Area Sport Fishing Reports
Bristol Bay

Archived Sport Fishing Report

August 06, 2014

Bristol Bay Area

Week of August 5 to August 11
Issued August 5, 2014

Emergency Orders and regulation reminders

• Sport fishing for king salmon is closed by regulation throughout Bristol Bay.

• The Department of Fish and Game increased the bag and possession limit for sockeye salmon from five per day, five in possession to ten per day, ten in possession in all waters of the Wood River drainage effective 12:01 a.m., Friday, July 4. The escapement of sockeye salmon on the Wood River has exceeded the escapement goal of 700 thousand to 1.5 million fish. Through July 21, over 2.7 million sockeye salmon have been counted at the Wood River tower. Therefore, it is warranted to increase the bag and possession limit for sockeye salmon in the Wood River sport fishery and thereby provide opportunity to harvest fish surplus to the escapement goal.

• During the March 2014 Statewide Alaska Board of Fisheries meeting, the board liberalized Nushagak River drainage sport fishing regulations to allow the use of multiple hooks. The new regulation allows anglers fishing in portions of the Nushagak River drainage to use multiple hooks from August 1 - April 30. This change did not affect the single hook requirement for the waters of the Nushagak River from May 1- July 31, or regulations in the upper Nushagak River and several tributaries adopted to protect rainbow trout. This liberalization is not published in the 2014 Bristol Bay sport fishing regulation summary, however, it is in effect this season.

Fresh waters

Silver Salmon

• Naknek and Alagnak drainages:
o Silvers are starting to show up and fishing is reported as fair to good on the Naknek and fair on the Alagnak.
• Nushagak drainages.
o Through August 4, the sonar at Portage Creek has counted 283,343 silvers. Fishing is reported as good.
• Togiak River and nearby drainages:
o Fishing is reported as fair.

Rainbow Trout, Dolly Varden, Arctic Grayling

• Naknek and Alagnak drainages:
o Fishing for rainbow trout is reported as fair.
• Togiak River and nearby drainages:
o Fishing for Dolly Varden, rainbow trout, and Arctic grayling should be fair to very good.
• Wood River Lakes system:
o Fishing should be good for resident species throughout the lake system.

Northern Pike

• Naknek and Alagnak drainages:
o Fishing should be fair to good.
• Wood River Lake system:
o Fishing is fair to good along lake and slough shores and in shallow weedy bays.

Salt waters

Halibut

• Nushagak Bay
o Fishing should be fair off the coast of Protection Point.