Area Sport Fishing Reports
Prince William Sound
Archived Sport Fishing Report
June 29, 2016
Prince William Sound and the
Copper River Delta Area
Week of June 29 to July 5
Issued June 29, 2016
General Area Description: includes all waters between Cape Fairfield and Cape Suckling.
Regulation Reminders and Emergency Orders
- Permits are mandatory for all non-commercial shrimp fisherman. Permits are available online or available at local Fish and Game offices and at select vendors.
- Cordova Terminal Harvest Area is closed to snagging salmon from June 1 – September 30.
- On the Eyak River beginning on June 1, only single-hook, artificial flies with a hook gap of 3/8 inch or less between point and shank are allowed from a point 200 yards upstream of Eyak Lake dam and to a point 200 yards downstream from the bridge at the outlet of Eyak Lake. No additional weight may be attached to the line when fishing in this area.
- Cutthroat and Rainbow/Steelhead trout fishing opened on June 15.
- Lingcod season will open Friday, July 1!
- Ibeck Creek is closed to all sport fishing upstream from a point 3 miles above the Copper River Highway.
Fresh waters
Salmon
- Chinook salmon fishing continues to be productive and fish are being caught daily around the high tides at Fleming Spit. Spoons, spinners, and bait all produced good catches.
- Sockeye fishing is good throughout Eyak River. Remember: salmon fishing is not allowed in Eyak Lake.
Trout, Dolly Varden, Grayling
- Cutthroat and rainbow/steelhead trout fishing opened on June 15th. Try small spinners or nymph type flies.
- 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. Anglers arereminded to check the Prince William Sound regulations on the legal size limit for retained trout in the area they are fishing.
- Ruth Pond and Blueberry Lake were stocked this week with catchable size rainbow trout. Fishing at both locations has been great and fun for kids!
Salt waters
Halibut, Lingcod, and Rockfish
- Halibut angling continues to be productive throughout PWS. The ocean entrances continued to be very productive places to catch nice halibut for those that made the trek. Fishing around Knight and Perry islands continued to be productive for smaller sized halibut.
- The Valdez Halibut Derby runs through September 4th. Top fish caught last week were a little smaller and close to the 100lb size range. The largest fish caught so far was in late May and weighed in at 253lbs!
- Lingcod fishing will open on July 1st.
- Rockfish angling is 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
- Chums are arriving at in better numbers at Esther Hatchery.
- Trolling (e.g. herring behind a flasher) near shallow rocky reefs and headlands is a good bet this time of year for king salmon.
- Hatchery king salmon are in Passage Canal with some anglers having success near the harbor in Whittier.
- Pink salmon fishing is slow around Valdez but should start to pick up. Enjoy the pink festival in Valdez this weekend!
- Sockeye fishing in Main Bay has picked up this week. Fishing around Main Bay is easier when there are not commercial openers happening…. check here to get updates on when those are happening http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=cfnews.main
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 throughout the Sound. Anglers report successful pulls at depths ranging from 350–650’. Look for good habitat to set pots in to improve your success rate. Rocky terrain with steep drop offs are a good one to look for on charts. Don’t forget your shrimp permit. Permit needs to be in possession as you are shrimping. Also, remember that each vessel can only fish 4 pots.