Area Sport Fishing Reports
Anchorage

Archived Sport Fishing Report

July 06, 2016

 Anchorage Area

Week of July 6 to July 12
Issued July 6, 2016

General Area Description: All waters draining into the east side of Knik arm south of, and including, the Eklutna River drainage, and all waters draining into the north and west sides of Turnagain Arm, and all waters draining into the south side of Turnagain Arm east of, and including, Ingram Creek.

Regulation Reminders

• Campbell Creek (entire drainage) is currently closed to all salmon fishing.
• Campbell Creek from an ADF&G marker near Shelikof St. upstream to ADF&G marker on the upstream side of the Lake Otis Pkwy Bridge is closed year-round to all fishing.
• Campbell Creek from its mouth upstream to ADF&G markers under the Dimond Blvd. Bridge—including Campbell Lake—is closed year-round to all fishing.
• Chester Creek (entire drainage) is closed to year round to all salmon fishing.
• Bird Creek (entire drainage) is closed to fishing January 1 – July 13.
• Symphony Lake is currently open to fishing. The Arctic grayling limit is 5 per day, 5 in possession, only one can be greater than 12 inches in length.
•  Hooligan (smelt) dipnetting is closed.

For additional information about regulations in the Anchorage Bowl look in the 2016 Southcentral Alaska Sport Fishing Regulation Summary.

Sport fishing licenses and king stamps are available for purchase online at the ADF&G Online Store. Personal Use Dipnet and PWS Shrimp Permits can be obtained online as well.

Stream Fishing

Salmon:

• Ship Creek is the only stream in the Anchorage area currently open to king salmon fishing. Fishing on Ship Creek is open from 6am to 11pm from the mouth up to the cable crossing roughly 100 feet below the Chugach Power Plant dam.
• King salmon fishing on Ship Creek was reported to be good to fair this week. There are definitely still fish arriving each tide on Ship Creek, but anglers have reported catches of blushed fish and reduced catch rates. Home cured roe fished under a float or with a spin’n’glow continues to be the ticket at Ship. Fishermen are also picking up fish during high tide using spinners (e.g.vibrex). Ship Creek closes to king salmon fishing at 11pm on July 13 and will reopen to other salmon species July 14. No retention of king salmon is allowed in Ship Creek after July 13th.
• Coho salmon have been caught near the mouth of Ship Creek over the last few days.
• All other waters in the Anchorage Management Area are currently closed salmon fishing.
• If you are successful and would like to report a catch please contact the Sport Fish Information Center at 267-2218.

Trout:

• Trout and Dolly fishing is open in sections of Campbell, Chester, and Ship Creek. Only one unbaited, single-hook, artificial lure is allowed. Check the regulations to make sure you are fishing in the open areas!
• Trout fishing has been good on Chester and Campbell Creeks. Try fishing small spinners as well as traditional trout fly patterns (e.g. bead head nymphs and egg patterns).

Lake Fishing

General:

• The William Jack Hernandez Sportfish Hatchery has completed their second round of stocking to most Anchorage and surrounding area lakes. Check the Stocking Update when planning a trip to the local lakes.
• In the Anchorage lakes, you’ll have a mix of freshly stocked fish and fish that have had a few weeks to acclimate and grow in their lake environment. Try fishing black leeches or bead-head nymphs; smaller flies might trick some of the pickier fish stocked in the late spring. Bait under a bobber or float have continued to catch fish over the last few weeks; particularly roe or shrimp on a small bait hook.
• With the warm weather focus efforts early in the morning or late in the evening, as fish tend to hunker down deep when the sun is high. On hot days, try fishing near cover or shade where fish can get relief from the direct light of the sun.
•  In town, action has been reported to be good on Cheney, Taku-Campbell, and Campbell Point lakes in the late afternoon.
• APU/University Lake & West Chester Lagoon:
• APU/University Lake and West Chester Lagoon are in the Chester Creek drainage which opened to fishing for rainbow trout on June 15.

Symphony Lake:

• Symphony Lake opened on July 1 and grayling fishing was reported as good. Do not forget to take a measuring tape with you since only one fish may be greater than 12 inches in length. The daily and possession limit is 5 grayling of those only one can be greater than 12 inches.
• Anglers are doing well on both flies (e.g. Parachute Adams and nymphs) and spinners (e.g. Roostertails).
• Early morning and later afternoon before or after the mid-day breeze are great times to target grayling at Symphony Lake.

Fishing Tip: To improve your success in local stocked lakes review the lake bathymetric (Bottom depth profile) map as well as recent stocking data online. This will help you determine what type of fish you are fishing for and where they might be. Often a little walk or getting away from the pack will provide rewards.

http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=fishingSport.region&StockingAreaID=2

Northern Pike

• There are very few opportunities for Northern Pike in Anchorage as they are not native to the region. ADF&G has taken steps to keep pike out of Anchorage lakes.
• Lower Fire Lake is the closest place to find Northern Pike in the Anchorage Area.
•  Pike are fun to fly fish for using frog, mouse and duckling patterns.
• Casting or trolling spinners and small plugs are successful techniques for catching pike on Lower Fire Lake.
• Very late in the evening can be a good time to target these predatory fish.
• Please respect private property and quiet hours around Lower Fire Lake. Using a boat will increase your success rate substantially.

Hooligan

• Hooligan dipnetting is closed. For additional information on hooligan dipnetting and hooligan dipnetting regulations, see Page 14 of the 2016 Southcentral Alaska Sport Fishing Regulations summary booklets.