Area Sport Fishing Reports
Anchorage

Archived Sport Fishing Report

July 08, 2020

* Just a reminder to all our anglers, please do your part to help slow the spread of Covid-19 by following and reviewing the current State of Alaska Health Mandates in effect. This includes practicing social distancing while sport and personal use fishing and wearing a face covering when fishing and if you are needing fishing supplies from your local store as indicated in Health Alert 010.

* The Alaska Board of Fisheries adopted two proposals establishing new sport fish regulations for the Anchorage Management Area at its Anchorage February 2020 meeting. Please see the 2020 Southcentral Sport Fishing Regulation Summary booklet for a complete summary of the Anchorage sport fisheries regulations.

Emergency Orders

Please review the Emergency Orders and Advisory Announcements below in their entirety before heading out on your next fishing trip.

Freshwater Fishing

Hooligan

  • Dipnetting for hooligan is closed.

Rainbow Trout/Dolly Varden/Arctic Char

  • Rainbow Trout and Dolly Varden fishing opened on many parts of the Campbell Creek and Chester Creek drainages on June 15. Anglers can have success for local trout by casting small spinners and spoons through deep pools or drifting nymph or egg imitation fly patterns.

Salmon

  • Ship Creek is currently open to salmon fishing from the mouth to a cable 100 feet below the Chugach Power Plant Dam. The remainder of the creek up to 300 feet above the Elmendorf Power Plant Dam, near the William Jack Hernandez Sport Fish Hatchery, is CLOSED YEAR-ROUND to ALL fishing.
    • Remember: from May 15 - July 13 Ship Creek is open to fishing between the hours of 6 a.m. and 11 p.m. each day.
    • Effective July 14, Ship Creek can be fished 24 hours a day, but king salmon may NOT be retained. Please immediately release king salmon.
    • King salmon fishing has slowed way down on Ship Creek. Anglers are waiting patiently for coho to come in. A few cohos have been picked up but it’s still early. Both bait and spinners are productive for these two species. Try salmon roe under a bobber or behind a spin-n-glow.
  • Bird Creek (lower portion) opens to fishing (except king salmon) on July 14. Both bait and spinners are good for catching a feisty coho salmon in this system.
    • Bird Creek access may be limited from the north side parking area as there is still construction on the trail and bridge. Your best bet for now is to park and access the creek from the south side parking lots.
  • Portions of Campbell Creek open to coho salmon fishing on July 14. No other salmon species may be targeted or retained on Campbell Creek.
  • Chester Creek is closed to salmon fishing.

Saltwater Fishing

Hooligan

  • Dipnetting for hooligan is closed.

Local Lakes

  • Symphony Lake opened on July 1. This is a fantastic destination for a day hike or an overnight trip to catch some Arctic grayling. Both small spinners and flies work well for these fish.
  • Anchorage Bowl lakes continue to fish great! Not familiar with all the stocked lakes? Check out our handy brochure with locations, access, and other valuable information on our Anchorage area lakes.
  • With the warmer weather its best to target fish in the mornings and evenings or under shaded areas.
  • Jewel Lake was stocked a few weeks ago with lots of catchable rainbow trout! Fishing should be good to excellent for these hungry trout. Try casting small spinners or fishing a single egg or worm under a bobber in the mornings or evenings.
  • Stocked Arctic grayling might be on the smaller side, but they are such a treat for the kids to catch. Launch a canoe or raft into Taku/Campbell or Delong lakes in Anchorage or Alder Pond in Portage Valley. Small nymphs have been working well to catch these fish.
  • Arctic char have been stocked in Sand, Campbell Point, Green, Fish, Clunie, and Thompson lakes. Clunie was the most recently stocked lake.
  • Sand Lake is one of the larger Anchorage lakes, but it has a variety of fish species in it. A canoe or kayak provides anglers a great opportunity to fully explore this lake.
  • Mirror Lake is a nice location to target stocked rainbow trout.
  • Lakes on JBER have been stocked catchable rainbow trout. Just a reminder, you need to register with iSportsman and check with base personnel prior to fishing on JBER.
  • Check out the stocking webpage to find out where fish have been stocked.
  • Northern pike are not native to Anchorage area lakes but there are some in Lower Fire Lake. If you catch a pike in any Anchorage area lake, please do not release it.

Don’t forget to bring your 2020 sport fishing license and king stamp! Help maximize social distancing and purchase your 2020 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 2020 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

Anchorage Area Archives for:
Sep 11, 2020 Sep 02, 2020 Aug 26, 2020 Aug 19, 2020 Aug 12, 2020 Aug 05, 2020 Jul 30, 2020 Jul 22, 2020
Jul 15, 2020 Jul 08, 2020 Jun 30, 2020 Jun 24, 2020 Jun 16, 2020 Jun 10, 2020 Jun 03, 2020 May 28, 2020
May 20, 2020 May 13, 2020 May 06, 2020 Apr 29, 2020 Apr 08, 2020