundfish angling. Some shore anglers also report that coho are now in close by stream mouths in Sawmill Bay, and in the Ankau system.
  • Halibut anglers continue to get good catches of large and medium sized halibut. As the fall progresses the angling for halibut will get more difficult due to weather, but fair catches will continue into late October. Most halibut effort in Yakutat starts to drop off after mid September. Halibut can be caught in close to stream mouths this time of year, as the pink salmon will start to die off and flow back into salt waters.
  • Rockfish and lingcod angling is still productive. A few boats will target these species and come back with large hauls of many different types. Most anglers encounter and catch these fish while angling for halibut.
  • Pink salmon are still in big schools at the mouths of streams in Yakutat Bay. Many have moved up, have finished spawning, and the carcasses are coming back down into the estuaries.
  • Late season Chinook angling in salt waters was fair this last week. Trolling deeper to get away from the numerous pink salmon will increase your odds for a Chinook.


Freshwater Fishing

 

  • High water from recent rains has slowed the river angling success for coho salmon in the Situk River and other foreland streams. As the water recedes the angling will get more productive. Coho angling prior to the storm was getting better every day. Limits came to most anglers who put in the time.
  • Tsiu River coho angling is beginning to pick up. High water this week will have less effect on angling in that stream as compared to other Yakutat area streams, but plane access may be more difficult in flooded conditions, and with adverse winds.
  • The Akwe and Italio river systems are also starting to see some coho, although these streams are typically later in coho run timing than the Situk and Tsiu.
  • Pink salmon are still very abundant in most Yakutat area streams. The spawning event for pink salmon is in full swing, and most fish are now getting colored up. A few new fish also are still coming in, but the run is beginning to wane.
  • Dolly Varden are beginning to get fall spawning colors as they prepare to spawn. These fish will continue to feed heavily into October before they move onto their spawning areas.

More information is available on fishing opportunities by clicking on the link to the left, Information By Area,... and navigating through links for Yakutat,... Fishing Opportunities.

For further information, anglers can call Brian Marston at the ADF&G, Division of Sport Fish in Yakutat, at (907) 784-3222.
 

Helpful links