Sport Fish Area Fishing Report
Prince William Sound

Current Report

Current Sport Fish Area Fishing Report

July 30, 2014

Prince William Sound and the
Copper River Delta Area

Week of July 29 to August 4
Issued July 29, 2014

Regulation Reminders and Emergency Orders

• Permits are mandatory for all noncommercial shrimp fisherman. Permits are available at local Fish and Game offices and at select vendors.
• Ibeck Creek is closed to all sport fishing upstream from a point 3 miles above the Copper River Highway.

Fresh waters

Salmon

• Sockeye salmon fishing in the Eyak River has tapered off and silvers should be just around the corner.
• Most Sockeye fishing in the sound is wrapping up, although there are a few late runs still coming in….Eshamy shouldn’t be too bad right now as they started fairly late this year. Please observe new freshwater/saltwater snagging boundary signs. Jackpot and Gunboot might be worth checking out as well.
• Some early silvers should be heading into fresh water any day now if they aren’t there already… this weekend might be a good one…

Trout, Dolly Varden, Grayling

• Cutthroat trout fishing continues to be good along the Copper River highway and in trout waters throughout PWS. Leech patterns, small spinners, and egg patterns are good options.
• Anglers are reminded to check the Prince William Sound regulations on the legal size limit for retained trout.
• Dolly Varden are present in many of the streams throughout Prince William Sound and the Copper River Delta. Use fry/smolt imitation flies or small spinners at lake outlets or stream confluences. Egg patterns fished behind pink and chum salmon is a great approach to catching these fun fish.
• Grayling will be stocked late this week in Thompson Lake, providing some fishing/camping opportunities out on the Richardson Highway. Ruth Pond will be stocked in Valdez with some more catchable rainbows. Great youth fishing opportunities.

Salt waters

Halibut, Lingcod, and Rockfish

• Halibut angling continues to be productive throughout most of the Sound and especially close to Whittier. Good numbers are coming out of the sound near Perry Island. The big ones continue to be caught most commonly in the gulf or near ocean entrances.
• Rockfish angling is quite productive with small jigs near rocky reefs.
• AND REMEMBER if you are targeting multiple species, target rockfish last, and use a deepwater release mechanism on all released rockfish (these devices can turn the chance of survival for a rockfish from near zero to near 100%!)

What’s deepwater release?

http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=fishingSportFishingInfo.rockfishconservation

• It has been a good year for Lingcod fishing in Prince William Sound. Anglers have reported catching large lingcod in the southern parts of the sound… Some folks even having some luck in Blackstone. Large jigs fished 10 feet off the bottom near and on top of steep rocky ridges and reefs work quite well for lingcod.

Salmon

• Silvers are just showing up all over and reports are trickling in from Whittier, Main Bay and most other usual spots. They haven’t hit hard yet, but it shouldn’t be long!
• Sockeye are tapering off at Main Bay, but there are still a few sockeye to be had. Here is a link to the commercial fishery announcements for Prince William Sound:
http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=commercialbyareapws.salmon
• Pink salmon fishing continues to be productive at Allison Point with most anglers reporting catching their limits in a few hours. The meat quality has tapered off, so you may have to be a little picky to find nice ones. A few silvers are showing up, but anglers have to get through the pinks to have a shot at a fresh coho.
• Anglers have been having moderate success closer to Whittier trolling and casting for pinks and silvers.

Shellfish

• Shrimping continues to be productive throughout the Sound with anglers reporting better catches with deeper sets; 350 - 600 ft.
• Don’t forget your shrimp permit – everyone needs one.