Area Sport Fishing Reports
North Gulf Coast/Resurrection Bay

Archived Sport Fishing Report

May 31, 2018

General Area Description: includes 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

• Anglers are reminded to review Emergency Orders and News Releases and the 2018 Southcentral Sport Fishing Regulations Summary booklet for the North Gulf Coast Area before heading out on their next fishing trip.
• Regulation Reminders
• As of Friday, June 1 personal use dipnetting for hooligan is closed in the salt water.
• The personal use season for shrimp fishing with pot gear in North Gulf Coast area waters opened on April 15. A North Gulf Coast shrimp permit is required to participate in this fishery. This permit is different than the Prince William Sound Shrimp Permit and is NOT available online.
• Lingcod fishing is CLOSED until July 1.

Saltwater Fishing

Halibut

• Halibut are federally managed by NOAA. Make sure you know the regulations! Unguided and guided anglers have different rules to follow. A more extensive description of the Federal Regulations can be found on NOAA’s Fisheries Sport Halibut Fishing in Alaska webpage.
• Halibut fishing in the North Gulf Coast has been improving. Weather has allowed boats to get out further and get into some nice limits of fish.

Salmon

• The king salmon limit in Resurrection Bay is currently 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.
• King salmon fishing has been improving in Resurrection Bay. Shore anglers are having more success this week. Anglers that have been trolling are still having success as well. Try trolling with a small- to medium-sized herring and an oversized flasher.
• Sockeye salmon are in Resurrection Bay. Anglers are catching fish but it is slow. Also, the seiners have been out picking up fish as well. Reports are of smaller fish being caught. It’s still early and this run should continue to build.

Other Saltwater Fishing

• Dolly Varden continue to be caught at Lowell Point.
• Lingcod fishing is CLOSED until July 1 to protect nest guarding males.
• There are reports of hooligan in Resurrection Bay and River but remember, as of June 1 personal use dipnetting for hooligan is closed in the salt water.
• 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 rockfish.
  • REMEMBER if you are targeting multiple species, target rockfish last, and use a deepwater release mechanism on all released rockfish. These devices can turn the chance of survival for a rockfish from near zero to near 100%!
  • Never heard of deepwater release for rockfish? Stop by your local ADF&G office for a free release mechanism (and instruction on how to use it), while supplies last. Visit the ADF&G Rockfish Conservation webpage for more information.

Shellfish

• Reports from the personal-use shrimp pot fishery is that small amounts of shrimp are being caught. This fishery is now open in the entire North Gulf Coast area from Cape Fairfield to Gore Point. To participate in this 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 the 2018 Southcentral Alaska Sport Fishing Regulations Summary booklet for regulations on this fishery and the shrimp pot requirements.

Freshwater Fishing

Salmon

• There are no freshwater drainages in Resurrection Bay open to king salmon fishing at this time of year.
• Resurrection River, downstream of the highway and Nash Road to the ADF&G markers, open to salmon fishing (except king salmon) on June 16.

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 visit the ADF&G Hatcheries and Stocking webpage for more information regarding when and where fish are stocked.
•  First Lake has been stocked with rainbow trout. This is a great place to take the kids.