Area Sport Fishing Reports
North Gulf Coast/Resurrection Bay
Archived Sport Fishing Report
May 04, 2017
North Gulf Coast Area
Week of May 3 to May 9
Issued May 4, 2017
Emergency Orders and regulation reminders
- The personal use season for shrimp fishing with pot gear in North Gulf Coast area waters opened on April 15th. North Gulf Coast shrimp permit is required to participate in this fishery.
- Lingcod fishing remains closed until July 1st.
Halibut
- Halibut fishing in the North Gulf Coast has been reported to be fair. Fishing closer to the Gulf has been more productive.
Salmon
- The king salmon limit in Resurrection Bay is now two per day, any size. There is no annual or seasonal king salmon limit in effect, and there is no king salmon harvest recording requirement.
- Try trolling with a small- to medium-sized herring and an oversized flasher.
- Anglers continue to catch king salmon in the bay daily. Most kings caught have been feeder kings, indicating that it is still early for the king salmon returning to the Lagoon.
- It’s getting close to the time to start scouting for sockeye in Resurrection Bay.
Other salt water fishing
- Lingcod fishing remains closed until July 1st to protect nest guarding males.
- Rockfish are easy to catch and have a fairly conservative bag limit, so target your rockfish last.
- The rockfish daily bag limit is four per day, of which only one may be a non-pelagic (demersal) rockfish.
- Use deepwater release methods to release incidentally caught rockfish. For details, see the ADF&G Rockfish Conservation webpage.
- There have been no reports of hooligan in Resurrection Bay yet. Historically, they have arrived in the last week of May.
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.
- Check out page 83 of the 2017 Southcentral Alaska Sport Fishing Regulations Summary for regulations on this fishery, and page 82 shrimp pot requirements.
Fresh waters
Salmon
- There are no freshwater drainages in Resurrection Bay open to salmon fishing at this time of year.
Rainbow Trout, Dolly Varden, Arctic Grayling
- Fish for Dolly Varden around creek mouths, especially creeks where pink and chum salmon usually spawn.
- Try casting small spinners and spoons off the beach for some sea run Dolly Varden action.
- Fry and smolt patterns have been known to produce catches of Dolly Varden in Seward area streams.
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
- Area lakes will be stocked soon so check the ADF&G Sport Fish website for stocking updates.
- Try your luck at Troop Lake for rainbow trout.