Area Sport Fishing Reports
Prince of Wales Island
Archived Sport Fishing Report
November 01, 2017
Prince of Wales Sport Fishing
The sport fishing opportunities are numerous on Prince of Wales with productive marine waters surrounding the island and a vast road system to access a large number of rivers, creeks and lakes. During the winter fishing in marine waters is poor for salmon and fair for bottom fish. Halibut, rockfish and lingcod are generally abundant in the marine waters, with additional resources such as crab and shrimp available.
King Salmon
Sport fishing for king salmon reopened October 1 with a resident bag limit of 2 king salmon per day, 28 inches or greater. Nonresident bag limit is 1 king salmon per day with an annual limit of 3, 28 inches or greater. Fishing is currently poor.
Coho Salmon
Coho salmon are now spawining in freshwater drainages.
Steelhead
Small numbers of fall/winter steelhead have started entering some of the larger, lake associated drainages on the island and will be avaialble through the winter. Drainages that have fall/winter steelhead include: Thorne, Klawock and Karta rivers; Eagle and Ratz creeks.
Trout and Dolly Varden
Rainbow trout, cutthroat trout and Dolly Varden are available in many of the freshwater drainages of Prince of Wales Island. Productive drainages include: Klawock, Luck and Sarkar lakes, the Thorne River and Ratz Creek. Regulations regarding size limits, bag limits and the use of bait can vary by waterbody, so please check pages 27 and 28 of the 2017 Southeast Alaska Sport Fish Regulation Summary.
Halibut
Halibut provide good fishing in the marine waters surrounding Prince of Wales and good catches are possible in the fall with success decreasing into the winter.
- Season: February 1- December 31
- Unguided anglers may catch and retain two halibut per day- no size limit, 4 in possession
- Charter vessel anglers may catch and retain one halibut per day, which must be less than or equal to 44 inches or greater than or equal to 80 inches in total length. Unguided anglers may retain two halibut of any size.
- Charter operators and crew members may not retain halibut while clients are on board the vessel.
Lingcod
Lingcod provide good fishing in the marine waters surrounding Prince of Wales and good catches can occur in the fall.
Southern Southeast (Prince of Wales) area
- Season: May 16 – November 30
- Resident – one daily two in possession, no size limit.
- Nonresident – one daily, one in possession, size limit: 30 inches or greater in length and less than 45 inches in length, or 55 inches or greater in length. Annual limit of 2 fish, one of which is 30 to 45 inches in length, one of which is 55 inches or greater in length, nonresident anglers shall immediately record, in ink, all lingcod harvested either on the back of their sport fishing license or on a nontransferable harvest record.
- Charter operators and crew members may not retain lingcod while clients are on board the vessel.
Rockfish
Pelagic and non-pelagic rockfish provide good fishing in the marine waters surrounding Prince of Wales year round. For additional information regarding rockfish identification and management please refer to rockfish conservation on the ADF&G Sport Fish website.
All Prince of Wales Waters
Pelagic Rockfish
- Season: year round
- Five per day; ten in possession
Non-pelagic Rockfish
- All non-pelagic rockfish caught must be retained until the daily bag limit is reached.
- Resident - One non-pelagic rockfish daily; possession limit of one fish.
- Nonresident - One non-pelagic rockfish daily; possession limit of one fish; with an annual limit of one yelloweye rockfish.
- Nonresident anglers must immediately record yelloweye rockfish harvested, in ink, either on the back of their sport fishing license, or on a nontransferable harvest record.
- Persons sport fishing from a charter vessel when releasing non-pelagic rockfish, (e.g. after an angler reaches their bag limit), must be in possession of, and utilize a deep water release mechanism to return the fish to the depth it was hooked or to a depth of at least 100 feet.
- Charter operators and crew members may not retain non-pelagic rockfish while clients are on board the vessel.
Regulation summaries and copies of the news releases are available at the Craig ADF&G office.
For further information, please feel free to contact the Prince of Wales Area Management Biologist: Craig Schwanke (907) 826-2498.