Area Sport Fishing Reports
Prince William Sound
Archived Sport Fishing Report
August 03, 2016
Prince William Sound and the
Copper River Delta Area
Week of August 3 to August 10
Issued August 3, 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 opens on June 15.
- Lingcod season is closed until July 1 to protect nest-guarding males.
- 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 continue to make their way up the Eyak River and some have already moved into the lake. Fishing is still best further down river but should continue to improve at the bridge this week. Remember: salmon fishing is not allowed in Eyak Lake.
Trout, Dolly Varden, Grayling
- Cutthroat and rainbow/steelhead trout fishing opened on June 15th. Pipeline Lakes in Cordova provides a nice hike and fishing opportunity for cutthroat trout. 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.
Salt waters
Halibut, Lingcod, and Rockfish
- Halibut angling continues to be productive throughout PWS. The weekend weather prohibited some anglers from distant travels but 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 was also productive for smaller sized halibut.
- The Valdez Halibut Derby runs through September 4th. Fish in the 150lb range were the top fish caught last week.
- 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
- Chums are arriving 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 showing up outside of Fleming Spit in Cordova and Passage Canal in Whittier. Spending extra time trolling is producing small catches of king salmon for anglers.
- Sockeye fishing in Main Bay and the rest of PWS should be picking up in the next 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
Shellfish
- Shrimping continues to be productive throughout the Sound. Depths in the 400 foot range continue to be productive but fishing in the 500–650’ foot range has been producing larger catches of larger shrimp. 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.