Area Sport Fishing Reports
Anchorage

Archived Sport Fishing Report

May 21, 2014

Anchorage Area

Week of May 20 to May 26
Issued May 20, 2014

Regulation Reminders

• Ship Creek is closed to fishing from the Chugach Power Plant Dam upstream to Reeves Boulevard April 15 – June 14.
• Campbell Creek (entire drainage) is closed to fishing April 15 – June 14.
• Chester Creek (entire drainage) is closed to fishing April 15 – June 14.
• Bird Creek (entire drainage) is closed to fishing January 1 – July 13.
• Symphony Lake is closed to fishing May 1 – June 30.
• Eagle River opens to king salmon fishing this weekend in a restricted area. See page 38 in the Southcentral Alaska Sport Fishing Regulation Summary for all the details on what dates and what area.

Emergency Order Currently in Effect

• None

Fresh waters

Salmon

• It is still early for king salmon in Ship Creek, but it is time to start prospecting for them. There have been reports of kings being caught at Ship Creek. Try fishing bait below the last bridge right as the tide starts to flood.
• Expect very, very slow king salmon fishing in Eagle River.
• All other waters in the Anchorage Management Area are closed to king salmon fishing.

Rainbow Trout, Dolly Varden, Arctic Grayling

• All of Campbell Creek, Chester Creek, and portions of Ship Creek are currently closed to fishing to protect spawning rainbow trout.

Lake Fishing

• Most Anchorage-area lakes have been stocked recently and fishing during the morning and evening hours has been excellent.
• Mid-day fishing can be slow. During the day, when the sun is bright on the water, try roe fished under a bobber.

Northern Pike

• Late evening hours are a good time to spear pike, or to shoot them with bow and arrow.
• Pike are also fun to fly fish for using frog, mouse and duckling patterns.
• A reminder, if you are bow-fishing for pike, the arrow has to be attached to a string and the string to your bow. Try Lower Fire Lake and Otter Lake on JBER for pike.

Salt waters

Hooligan

• The hooligan are in at Twentymile, but reports from the field indicate that the dipping is still not consistent – some are pretty good and some are not as good. This can change to excellent and consistent in one tide this time of year.
• Dipnetting seasons for hooligan (or “smelt”) in Southcentral Alaska opened on April 1, but dipnetters will likely find fishing slow until hooligan runs build around mid- to late-May.
• This is a personal-use fishery and only Alaska residents can participate. No permit is required, but you do need an Alaska resident fishing license or ADF&G Permanent ID card with you while dipnetting.
• Open season for hooligan in salt waters is April 1–May 31; in fresh waters, it is April 1–June 15. There is no bag or possession limit for personal use smelt, and no permit is required. Hooligan may be taken by dip net in any fresh or salt water.
• For your safety, and for the safety of others, please park well off the highway. Do not trespass on the railroad tracks or the railroad right-of-way. Please be respectful and take all your trash with you, don’t throw it on the ground. Please do not trash the dipnetting site.
• For more information on hooligan dipnetting and hooligan dipnetting regulations, see Page 13 of the 2013 Southcentral Alaska Sport Fishing Regulations summary booklets.