Area Sport Fishing Reports
Anchorage

Archived Sport Fishing Report

May 12, 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.

Freshwater Fishing

• Hooligan
  • Dipnetting for hooligan (smelt) opened on April 1 and will remain open until June 15 in freshwaters. There is no bag or possession limit.
  • This is a personal use fishery and only Alaska residents can participate. No permit is required, but you do need a valid 2021 Alaska resident sport fishing license or ADF&G Permanent fishing license ID card with you.
  • Hooligan has shown up in Twentymile River! Catches continue to pick up. Hooligan run timing and strength are highly variable, but these fish should continue to come in over the coming weeks.
  • For your safety, and for the safety of others, please park well off the highway. There is a new parking lot 0.7 miles before the Twentymile River parking lot. Do not trespass on the railroad tracks or the railroad right-of-way. Please be respectful and take all your trash with you, do not throw it on the ground. Please obey all signs and do not block the boat launch.
  • For additional information on dipnetting for hooligan see page 16 of the 2021 Southcentral Alaska Sport Fishing Regulations Summary booklet.
• Rainbow Trout/Dolly Varden/Arctic Char
  • Spawning closures are in place for Campbell and Chester creeks. Both creeks closed to all sport fishing on April 15 and will remain closed through June 14 to protect spawning rainbow trout.
• Salmon
  • Ship Creek is open to king salmon fishing. The first fish should be caught in the next couple of weeks.
  • No other flowing waters in the Anchorage Bowl are open to salmon fishing.
  • Bird Creek is currently closed to salmon fishing.

Saltwater Fishing

• Hooligan
  • Dipnetting for hooligan opened on April 1 and will remain open until May 31 in salt waters. Catches of hooligan are picking up!

Local Lakes

• Anchorage Bowl lakes are open! Stocking of the lakes with catchable-sized rainbow trout is coming up quickly! Try fishing small spinners or bait under a bobber to entice a bite out of a fish cruising the freshly open water looking for food.
• Delong and Cheney lakes will be some of the first lakes stocked in the Anchorage Bowl.
• Check out the stocking webpage to find out when your favorite lake was last stocked.
• Fishing on base? Just a reminder, you need to register with iSportsman and check with base personnel prior to fishing on JBER.
• Northern pike is 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.

Emergency Orders

• Please review the Emergency Orders and News Releases below in their entirety before heading out on your next fishing trip.
  • There are currently no Emergency Orders for the Anchorage Management Area.

Don't forget to purchase your 2021 sport fishing license and king stamp! 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 for before you head out.

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