Area Sport Fishing Reports
Haines/Skagway
Archived Sport Fishing Report
August 30, 2016
Summer 2016 fishing opportunities
Sockeye salmon
The Chilkoot River sockeye salmon run is winding down for the season. Sockeye counts through the weir averaged 200 per day last week. Through August 28, the season total weir count was 84,000 fish, which is very close to the upper end of the escapement goal range (38,000 to 86,000 fish). The Chilkoot River is milky with glacial silt.
Chilkat River fish wheel sockeye salmon counts continue to be above average. Upstream sockeye salmon counts at Chilkat Lake weir are on track to meet the Chilkat Lake escapement goal (70,000 to 150,000 fish).
Pink salmon
The Chilkoot River pink salmon is winding down. Last week the weir counts averaged 120 per day last week. Overall, this year's Chilkoot pink salmon run has been less than 1/3 of average.
The Chilkat River pink salmon run was very weak this year, with Chilkat River fish wheel pink salmon counts at about 3% of the long-term average.
In the Haines and Skagway area, because of the pink salmon's 2-year life cycle, pinks are fewer in even-numbered years than in odd-numbered years.
Coho (silver) salmon
Coho salmon counts at the Chilkat River fish wheels are below average so far. Fishing reports from other Southeast Alaska locations indicate weak coho salmons run this year.
The sport fishery on Chilkat and Chilkoot Rivers typically gets going in late September when cool weather reduces glacial melt and the river water begins to clear up. Rain events also make for lower angler success. The National Weather Service operates a water level gauge on the Chilkat River near Klukwan. Declining water levels usually mean clearer water.
Char and Trout
Dolly Varden and cutthroat trout are returning from salt water where they fed near river mouths. Dollies and cutties are following immigrating sockeye and chum salmon salmon up the Chilkoot River, Chilkoot Lake, and clearwater Chilkat River tributaries.
The Chilkat River is high and turbid with glacier melt water, but Dolly Varden and cutthroat trout can be caught in clearwater tributaries and lakes.
Bait is prohibited when fishing in Chilkat Lake or Mosquito Lake and their inlet and outlet streams. See the Haines/Skagway area regulations for details and a map.
King salmon
King salmon fishing has been poor in upper Lynn Canal waters this summer. Hatchery-reared king salmon smolt that were released in Pullen Pond through 2015 will contribute to Haines and Skagway salt water sport fishing in 2017 and 2018.
The sport fishing bag and possession limit is 1 king salmon 28 inches or greater in length in the waters of Lynn Canal north of Sherman Rock, including Chilkoot Inlet, Lutak Inlet, and Taiya Inlet. Non-Alaska residents must record each king salmon they harvest on the back of their license, and the non-resident annual limit is 6 kings in Southeast Alaska.
The fresh waters of Pullen Creek, including Pullen Pond in downtown Skagway, are open to king salmon fishing through mid-September. The bag & possession limit is 4 kings of any size, and kings caught in Pullen Creek waters will not count toward the nonresident annual limit for king salmon. This opening allows harvest of hatchery-produced king salmon that have returned to Pullen Creek. There will be no king salmon broodstock collected at Pullen Creek this year.
ADF&G is managing sport, commercial, and subsistence fisheries conservatively to meet the Chilkat River king salmon escapement goal. Learn the latest results of ADF&G's king salmon research projects in the Spring 2016 issue of Chinook News.
King salmon bag and possession limits are more liberal in other parts of Southeast Alaska where local stock abundance is not a concern.