Area Sport Fishing Reports
Prince William Sound

Archived Sport Fishing Report

May 25, 2016

Prince William Sound and the
Copper River Delta Area

Week of May 23 to May 31

General Area Description: includes all waters between Cape Fairfield and Cape Suckling.

Regulation Reminders and Emergency Orders

• Permits are mandatory for all noncommercial shrimp fisherman. Permits are available online or available at local Fish and Game offices and at select vendors.
• Lingcod season is closed until July 1 to protect nest-guarding males.
• Cutthroat and Rainbow/Steelhead trout fishing is closed until June 15.
• Ibeck Creek is closed to all sport fishing upstream from a point 3 miles above the Copper River Highway.

Fresh waters

• SalmonA few sockeye have been spotted in Eyak Lake, so there is some opportunity on fish making their way up. Better numbers should be showing up in the river in the coming weeks.

Trout, Dolly Varden, Grayling

• Cutthroat and rainbow/steelhead trout fishing is closed until June 15 to protect spawning adults.
• 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 angling was a little spotty inside the sound this past week. The ocean entrances continue to be very productive places to catch nice halibut.
• Lingcod is closed until July 1st.
• Rockfish angling is quite productive with small jigs near rocky reefs.
• AND REMEMBER if you are targeting multiple species, target rockfish last, and use a deepwater release mechanism on all released rockfish (these devices can turn the chance of survival for a rockfish from near zero to near 100%!)
• What’s deepwater release?
• http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=fishingSportFishingInfo.rockfishconservation

Salmon

• Trolling for winter kings should be productive near Cordova and near salmon producing streams. Trolling (e.g. herring behind a flasher) near shallow rocky reefs and headlands is a good bet this time of year.
• Hatchery king salmon should be arriving to Flemming Spit soon. Fishermen usually have success trolling (e.g. -herring behind a flasher) or casting hardware (e.g. –vibrex) from shore.
• 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.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.
• Don’t forget your shrimp permit. Permit needs to be in possession as you are shrimping.