Area Sport Fishing Reports
Prince William Sound

Archived Sport Fishing Report

July 28, 2015

Prince William Sound and the Copper River Delta Area

Week of July 28 to August 3

Regulation Reminders and Emergency Orders

  • Effective Wednesday July 29, 2015 at 12:01 a.m., daily bag limits for pink salmon in the Port of Valdez marine waters are 12 fish with 24 in possession. See news release at: http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/sf/EONR/index.cfm?ADFG=region.NR&NRID=2152
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Eyak and Robe Lakes are closed to all salmon fishing.

Fresh waters

Salmon

  • Late run Sockeye like Eshamy/Gunboat/Shotgun and other creeks are showing up at the mouths in better numbers… should keep picking up… remember, no snagging in freshwater.
  • Coghill is having a weak sockeye year…. You may want to plan on fishing somewhere else if reds are your goal.
  • Silvers are just starting to show up near Cordova streams… fishing isn’t hot yet, but should be getting there in the next couple weeks.

Trout, Dolly Varden, Grayling

  • 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.
  • Cutthroat and rainbow/steelhead trout fishing opened Monday June 15. Small spinners, smolt patterns, and flies matching a hatch are your best bet.
  • Anglers reminded to check the Prince William Sound regulations on the legal size limit for retained trout.

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 fishing has been slow. Targeting rocky pinnacles with jigs and anything else that can get their attention is your best bet.

Salmon

  • Silvers showed up early and strong this year, being caught in good numbers mooching and trolling throughout the sound.
  • Salmon fishing has been somewhat productive in and around the port of Whittier and silvers should be showing up soon. Remember, NO SNAGGING in the Whittier small boat harbor.
  • Sockeye fishing out in Main Bay and the rest of the sound has and should continue to be good, with the exception of Coghill….
  • 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 in big big numbers… consequently ADF&G has issued an emergency order liberalizing bag and possession limits. Effective Wednesday July 29, 2015, daily bag limits for pink salmon in the Port of Valdez marine waters are 12 fish with 24 in possession. See news release at: http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/sf/EONR/index.cfm?ADFG=region.NR&NRID=2152  

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.

Archives

Prince William Sound Area Archives for:
Sep 10, 2015 Sep 01, 2015 Aug 25, 2015 Aug 18, 2015 Aug 13, 2015 Aug 05, 2015 Aug 04, 2015 Jul 28, 2015
Jul 21, 2015 Jul 14, 2015 Jul 07, 2015 Jun 30, 2015 Jun 23, 2015 Jun 17, 2015 Jun 09, 2015 Jun 03, 2015
May 28, 2015 May 20, 2015