Area Sport Fishing Reports
Kodiak

July 1, 2026

Freshwater Fishing

• Subsistence and sport sockeye fishing closed in the Buskin due to low escapement. The weir was pulled last Friday due to lack of funding; a fishery reopening is unlikely.
• Litnik is consistent with 21,500 sockeye through the weir. Sport and subsistence continues to be OK.
• Pasagshak has started out slow with only 1 fish past the weir, but there are reports of a couple hundred in the river.
• Saltery weir is in and has counted a comparable number of fish to recent years.
• The sockeye limits in Upper Station (South Olga lakes) and Ayakulik was increased to 10 per day due to excellent escapement in those systems.
• Still no word on kings in Salonie except a report of a few jacks being caught.

Saltwater Fishing

• King salmon fishing has been pretty quiet, but people are still finding a few.
• Remember that there are two emergency orders changing regulations for saltwater king salmon fishing in the Kodiak Area in effect this season. See below.
• Halibut fishing continues to be hit or miss with reports of excellent fishing and people getting skunked. Fish are starting to show up in shallower water.
• Cod are still abundant just about everywhere with most folks fishing both sides and both ends of Long Island.
• Rockfish are being caught in all the regular spots. With new restrictions for black rockfish effective June 1, look to deeper water on the edges of rockpiles and reefs to find dark and dusky rockfish over black rockfish. Widow and yellowtail rockfish are also around but often in discreet schools separate from other species. See Special Species Information and Emergency Orders below for more about rockfish.
• Lingcod opened today, July 1! There are already lots of reports of anglers catching lingcod.

Local Lakes

Rainbow trout were stocked in 16 of our road system lakes in early June. This stocking program on Kodiak Island dates back to at least 1953 and has been a partnership with many entities over the years including the Navy, Coast Guard, Sportsmen’s Associations and most recently Pillar Creek Hatchery and William Jack Hernandez Sportfish Hatchery in Anchorage. It seems like everyone is fishing for stocked rainbows lately and the fishing is hot right now.

Special Species Information

• New rockfish regulations took effect June 1 for Kodiak and Afognak waters north of Dangerous and Cape Ikolik. This includes all the waters of Afognak, Raspberry and Shuyak Islands as well as Chiniak, Ugak and Marmot Bays and all of Whale Pass, Kupreanof Straight and the Westside of Kodiak Island. It is also in effect for all anglers, both resident and non-resident.
• Anglers fishing in these waters can keep 5 rockfish per day, but only 2 can be of a single species and only 1 may be a black rockfish and 1 may be a yelloweye. This is similar to salmon bag limits in the Kodiak Road Zone; for example, an angler could harvest 1 black rockfish, 2 dusky rockfish and 2 dark rockfish. Species ID guides are available in the Southwest Alaska Regulation Booklet, on the ADF&G website and in the Kodiak ADF&G office.
• After similar regulations were implemented last season, many anglers found that shifting their fishing behavior slightly resulted in increased rockfish catches of species other than black rockfish, which are the most common catch. Dark rockfish, dusky rockfish and other species can often be found just off the side of a rock pile or reef and in deeper water than black rockfish that typically prefer the top of and middle of these structures.
• Keep an eye out for some of the species you may not have realized we have in Kodiak: widow, yellowtail, canary, tiger, northern and silvergray rockfish are some of these.
• Additional restrictions are in place for Northern Afognak and Shuyak Islands for rockfish and lingcod north of Black Cape and Tonki Cape, see Emergency Orders online for more details.
• Similar to last year are Emergency Orders restricting saltwater king salmon harvest. The Island-wide king salmon bag limit has been reduced to 1 fish per day, with no annual limit to align with the rest of the Gulf of Alaska for the 2026 season.

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-RS-4-30-26 increased the Ayakulik River drainage bag limit for sockeye salmon to 10 fish, effective 12:01 a.m. Friday, June 26 through 11:59 p.m. Thursday, December 31, 2026.
• Emergency Order 2-RS-4-31-26 increased the South Olga Lakes (Upper Station) drainage bag limit for sockeye salmon to 10 fish, effective 12:01 a.m. Friday, June 26 through 11:59 p.m. Wednesday, July 15, 2026
• Emergency Order 2-RF-4-23-26 reduced the bag and possession limit for a single species of rockfish to 2 per day, 4 in possession north of Outlet Cape and Cape Ikolik. Only 1 rockfish of the 5 fish total limit may be a yelloweye and only 1 may be a black rockfish. This emergency order is in effect from Monday June 1, 2026 through 11:59 pm. Thursday, December 31, 2026.
  • Additionally, in waters north of Tonki Cape and Black Cape, to include the waters of Northern Afognak and Shuyak Islands, the bag limit for rockfish is 3 rockfish, of which no more than one of a single species.
• Emergency Order 2-LC-4-22-26 reduced the bag and possession limit lingcod north of Tonki Cape and Black Cape. The bag limit is 1 lingcod per day, 2 in possession, 35” or greater in length. This emergency order is in effect from Wednesday July 1, 2026 through 11:59 pm. Thursday, December 31, 2026.
• Emergency Order 2-KS-4-13-26 closed the Karluk River drainage (including the lagoon and its outlet stream) and the Ayakulik River drainage to king salmon fishing and restricted fishing gear to only one unbaited, single-hook artificial lure through 11:59 p.m. Saturday, July 25, 2026.
• Emergency Order 2-KS-4-17-26 reduced the bag and possession limit for king salmon in the Kodiak Area to 1 per day from 12:01am Wednesday, April 1, 2026 through 11:59 p.m. Tuesday, September 15, 2026.

Don't forget to purchase your 2026 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 it off from the comfort of your own home.

Make sure to review emergency orders, advisory announcements, and the 2026 Southcentral Alaska Sport Fishing Regulations Summary booklet for the area you are fishing before you head out.

For additional information, please contact the ADF&G Kodiak Area Office at (907) 486-1880.