Area Sport Fishing Reports
Prince William Sound

Archived Sport Fishing Report

September 07, 2023

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

Freshwater Fishing

Trout/Dolly Varden/Arctic Char

• Pipeline lakes (Cordova) are a fun spot for catching cutthroat trout. It’s a nice short hike with lots of locations to try and cast a line.
• Dolly Varden/Arctic char are open year-around with a bag and possession limit of 10 fish (no size restrictions). Dolly Varden have begun entering streams throughout the sound. Dolly Varden can be targeted by fishing bright streamers or egg patterns.

Salmon

• Coho salmon are spread throughout most of the creeks on the Copper River Delta. Catch have been good on Ibeck Creek near the highway bridge and in Alaganik Slough. Fishing has been slow on the Eyak River due to heavy rain in the past few weeks.
  • 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.

Halibut

Halibut fishing has slowed down for the season as halibut make their migration offshore and into deeper water. Anglers are having to spend extra time to catch halibut and most of the halibut have been smaller this late in the season.

Lingcod

Lingcod season opened on July 1. Fishing has been good near the outer portions of Prince William Sound, although marine weather has made traveling to good lingcod locations difficult.

Rockfish

• By emergency order, rockfish limits have been reduced to three fish per day, six in possession of which only one per day, one in possession can be a nonpelagic rockfish. As of July 1, yelloweye rockfish can now be retained as part of your bag limit.
  • For rockfish species identification information visit our website.
• Large schools of pelagic rockfish can be found near the ocean entrances and coastal outside waters of Prince William Sound. Fishing for pelagic rockfish has slowed down inside Prince William Sound.

Shrimp

• There is about a week left to harvest shrimp! The sport and subsistence shrimp season opened on April 15 and will close on September 15. You are required to have your permit with you and document any time you have pots in the water.
• In 2023, the limit is three pots per vessel but only two pots in areas in the vicinity of Whittier and Valdez. See emergency order 2-SHR-6-16-23 and the map that accompanies your permit for area specifics.
• Don’t forget you must record your catch on your permit prior to leaving the site or concealing your catch.
• Shrimpers have reported that shrimping has improved producing better catch rates at shallower depths (150-250 feet). Pulling your pots every 4 - 6 hours is a good start when trying to find a productive location. Once you find a good spot, let your pots soak for 8-24 hours.

Salmon

King Salmon

King salmon fishing in the saltwater has been slow to fair but steady for some anglers. Anglers have reported a good number of king salmon around Glacier Island. Fish are also being caught sporadically throughout Prince William Sound while anglers are targeting other species. Try trolling a large flasher with small to medium-sized herring.

Coho Salmon

• Coho (silver) are being caught throughout Prince William Sound and fishing continues to improve closer to the ports of Whittier and Valdez. Catches have been good near Pigot Bay and in the vicinity of Valdez Narrows.
• Anglers are catching good numbers of coho salmon in the Port of Valdez. Try casting large spinners or spoons near Allison Point or outside of the Valdez harbor.
• Coho salmon fishing at Fleming Spit (Cordova) has been good and there have been large schools of Coho around the Fleming Spit lagoon.
  • Remember the Cordova Terminal Harvest Area is closed to snagging from June 1 - September 30.

Local Lakes

• Blueberry and Thompson lakes and Ruth Pond (Valdez area) were stocked this summer with rainbow trout. Lake trout are also present Blueberry Lake.
• With nights getting longer and cooler, fishing should heat up in Blueberry and Thompson Lakes.

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-SHR-6-16-23 reduced the number of shrimp pots allowed to harvest shrimp in the Prince William Sound noncommercial shrimp fishery. The pot limit per person and per vessel has been reduced to three pots; however, of those three pots only two pots can be set in areas of historical high effort including areas near the Port of Valdez, near the Port of Whittier, and in portions of Port Wells and Culross Passage. This emergency order is in effect through 11:59 p.m. Friday, September 15, 2023.
• Emergency Order 2-RF-6-21-23 reduced the rockfish bag and possession limits in Prince William Sound to three per day and six in possession of which only one per day, one in possession can be nonpelagic.

Don’t forget to purchase your 2023 sport fishing license and king stamp! You can purchase your 2023 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, advisory announcements, and the 2023 Southcentral Alaska Sport Fishing Regulations Summary booklet for the area you are fishing in before you head out.

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