Area Sport Fishing Reports
Prince William Sound

Archived Sport Fishing Report

August 11, 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

• Coho salmon are starting to move into the Eyak River. Coho fishing should start to pick up in the coming weeks in both Eyak and Ibeck Creek.
  • Remember effective June 1 - 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.
• The Coghill River weir is done operating for the season. Most sockeye has moved into the lake. 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 - April 14, anglers fishing in the PWS area may retain cutthroat, rainbow, or steelhead trout. Check the regulations for the waters you are fishing for bag and possession limits.
• Dolly Varden/ Arctic char is open year-round with a bag and possession limit of 10 fish (no size restrictions).
• Dolly Varden and cutthroat trout can be found throughout PWS. Try fishing small spinners, beads, or streamer flies when targeting these fish.

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. The weather continues to be great for anglers to get out. 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 underway and goes through September 5. The current leader is now a 246.8lb. halibut!
• The Valdez Silver Salmon Derby started July 24 and goes through September 5. The current leader is a 12.40lb. coho salmon!
• Rockfish limits year-round are four fish per day, eight in possession of which the only one in possession can be a nonpelagic rockfish. Check your 2021 Southcentral Sport Fishing Regulations Summary booklet for species identification information.
• The use of a deepwater release mechanism is required on all sportfishing vessels in Alaska and they must be used to release rockfish back down to a depth of capture or 100 feet, whichever is shallower. Ever heard of the deepwater release? Check out our webpage for more info!
• Lingcod season opened on July 1. Many fish getting caught are just under legal size so check your fish length closely! The bag and possession limit is one fish that is 35 inches long or longer with the head attached, or 28 inches or greater with the head removed. A person may not gaff a fish that is not of the legal size or that is to be released.
• Lingcod fishing has been reported as fair. Fishing a couple of feet above rocky pinnacles with large jigs is a good option and can reduce your incidental rockfish catches.

Salmon

• King catches were reported as fair over the last week. Crafton, Chenega, and Glacier islands, and inside Passage Canal have been reported as locations to catch kings while trolling or mooching. Try targeting fish between 50 - 100 feet. Trolling just after you leave the harbor past the Cove Creek outlet can produce good catches if you spend the time as kings should be heading in that direction. A few kings have also been milling in the Whittier harbor. Remember, the Whittier Harbor is closed to snagging.
• Eshamy Bay is seeing more sockeye in at the head of the bay and fish are moving into the creek.
• Pinks are jumping all around the Sound still! Spinners, pixies, or a small piece of bait mooching are all good options if you are targeting salmon.
• Fishing for pinks in Valdez has been reported as good. Anglers are finding having success from shore near Allison Point and the Valdez harbor. Anglers in boats are also finding pinks throughout the sound when looking for silvers.
• Cohos are being caught in a lot of locations around PWS! They are in the Port of Valdez and Naked, Goose, and Glacier islands have been producing coho salmon as well as some catches still down by Crafton Island. Kings are also getting picked up at some of these same locations.

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 it 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 at any time. Once the season closes you must report all of your harvests 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 has been 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. Friday, December 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.

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.