Area Sport Fishing Reports
North Gulf Coast/Resurrection Bay

Archived Sport Fishing Report

May 24, 2017

Week of May 25 to May 31

General Area Description: Salt waters within 200 miles of shore from the longitude of Gore Point to the longitude of Cape Fairfield. All fresh waters between Gore Point and Cape Fairfield.

Regulation Reminders and Emergency Orders

• The personal-use shrimp pot fishery in North Gulf Coast waters opened on April 15. A North Gulf Coast shrimp permit is required to participate in this fishery.
• Lingcod fishing remains closed until July 1.

Salt waters

Halibut

• Halibut fishing in the North Gulf Coast has been reported to be good and continues to improve. Fishing closer to the Gulf has been more productive but it’s been difficult to get out.

Salmon

• The king salmon limit in Resurrection Bay is 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 medium sized herring and oversized flasher.
• Anglers are catching a few king salmon in the bay but it has been slow. Most kings caught have been feeder kings, indicating that it is still early in the season for the king salmon to be returning to the Lagoon.
• The first few sockeye salmon have been caught at Resurrection River near the salt water.
• Remember, the Resurrection River downstream of Seward Highway and Nash Road to the ADF&G markers is closed to salmon fishing until June 16.

 

 

Other Salt Water Fishing

• Lingcod fishing remains closed until July 1 to protect nest guarding males.
• There have been reports of hooligan in Resurrection Bay but nothing reported in the river yet. They should be arriving any day now, as they historically show up at the end of May.
• 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.

Never heard of deepwater release for rockfish??? For details, see the ADF&G Rockfish Conservation and Deepwater Release webpage.

Fishing Tip: Brush up on your rockfish identification before you head out fishing by reviewing page 90 of the 2017 Southcentral Sport Fishing Regulation Summary booklet.

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 2017 sport fishing license or a ADF&G Permanent ID card, and have a North Gulf Coast shrimp pot fishery permit. Permits can be obtained at the Anchorage, Homer, or Soldotna ADF&G offices.
• Review page 83 of the 2017 Southcentral Alaska Sport Fishing Regulations Summary booklet for regulations on this fishery, and page 82 for 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 salmon 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. They work especially well right now with the outmigration of salmon!

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

• First Lake was recently stocked with rainbow trout. This is a great location to take the kids! Remember to check the ADF&G's Hatcheries and Stocking webpage for stocking updates.