Area Sport Fishing Reports
Prince William Sound

Archived Sport Fishing Report

July 21, 2021

* Just a reminder to all our anglers, please do your part to help slow the spread of Covid-19 by practicing social distancing while sport and personal use fishing, and wear a face covering when social distancing is not possible and if you are needing fishing supplies from your local store.

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

Freshwater Fishing

Salmon

• Sockeye salmon are still in the Eyak River and Alaganik Slough (in Cordova).
  • Remember effective June 1 through September 30, Eyak River Special Regulations are in effect. From a point 200 yards upstream from the Eyak Lake dam/weir to a point 200 yards downstream from the bridge at the outlet of Eyak Lake only single hook, artificial flies with a hook gap of 3/8 inch or less between point and shank are allowed. In addition, no additional weight may be attached to your line.
• Coghill River is seeing a good number of sockeye salmon passing the weir. As of July 20, 2021, over 92,000 sockeye salmon had passed the weir. The bag and possession limit was increased in the Coghill River effective Thursday, July 15. See the emergency order below for more info. In addition, anglers may now fish within 50 feet of the weir.

Trout/Dolly Varden/Arctic char

• Effective June 15 through April 14, anglers fishing in the PWS area may retain cutthroat trout, rainbow trout, or steelhead. Check the regulations for the waters you are fishing for bag and possession limits.
• Dolly Varden/ Arctic char are open year around with a bag and possession limit of 10 fish (no size restrictions).

Saltwater Fishing

Port sampling efforts are underway in Whittier and Valdez. Please assist our port sampling program by returning to the harbor with whole groundfish or carcasses and allowing ADF&G technicians to sample your harvest when requested. Data collected from the sport harvest is needed to manage and maintain healthy fisheries. We appreciate you supporting the port sampling program and your assistance in getting managers information that aids in managing fisheries in Southcentral.

Halibut/Lingcod/Rockfish

• Halibut and rockfish catches continue to be good in Prince William Sound. With the good weekend weather anglers were able to get out around the Sound and pick up halibut. Spending time anchored up and using a chum bag can increase your likelihood of success. If you want to stay closer, try around Culross and Perry islands for halibut or move out towards the ocean entrances for even better catches of halibut.
• The Valdez Halibut Derby is under way and goes through September 5. The current leader continues to be a 202lb halibut!
• Rockfish limits year-round are four fish per day, eight in possession of which only one in possession can be a nonpelagic rockfish. Check your 2021 Southcentral Alaska Sport Fishing Regulations Summary booklet for species identification information.
• The use of a deepwater release mechanism is required on all sport fishing vessels in Alaska and they must be used to release rockfish back down to depth of capture or 100 feet, whichever is shallower. Never heard of deepwater release? Check out our webpage for more info!
• Lingcod season opened on July 1. The bag and possession limit is one fish that is 35 inches long or longer with head attached, or 28 inches or greater with head removed. A person may not gaff a fish which is not of legal size or that is to be released.
• Lingcod fishing has been reported as fair, but the weekend weather kept many anglers from getting out far. Fishing a couple feet above rocky pinnacles with large jigs is a good option and can reduce your incidental rockfish catches.

Salmon

• Kings continue to be reported caught around the Sound in pockets. Cape Cleare, Crafton, and Chenga islands, and inside Passage Canal have been reported as locations to catch kings while trolling. Try targeting fish between 50 - 100 feet. Trolling just after you leave the harbor on past the Cove Creek outlet can produce good catches if you spend the time as kings should be heading that direction. A few kings have also been milling in the Whittier harbor. Remember, the Whittier Harbor is closed to snagging.
• Fishing for sockeye salmon has slowed down in Main Bay. There is an active commercial fishery in the area so check for openers before heading that way.
• Eshamy Bay is starting to see sockeye showing up.
• Fishing for pinks in Valdez has improved just in time for the Kid’s Pink Salmon Derby this coming weekend. Allison Point and the harbor have been seeing catches of pink salmon pick up. Commercial fishing has started so you may see substantial commercial effort off and on over the next few weeks.

Shrimp

• Don’t forget to get your shrimp permit! The sport and subsistence shrimp season is currently open and will close on September 15, 2021. You are required to have your permit with you and document anytime you have pots in the water.
• Good depths to shrimp range from 300 – 450 feet.
• After retrieval, you must record your catch on your permit immediately after you harvest shrimp.
• You can report your shrimp harvest online any time. Once the season closes you must report all of your harvest no later than October 15, 2021. **Harvest must be reported for each individual time you pull your pots.
• Shrimpers are allowed to carry additional pots on their vessel, but those pots cannot be fished while shrimping even if they are targeting a different species (i.e. octopus).
• If your pots get lost or stolen please contact Alaska Wildlife Troopers (AWT).
  • Valdez AWT 835-4307
  • Cordova AWT 424-3184
  • Whittier AWT 352-5401

Local Lakes

• Blueberry and Thompson lakes and Ruth Pond have been stocked! Fishing should be good in these lakes and Ruth Pond is a fun, easy access location to take the kids to catch rainbow trout. Thompson Lake is a good spot to target Arctic grayling with small sized flies or spinners.

Emergency Orders

Please review the Emergency Orders and Advisory Announcements below in their entirety before heading out on your next fishing trip.

• Emergency Order 2-RS-6-45-21 increases the bag and possession limit for sockeye salmon in the Coghill River to 12 fish per day and 24 in possession through 11:59 p.m. Saturday, July 31, 2021. In addition, it also reduces the area closed to fishing adjacent to the Coghill River weir to 50 feet.
• Emergency Order 2-SHR-6-15-21 decreases the number of shrimp pots allowed to harvest shrimp in the Prince William Sound shrimp fishery from five pots per person with a maximum of five pots per vessel, to two pots per person with a maximum of two pots per vessel during the 2021 season.

Don't forget to purchase your 2021 sport fishing license and king stamp! Help maximize social distancing and purchase your 2021 sport fishing license and king stamp through the ADF&G online store and print it off from the comfort of your own home. Also, make sure to review Emergency Orders and the 2021 Southcentral Sport Fishing Regulations Summary booklet for the area you are fishing for before you head out.

For additional information, please contact the Anchorage Area Office at (907) 267-2218.