Area Sport Fishing Reports
Juneau

June 10, 2026

King Salmon

King salmon fishing has been somewhat variable in the terminal harvest area since the June 1 opener. Opening day produced excellent catch rates, and anglers have experienced several other strong fishing days since then, although some slower days have occurred in between. Creel samplers are reporting being very busy some days sampling lots of kings and then having almost no king salmon on other days. Overall, anglers willing to put in the time are continuing to find success. It is still early in the season, and catch rates are expected to improve as additional hatchery king salmon return to the area in the coming weeks.

Most harvested king salmon have been coming from the Fritz Cove and Thane areas, with additional fish being reported from Lena Cove and around Coghlan Island. Anglers are encouraged to explore a variety of locations and stay flexible, as productive areas can change quickly as fish move through the area.

Anglers are reminded that within the Terminal Harvest Area (THA), the daily bag and possession limit is four king salmon of any size. In addition, king salmon harvested by nonresidents within the THA do not count toward their annual king salmon harvest limit, providing a unique opportunity for anglers to take advantage of the area's liberalized regulations.

King salmon retention in Juneau area marine waters outside of the Terminal Harvest Area (THA) will reopen on June 15. Anglers fishing outside of the THA should be aware of the following regulations:

Alaska Resident

• The resident bag and possession limit is two king salmon, 28 inches or greater in length
• From October 1 through March 31, a resident sport fish angler may use two rods when fishing for king salmon; a person using two rods under this regulation may only retain salmon.

Nonresident

• The nonresident bag and possession limit is one king salmon, 28 inches or greater in length;
• From April 1 through June 30, the nonresident annual harvest limit is three king salmon, 28 inches or greater in length;
• From July 1 through December 31, the nonresident annual harvest limit is one king salmon, 28 inches or greater in length; any king salmon harvested from January 1 through June 30 will apply towards the one fish annual harvest limit.
• Immediately upon landing and retaining a king salmon, a nonresident must enter the species, date, and location on their sport fishing license or on a nontransferable harvest record.

Anglers are encouraged to review current advisory announcements and emergency orders for area maps, regulations, and any updates before heading out on the water.

Creel Sampling Season Is In Full Swing!

As the season gets underway, anglers are reminded that ADF&G creel samplers will be present at local docks throughout the summer collecting important fishery data.

Marine boat anglers returning to docks where ADF&G creel sampling is occurring, including the Juneau area, may not fillet, mutilate, or de-head sport-caught lingcod, nonpelagic rockfish, and king or coho salmon at sea from now through September 13, 2026. These fish must remain whole until your vessel is tied up at a docking facility where the fish will be offloaded, unless they have been consumed or preserved on board.

The information collected through creel sampling and angler interviews plays a critical role in fisheries management. Good data helps ADF&G better understand harvest levels, monitor fish stocks, and protect fishing opportunities throughout the season and into the future.

Please be patient and respectful when interacting with creel samplers on the docks, their work helps support sustainable fisheries for everyone who enjoys Southeast Alaska waters.

Other Fishing Opportunities

Dolly Varden and Cutthroat Trout Fishing

Summer can provide excellent opportunities for Dolly Varden and cutthroat trout anglers throughout the Juneau area. As juvenile salmon continue to emerge from local streams and rivers, Dolly Varden and cutthroat trout often congregate near creek mouths, stream channels, and shoreline areas to take advantage of this abundant food source. Fishing can be particularly productive around stream mouths during outgoing tides, especially in the few hours leading up to low tide when juvenile salmon are concentrated as they move into saltwater. Small spoons, spinners, and smolt-imitating flies are all effective options for targeting these fish.

In all drainages crossed by the Juneau road system, as well as the saltwater adjacent to the Juneau road system to a line ¼ mile offshore, cutthroat and rainbow trout bag limits (in combination) are 2 daily, 2 in possession with a 14-inch minimum and 22-inch maximum size limit. Dolly Varden limits are 2 daily, 2 in possession, no size limit. Anglers should check the 2026 Southeast Alaska Sport Fish Regulation Summary or special regulations specific to the stream or lake they intend to fish.

Halibut

Halibut fishing is continuing to improve, with anglers reporting increased success compared to earlier in the season. The majority of harvested fish have been coming from the Icy Strait and Hanus Reef areas, where anglers are finding the most consistent fishing opportunities. Closer to Juneau, smaller numbers of halibut are also being harvested around Couverden and Benjamin Island as fish continue moving into local waters. As more halibut arrive from outer coastal areas and spread throughout the region, anglers can expect fishing opportunities around Juneau to continue improve throughout the summer.

It's important to note that halibut fishing is federally managed. For detailed information on sport fishing regulations and guidelines for charter (guided) vs unguided halibut regulations in Southeast Alaska, please visit NOAA’s website.

Rockfish

Deepwater release devices are mandatory for all saltwater vessels. All vessels must have at least one functional deepwater release mechanism on board and readily available for use when sport fishing activities are taking place regardless of species targeted.

All rockfish not retained must be released at the depth they were caught or 100 feet, whichever is shallower.

