Area Sport Fishing Reports
North Gulf Coast/Resurrection Bay
Archived Sport Fishing Report
June 18, 2014
North Gulf Coast Area
Week of June 17 to June 23
Issued June 17, 2014
Emergency Orders and regulation reminders
• Lingcod fishing remains closed until July 1.
• The Resurrection River Drainage south of Nash Road and south the Seward Highway is now open to salmon fishing. See page 58 of the Southcentral Sport Fishing Regulations for details.
Halibut
• Halibut fishing continues to be good in North Gulf Coast waters.
• Anglers having the best success are heading east out of Resurrection Bay.
• Fishing for halibut inside the bay requires more patience.
• Mix it up and head west out of the Bay – try fishing off Aligo Point, or Cloudy Cape.
Salmon
• Troll with a small/medium sized herring and an over-sized flasher in the Bay. This is a good combination for king salmon.
• If you want to keep your feet dry, try fishing the beach off the mouth Seward Lagoon drainage stream for king salmon during the flood tide. The stocked kings should be returning now.
• Boats making it out to Montague Island have been landing a good number of king salmon
• The sockeye fishery is pretty good at the head bay. Remember, you must be in salt water to snag fish. If you are in fresh water snagging is illegal.
• Quite a few coho were seen jumping out at the Chiswell Islands this past weekend, but no real coho action yet – relax it’s still early.
Other salt water fishing
• Lingcod fishing remains closed until July 1 to protect nest guarding males. The ADF&G technician in Seward sent a picture of a halibut with a stomach full of lingcod eggs.
• Rockfish are easy to catch and have a fairly conservative bag limit, so target your rockfish last.
• The rockfish daily bag limit is 4 per day, of which only 1 may be a non-pelagic (demersal) rockfish.
• Use deepwater release methods to release incidentally caught rockfish. Avoid venting rockfish intended for release. Vented rockfish do not survive as well as those released at capture depth. For details on deepwater release, see the ADF&G Rockfish Conservation webpage at http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=fishingSportFishingInfo.rockfishconservation
• Pacific cod fishing has been fair to good, and there is no limit.
• Try casting small shiny spinners and spoons, or fly fishing with a smolt pattern for Dollies off the South Beach on Lowell Point.
Shellfish
• There have been no reports from the personal-use shrimp pot fishery. This fishery is now open in the entire North Gulf Coast area from Cape Fairfield to Gore Point. To participate in the fishery you must be an Alaska resident with a current sport fishing license or ADF&G Permanent ID card, and a North Gulf Coast shrimp pot fishery permit. Permits can be obtained at the Anchorage, Homer, or Soldotna ADF&G offices. They can also be obtained at The Fish House in Seward.
• Check out page 63 of the 2013 Southcentral Alaska Sport Fishing Regulations Summary for regulations on this fishery, and page 62 shrimp pot requirements.
Fresh waters
Salmon
• If the water levels, and water clarity are good in the open area, salmon fishing might be worth a try. See sport fishing regulations for details about legal gear and legal area.
Rainbow Trout, Dolly Varden, Arctic Grayling
• Dolly Varden might be tough to find in fresh water right now.
Northern Pike
• Northern pike are not native to Southcentral Alaska. Please report the capture of any pike in unconfirmed waters to ADF&G. Do not release any pike you have caught.
Lake Fishing
• Expect slow fishing for rainbow trout at First Lake right now, but this lake will be stocked a second time soon, so kids, keep your eyes peeled for the stocking truck.
• Lost Lake was last stocked about seven years ago and does not get much fishing pressure, so it may harbor a lunker or two. If not, the scenery is incredible.