Area Sport Fishing Reports
Yakutat
Archived Sport Fishing Report
September 15, 2022
Check out the new gofishak interactive map to discover popular fishing locations and information on species run timing, fishing gear selections, and boat and angler access tips!
Freshwaters
Pink Salmon
Pink salmon fishing on the Situk River is winding down for finding fresh fish. Most pinks in the river have "turned" and are nearing spawning. Try pitching any brightly colored lure or drifting small flies or hooks with yarn in deep runs or holding water.
Coho Salmon
Silver salmon fishing is slow right now on the Situk River at the time of this writing, but things should improve some over the next five days until the next big rain event. Yakutat keeps getting significant rain events that are causing the Situk and other streams in the area to rise significantly. The river currently is at 1400cfs but is dropping. The next five days should see good fishing conditions until around Tuesday when the forscast calls for another round of rain. Foot anglers will continue to have the most difficult time reaching fish when water levels are high, with boat anglers doing better.
Silvers are notoriously aggressive fish so really anything can be used to catch them. If pitching lures like spinners, spoons, jigs, or plugs don't work, try using smaller gear like drifting flies or octopus hooks with a little brightly colored yarn or corkies along the bottom. Remember, no treble hooks are allowed on the Situk River, so switch out your treble hooks off your spinners and other lures with single siwash hooks.
Saltwaters
King Salmon
Sportfishing for king salmon is open in Yakutat area marine waters. Reports of fishing by trollers and sport anglers in Yakutat Bay have indicated that catch rates have slowed. Most kings being caught are done while trolling for coho. Most anglers are trolling spoons, hoochies, or herring behind a flasher 20-30 feet down along the beaches in about 40-60 feet of water.
Anglers are reminded that in order to sport fish for king salmon you must be in possession of a valid 2022 king salmon stamp.
Coho Salmon
Fishing for silvers in the salt remains slower than normal. Anglers are doing alright along the outside of Kahntaak Island, but limits are not being attained. Other locations to try include the pinnacles and around Ocean Cape. Try trolling herring or spoons or hoochies 20-30 feet down in about 30-60 feet of water or try mooching when you find a school of silvers.
Make sure you know how to identify between silvers and smaller chinook salmon. If you do not have a valid 2022 king salmon stamp you may not fish for or harvest king salmon. Also, only king salmon greater than or equal to 28" may be retained in salt waters.
Halibut
Halibut fishing continued to be good this last week. The weather over the next five days will make it better to get out for halibut.
Halibut are being caught within the islands and closer to shore inside the bay and might be a good place to get away from the dogfish while halibut follow pink and coho salmon salmon closer inshore. Try soaking all sorts of baited circle hooks with bait such as herring, salmon heads, carcasses, octopus, squid, etc.
Lingcod
Fishing has been excellent for lingcod in the Yakutat area, with good catches being reported. Try using all sorts of jigs, darts, or cut-plug herring while mooching
Rockfish
Fishing for pelagic rockfish should be excellent in the Yakutat area. Try using all sorts of jigs, dart, or cut-plug herring while mooching.
For further information, please contact the Yakutat Area Sport Fish management biologist Jason Pawluk at (907) 784-3222.