Area Sport Fishing Reports
Kodiak

Archived Sport Fishing Report

June 24, 2014

Kodiak Area

Week of June 22 to June28
Issued June 23, 2014

Emergency Orders and regulation reminders

• Effective June 1, in the Ayakulik River drainage, king salmon sport fishing is restricted to a daily bag limit of one fish and an annual limit of two.
• Effective June 1, in the Karluk River drainage, including Karluk Lagoon, sport fishing for king salmon is restricted to catch and release only. All king salmon caught must be released without being removed from the water. In addition, the use of bait is prohibited for all sport fishing downstream of Karluk Lake.
• The 2014 Chignik River king salmon fishery will start with a bag and possession limit of one king salmon 20 inches or greater in length, and an annual limit of two fish.
• Marine boat anglers returning to any port on the Kodiak road system from May 31 - August 31 may not fillet, mutilate, or de-head king salmon until they have been brought to shore and offloaded, unless the fish have been consumed or preserved on board.
• Effective June 5, the Afognak River sockeye salmon bag limit is increased to 10 fish per day and 10 in possession.
• Effective June 12, the Ayakulik River sockeye salmon bag limit is increased to 10 fish per day and 10 in possession.
• Effective June 13, the Karluk River sockeye salmon bag limit is increased to 10 fish per day and 10 in possession.
• Effective June 21, the Karluk and Ayakulik rivers are closed to fishing for king salmon.

Fresh waters

Salmon

• Department of Fish and Game counting weirs on the Buskin, Afognak, Karluk and Ayakulik rivers are now in operation to count returns of sockeye salmon. King salmon returns will also be counted at Karluk and Ayakulik weirs. Current escapement goals for these two runs are 3,000 – 6,000 and 4,000-7,000 fish, respectively. The current Buskin River sockeye salmon escapement goal is 5,000-8,000 fish.
• As a result of poor returns in 2014, sport fishing for king salmon Karluk River drainage (including Karluk Lagoon) is now closed for the year. In addition, the use of bait for all sport fishing is prohibited downstream of Karluk Lake through July 25. As of June 22 only 651 king salmon had passed through the Karluk River weir.
• The Ayakulik River king salmon fishery has also been closed. Just 440 have been counted at the Ayakulik weir as of June 22.
• At Chignik River king salmon sport fishing is restricted at both rivers to a daily bag limit of one fish over 20”, and an annual limit of two.
• Relatively healthy returns are anticipated for the Kodiak Road Zone’s Buskin River sockeye salmon run, which usually peaks during mid-June, and in the last 10 years has averaged about 15,000 fish. The daily bag and possession limit for sockeye salmon within the Kodiak Road Zone has been increased to 5 fish. Through June 22 more than 9,600 sockeye have been counted at the Buskin River weir.
• The current Afognak River sockeye salmon escapement goal is 20,000 – 55,000 fish. Afognak River weir has counted over 27,000 sockeye salmon as of June 22. Consequently the bag limit for Afognak River sockeye is increased to 10 fish per day and 10 in possession.
• Strong early runs to sockeye salmon to the Karluk and Ayakulik River drainages have resulted in bag limit increases for anglers to 10 fish per day and in possession.
• Anglers can find daily updated Kodiak salmon weir counts at http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/sf/FishCounts/ .

Trout, Dolly Varden, Grayling

• Dollies are currently being caught along beaches in salt waters near most rivers along the Kodiak road system The beaches of Olds and Roslyn rivers are good bets for Dollies this week.

Lake Fishing

• June is an excellent time to fish rainbow trout in the stocked lakes along the Kodiak road zone. It’s always a good idea to check water temperatures, as fish will be more active in warmer lakes. Although ADF&G currently stocks only sterile juvenile trout, some lakes with a stocking history dating to the 1950s may also contain spawning populations of adult fish.

Salt waters

Halibut

• Halibut fishing has reportedly been fair to excellent during the past week and usually gets progressively better through June.

Salmon

• Trolling for Chinook (king) salmon continue to be excellent. Recent reports indicate that trollers are catching fish at Buoy #4 and also in Kalsin and Monashka bays.
• Some hatchery kings are beginning to show in Monashka and Kalsin Bay waters, with anglers reporting a few fish caught so far by wading and casting from White Sands and Kalsin beaches.
• Other well-known trolling spots along the road system are Cape Chiniak and the deeper waters on both sides of Long Island. Kodiak king salmon average 20 pounds, but fish up to 70 pounds are occasionally caught.

Other salt water fishing

• Black rockfish can currently be caught at depths of 10 fathoms or less near kelp beds along rock pinnacles and other natural or manmade structures. Rockfish are also frequently caught from shore at locations such as the breakwater barrier shielding St. Paul Harbor.
• Anglers are reminded that the lingcod season does not open until July 1.