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Area Sport Fishing Reports
Prince William Sound

April 14, 2021

* Just a reminder to all our anglers, please do your part to help slow the spread of Covid-19 by practicing social distancing while sport and personal use fishing, and wear a face covering when social distancing is not possible and if you are needing fishing supplies from your local store.

General Area Description

Includes all waters between Cape Fairfield and Cape Suckling.

Freshwater Fishing

Trout/Dolly Varden/Arctic Char

  • From April 15 - June 14 there is no retention of cutthroat trout, rainbow trout, or steelhead to protect spawning fish. In addition, no bait is allowed during this time. Anglers may only use unbaited, artificial lures or flies.
  • Dolly Varden/ Arctic char are open year-round with a bag and possession limit of 10 fish (no size restrictions).

Saltwater Fishing

Halibut/Lingcod/Rockfish

  • Halibut and rockfish are the favorites to catch in Prince William Sound right now.
  • Rockfish limits year-round are four fish per day, eight in possession of which only one can be a nonpelagic rockfish. Check your 2021 Southcentral Sport Fishing Regulations Summary booklet for species identification information.
  • Effective January 2020, the use of a deepwater release mechanism is required on all sport fishing vessels in Alaska and they must be used to release rockfish back down to depth of capture or 100 feet, whichever is shallower. Never heard of deepwater release? Check out our webpage for more info!
  • Lingcod season will open on July 1.

Shrimp

  • Don’t forget to get your shrimp permit! The sport and subsistence shrimp season opens on April 15 and will close on September 15, 2021. You are required to have your permit with you and document anytime you have pots in the water.
  • When you set your pots, document that they are in the water. After retrieval, you must record your catch on your permit immediately after you harvest shrimp.
  • You can report your shrimp harvest online any time. Once the season closes you must report all of your harvest no later than October 15, 2021.
    • **Harvest must be reported for each individual time you pull your pots.
  • Looking for a good starting depth? Try dropping your pots in the 300-400’ range.
  • Shrimp anglers are allowed to carry additional pots on their vessel, but those pots cannot be fished while shrimping even if they are targeting a different species (i.e. octopus).

Local Lakes

  • While lakes are open to fishing, there is still a lot of ice on them.
  • Blueberry and Thompson lakes and Ruth Pond will be stocked towards the end of June.

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-SHR-6-15-21 decreases the number of shrimp pots allowed to harvest shrimp in the Prince William Sound shrimp fishery from five pots per person with a maximum of five pots per vessel, to two pots per person with a maximum of two pots per vessel.

Don’t forget to bring your 2021 sport fishing license and king stamp with you! Help maximize social distancing and purchase your 2021 sport fishing license and king stamp through the ADF&G online store and print it off from the comfort of your own home. Also, make sure to review Emergency Orders and the 2021 Southcentral Sport Fishing Regulations Summary booklet for the area you are fishing before you head out.

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

Archives

Prince William Sound Area Archives for:
Apr 14, 2021