Area Sport Fishing Reports
Yakutat
Archived Sport Fishing Report
May 17, 2021
* 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.
Freshwaters
Steelhead Trout
The weather in Yakutat continues to be cool and gray. Below-average temperatures, dark cloudy skies, and rainy days have made fishing pretty miserable here.
Water conditions on the Situk River have been decent for the most part the last two weeks. Water levels continued to remain in the 250-350 cfs range with the recent rains bumping it up to almost ~400cfs. The issue is that water temperature continues to be well below average for this time of year. We are, however, above temperatures seen in 2008 and 2012 when we had very late runs.
Fishing on the Situk has been and will most likely continue to be slow for the remainder of the season. At this point, there is no indication the run will enter this late in the year. Most fish in the river have begun spawning throughout the system. Anglers are encouraged to leave actively spawning fish alone and target fresher fish and holding waters where fish aren't spawning.
Saltwaters
King Salmon
Sportfishing for king salmon is open in Yakutat area marine waters. Fishing reports over the last 10 days have been pretty spotty. Reports of fish being caught inside the islands and around the "horseshoe" have been received during the last two weeks. Most anglers are trolling spoons or herring behind a flasher near the shoreline or around rocky structures. Try trolling your gear between 20-60 feet deep.
Halibut
Halibut fishing has been pretty good in Yakutat Bay these last 10 days. Good marine weather has allowed anglers to fish outside Yakutat Bay and get into some nice fish. Halibut fishing should only improve from this point forward as more fish move onshore.
Lingcod
Lingcod fishing opened on Sunday, May 16th.
Rockfish
Fishing for rockfish should be excellent in the Yakutat area.
For further information, please contact the Yakutat Area Sport Fish management biologist Jason Pawluk at (907) 784-3222.