Area Sport Fishing Reports
Haines/Skagway
Archived Sport Fishing Report
June 29, 2015
Summer 2015 fishing opportunities
Sockeye salmon
Sockeye salmon counts through the Chilkoot River weir are below average so far this year. The Chilkoot run typically gains momentum in July and continues through August.
Sockeye salmon counts at the Chilkat River fish wheels are above average so far.The Chilkat run continues steadily through September.
Pink salmon
Some pink salmon have passed through the Chilkoot River weir. This run is strongest in mid-July through mid-September.
The Chilkat River pink salmon run is off to a strong start this year. This run is typically strongest in July through mid-August.
Char and Trout
Dolly Varden and cutthroat trout can be caught in clear water streams and lakes through the summer. The Chilkoot River water is high but remains fairly clear. The Chilkat River is high and will be silty for the summer. Bait is prohibited when fishing in Chilkat Lake or Mosquito Lake and their inlet and outlet streams.
Sea-run Dolly Varden and cutthroat trout are feeding in salt water. They can be caught near shore through the summer in the Haines and Skagway area.
King salmon
Lisa Mandeville won the Pat Moore Memorial Gamefish Derby in Skagway with a 22 lb. king salmon. A total of 10 kings were entered during the 4-day event, held June 25-28.
King salmon fishing effort at the Haines small boat harborwas very light last week . The Haines creel survey concluded on June 28. Sport fishing effort and king salmon catches by Haines anglers were very low in May and June this year.
Chilkat River king monitoring project near 9 Mile Haines Highway has seen a weak inriver run so far this year.
Chilkat Inlet is closed to king salmon sport fishing through July 15. ADF&G is managing sport, commercial, and subsistence fisheries in Chilkat Inlet conservatively to meet the Chilkat king salmon escapement goal.
In the remainder of the Haines and Skagway area, the bag & possession limit is 1 king salmon 28 inches or longer. This area includes Taiya Inlet near Skagway, Lutak and Chilkoot Inlets near Haines, and Lynn Canal as far south as the latitude of Little Island Light. Non-Alaska residents must record each harvested king salmon on the back of their fishing license to comply with the non-resident annual limit of 3 king salmon.
About 200,000 hatchery-reared smolt were released in Pullen Pond in June 2015. These fish will return to the Skagway and Haines area as legal size kings in years 2017 through 2019.