Area Sport Fishing Reports
Prince William Sound

Archived Sport Fishing Report

July 07, 2015

Prince William Sound and the Copper River Delta Area

Week of June 30 to July 7

Regulation Reminders and Emergency Orders

• Shrimp permits are mandatory for all noncommercial fishermen. Permits are available at local Fish and Game offices and at select vendors.
• In Main Bay, sport fishing from a vessel that is within 60 feet of the Prince William Sound Aquaculture hatchery barrier seine, or from a vessel inside of the barrier seine is prohibited. Signs have been posted accordingly. The signs posted on either bank show the 60 foot line. Marker buoys may or may not be set 60 feet from the barrier seine.
• Lingcod season is now OPEN until December 31.
• No snagging in the Whittier Small Boat Harbor
• Ibeck Creek is closed to all sport fishing upstream from a point 3 miles above the Copper River Highway.

Fresh waters

Salmon

• Sockeye are running strong in Eyak River. Dropping water levels are making flossing fishing techniques more effective. Eyak Lake is close to all salmon fishing.
• Late run Sockeye like Eshamy/Gunboat/Shotgun Creeks should be showing up at the mouths of creeks sometime in the next week or two in better numbers… they are trickling in for now

Trout, Dolly Varden, Grayling

• Cutthroat and rainbow/steelhead trout fishing opened Monday June 15. Small spinners, smolt patterns, and flies matching a hatch are your best bet.
• If you’re waiting for salmon to show up at the heads of bays in the sound, try matching a hatch or throwing small spinners/smolt patterns at the mouths of creeks where dollies and cutthroat are also waiting for salmon to follow up.
• Anglers reminded to check the Prince William Sound regulations on the legal size limit for retained trout.
• Dolly Varden are present in many of the streams throughout Prince William Sound and the Copper River Delta. Use fry/smolt imitation flies or small spinners at lake outlets or stream confluences.

Salt waters

Halibut, Lingcod, and Rockfish

• Halibut fishing in the sound is picking up with the nicer weather allowing folks to get further out. The ocean entrances are always great places to catch halibut. Latouche and southern and northern ends of Montague are good bets too. Fishing just off the bottom can decrease the bycatch of rockfish and does not hurt your chances of catching halibut. Give it a try if your arms are getting tired of reeling up and deep water releasing rockfish.
• --What’s deepwater release? (these devices can turn the chance of survival for a rockfish from near zero to near 100%!)  http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=fishingSportFishingInfo.rockfishconservation  
• AND REMEMBER if you are targeting multiple species, target rockfish last
• Rockfish targeted angling is quite productive with small jigs near rocky reefs.
• Lingcod season just opened up last week... go get em! Targeting rocky pinnacles with jigs and anything else that can get their attention is your best bet.

Salmon

• Fleming Spit is currently open to snagging by Emergency Order, as is the adjacent saltwater area by current regulations
• Kings are still being caught trolling (although its slowing down) and silvers are showing up early this year, being caught trolling throughout the sound.
• King salmon fishing has been somewhat productive in and around the port of Whittier. Remember, NO SNAGGING in the Whittier small boat harbor.
• Sockeye fishing out in Main Bay and the rest of the sound is just getting started and should get better and better.
• If you are headed out to Main Bay, please see the new regulations in place on page 83 of the Southcentral Regulations book. Sport fishing from a vessel that is within 60 feet of the Prince William Sound Aquaculture hatchery barrier seine, or from a vessel inside of the barrier seine is prohibited. Signs have been posted accordingly, and the barrier seine has just been set. A marker buoy line has been set at 60 feet from the barrier seine. While it is at the correct distance on the sides of the bay, wind and currents can move it closer than 60 feet from the barrier seine, so just because you are on the seaward side of the buoy line, does not mean you are fishing legally…. Stay vigilant of where you are. Fishing is usually a little better and easier in Main Bay when there aren’t commercial openers happening… check here to get updates on when those are happening http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=cfnews.main  
• Pink salmon have showed up in Valdez with folks limiting out in less than half an hour. Pixies, spinners, and vibrax, or an egg rig should do the trick.
• Fishing Tip: It has been a long winter. Brush up on your fish identification before you head out fishing. Test your knowledge with the new Pacific Salmon ID quiz here: http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=fishingSportFishingInfo.main#myself#fishingSportFishingInfo.quiz .

Shellfish

• Shrimping continues to be productive near Whittier and Valdez, but it’s generally better and better the farther you get away from ports. Start moving those pots out a little deeper as the summer moves on. Once you figure out the depth they are at, start setting parallel sets at that depth and your pots will look a lot better coming up.
• Don’t forget your shrimp permit – everyone needs one.