Area Sport Fishing Reports
Prince William Sound

July 10, 2025

General Area Description: All waters between Cape Fairfield and Cape Suckling, including salt waters within 200 miles of shore.

Freshwater Fishing

Salmon

• Sockeye salmon are returning to Coghill River. Numbers at the Coghill River weir continue to improve and conditions are good for fishing. Daily sockeye salmon passage counts are available online.
• Sockeye salmon are present throughout the Eyak River and just below the lake. Fishing has been slower as it is late in the run.
• Sockeye are showing up in Alaganik Slough in Cordova in fishable numbers. Anglers are reporting mixed success throughout the slough, including at the upper and lower launches.

Cutthroat Trout/Dolly Varden

• Cutthroat trout fishing has been excellent in lakes of Prince William Sound, including lakes around Cordova.
• Dolly Varden and cutthroat trout fishing at the mouth of creeks has been good as they feed on out-migrating salmon fry.

Saltwater Fishing

Halibut

• Anglers making it out to the Gulf of Alaska are getting into good catches of large halibut near Montague Island and Hinchinbrook Entrance. Try fishing large circle hooks with herring or salmon bellies while anchored up with a chum bag.
• Halibut has been good inside Prince William Sound as halibut are well spread out. Try fishing depths of 200-300 ft on the outer edges of Perry and Naked Islands and the entrance of bays.

Lingcod

Lingcod fishing has been decent around rocky pinnacles near Elrington Island, Johnstone Bays, and Hinchinbrook Entrance. Try drifting over rocky structure with a white twister tail on a large jig tipped with herring.

Rockfish

• Large schools of pelagic rockfish can typically be found near the entrances and the coastal outside waters and fishing can be hot. Boats are more consistently finding schools of pelagic rockfish in southwest and eastern Prince William Sound inside waters.
• Don’t forget your deepwater release device to release rockfish. Check out videos on the ADF&G YouTube page on how to properly release rockfish back down to depth.

Other finfish

Fishing for Pacific (gray) cod and other flatfish has been good throughout Prince William Sound and outside waters while targeting other saltwater species. Use small chunks of herring on smaller hooks than you would use for halibut to target these other species.

Salmon

• Sockeye salmon are concentrated at the head of Main Bay and fishing is fair.
  • Cost recovery and broodstock goals have been achieved at Main Bay, and as a result the barrier seine may be pulled at the end of the week. Once the barrier seine is removed the regulations change and anglers can fish to within 300 feet of the fish ladder at the hatchery. Anglers are reminded not to interfere with hatchery equipment. Fishing will be good for the first few days, but anglers may need to sort through blushed fish.
• King salmon fishing at Fleming Spit (in Cordova) remains slow, but fish could still trickle into the lagoon. Casting spinners or bait under a bobber around the tide works well to target these fish.
• Large schools of pink and chum salmon are milling around throughout Prince William Sound. Anglers can easily pick up a few pink salmon near Whittier or Valdez if wanting to stay close to the ports.
• Anglers are reporting catches of pink salmon from shore in Valdez. Fishing will continue to build as more fish stack up near the hatchery in Valdez. Try casting spinners and spoons from Allison Point. Fishing will be hit and miss for pinks from shore as the commercial fishery will be active harvesting on a large return of pink salmon this year.
• Anglers trolling for salmon are still picking up king salmon and starting to catch coho salmon around Cape Cleare, Crafton, Glacier and Naked Islands, and Passage Canal. Coho fishing will continue to improve over the coming weeks.

Local lakes

Thompson Lake, Blueberry Lake, and Ruth Pond have all been stocked recently! These lakes can make for a fun outing to target multiple species including rainbow trout, Arctic grayling, and lake trout.

Emergency Orders

Please review the emergency orders and advisory announcements below in their entirety before heading out on your next fishing trip.

• Emergency Order 2-KS-6-14-25 reduces the bag and possession limit for king salmon to one fish in the Prince William Sound Management Area salt waters, excluding the Whittier, Cordova, Valdez, and Chenega Terminal Harvest Areas which have a bag limit of two fish and a possession limit of four fish of any size through September 15.
• Emergency Order 2-RF-6-20-25 reduces the number of shrimp pots allowed to harvest shrimp in the Prince William Sound noncommercial (sport and subsistence) shrimp fishery to two pots per person with a maximum of two pots per vessel. Additionally, this emergency order reduces the open season for the Prince William Sound noncommercial shrimp fishery to May 1 – July 31.

Don't forget to purchase your 2025 sport fishing license and king stamp! You can purchase and display your fishing license and king stamp, record your annual harvest (i.e. king salmon), access sport fishing regulations and locations, and so much more on your mobile device. Download the ADF&G Mobile App today. You can also purchase licenses through the ADF&G online store and print them off from the comfort of your own home. Make sure to review emergency orders, advisory announcements, and the 2025 Southcentral Alaska Sport Fishing Regulations Summary booklet for the area you are fishing before you head out.

For additional information, please contact the Anchorage Office at 907-267-2218.