Please visit our link to view deep water release device examples and tips and how these mechanisms are a helpful tool for conservation.

Rockfish fishing around the Juneau area has been steady, with anglers reporting catches of silvergray, dusky, and quillback rockfish throughout local waters. While effort remains relatively low compared to salmon and halibut fisheries, anglers targeting rockfish are continuing to find success in a variety of locations around the Juneau area.

Pelagic Rockfish

• All anglers: 3 per day, 6 in possession, no size limit.

Pelagic rockfish include, Black, Dark, Deacon, Dusky, Widow and Yellowtail rockfish.

Nonpelagic rockfish (demersal shelf & and slope rockfish)

• Demersal shelf rockfish (yelloweye, quillback, tiger, China, canary, copper and rosethorn rockfish)

  • Alaska residents: 1 per day, 2 in possession, no size limit.
  • Nonresidents:
    • Season: July 1 – August 25;
    • 1 daily, 1 in possession, annual limit of ONE fish.
    • Immediately upon landing and retaining a demersal shelf rockfish, a nonresident must enter the species, date and location on the back of their sport fishing license or on a nontransferable harvest record.

• Slope rockfish

  • All anglers: 1 per day, 2 in possession, no size limit.

Slope nonpelagic rockfish include, Blackgill, Blackspotted, Blue, Bocaccio, Brown, Chilipepper, Darkblotched, Greenstriped, Harlequin, Northern, Pacific Ocean Perch, PugetSound, Pygmy, Redstripe, Redbanded, Rougheye, Sharpchin, Shortbelly, Shortraker, Silvergray, Splitnose, Stripetail, Vermilion, and Yellowmouth.

Not all rockfish species found in Alaska are listed above. For a complete list of species you may encounter in Alaska, please visit our website.

Shellfish Harvesting

King Crab

Personal use red and blue king crab fishing closed on March 31^st and will reopen on July 1st, exclusively for Alaskan residents. To participate, anglers must hold a valid sport fishing license along with a 2026/2027 Southeast Alaska Regional Personal Use King Crab Permit. These are available at the ADF&G online store. Please check for Personal Use Emergency Orders, legal-size and pot configurations, and restrictions online. Section 11-A is currently CLOSED to Alaskan resident PU king crab fishing. Stay tuned for the Juneau area PU announcement later this year using the link above. Harvest must be reported online. Please check the 2026 Southeast Alaska Sport Fishing Regulations Summary booklet pages 40-45 for regulations specific to shellfish.

Dungeness and Tanner Crab

For Alaskan residents in the Juneau area, licensed anglers can keep 20 Dungeness males, a 6 ½" minimum width. While taking Dungeness crab, 5 pots or 10 rings per person may be used, with a max of 10 pots or 20 rings per vessel. While taking Tanner crab, no more than 4 pots or 10 rings per vessel may be used. In total, no more than 5 pots per person and 10 pots per vessel may be used for taking shellfish regardless of pot type.

For nonresidents in the Juneau area, licensed anglers can keep 3 male Tanner and Dungeness crab (in combination). Tanner males need to be 5 ½" minimum width and Dungeness males need to be 6 ½" minimum width.

Please note: Tanner crab will be closed to sport and personal use fishing from June 16 through June 30, 2026.

Shrimp

Sport and personal use shrimp fisheries in the Juneau and Tenakee area will remain CLOSED until further notice. The closed area consists of all marine waters of Section 11-A north and west of a line extending from a regulatory marker near point Bishop to the Coast Guard marker and light on Point Arden, extending to a line at the latitude of Little Island light, and east of a line from Little Island light to Point Retreat light. And the Tenakee closed area consists of all marine waters in Tenakee Inlet west of the longitude of Corner Point at 135° 06.50' W long. Check the Sport and Personal Use Advisory Announcement.

Outside the Juneau 11-A and Tenakee Inlet areas, sport and personal use shrimp fishing remains open. Sport and personal use shrimpers who have a valid sport fishing license must also have a free shrimp permit available on the ADF&G online store. Participating anglers must sign their permit in ink to make it valid and have the permit in possession while taking shrimp in Southeast Alaska. Shrimp limits and gear requirements for sport and personal use shrimp fishing cab be found on pages 40-45 of the 2026 Southeast Alaska Sport Fishing Regulations Summary. Reporting of effort and harvest is required and must be submitted to the department even if you did not fish.

Clams

ADF&G does not recommend harvesting clams from any waters in the Juneau area due to the possibility that the clams may contain Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning (PSP) toxins. Currently, no beaches in the Juneau area are monitored on a regular basis (i.e- "certified") for PSP toxins. If you harvest, you do so at your own risk of PSP poisoning. Sporadic sampling has been conducted by the Southeast Alaska Tribal Ocean Research (SEATOR) project, but clams of any species and at any time during the year may still contain toxic levels of PSP. Please navigate to the following Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) web page for more information about PSP.

Interactive Fishing Location Maps

Check out the wefishak page on the ADF&G website for the new Juneau-Glacier Bay Interactive Map to discover popular fishing locations and information on species run timing, fishing gear selections, and boat and angler access tips through the Sport Fish gofishak application.