Area Sport Fishing Reports
Kodiak

Archived Sport Fishing Report

August 19, 2014

Kodiak Area

Week of August 17 to August 23
Issued August 18, 2014

Emergency Orders and regulation reminders

• 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 July 18, The Pasagshak River is closed to sport fishing for sockeye salmon.

Fresh waters

Salmon

• Department of Fish and Game counting weirs on the Buskin, Afognak, Dog Salmon, Upper Station, Karluk and Ayakulik rivers remain in operation to count returns of pink and coho salmon. Late run sockeye salmon returns are also currently counted at the Karluk and Ayakulik rivers.
• Ayakulik and Dog Salmon River drainage bag limits for sockeye salmon remain increased to 10 fish per day and in possession.
• Due to poor escapement, the Pasagshak River is closed to fishing for sockeye salmon until further notice.
• Pink salmon runs are still peaking in Kodiak streams. The Buskin, Olds and Salonie rivers, as well as Pillar and Monashka creeks currently have large numbers of pink salmon inriver.
• Coho salmon are being caught at Shuyak Islands, Pauls Bay and a number of Kodiak streams, including the Afognak River and also locations along the Kodiak road system including Buskin River and Monashka and Pillar creeks. The Buskin River were has counted a total of 511 coho salmon as of August 17.
• Anglers can find daily updated Kodiak salmon weir counts at http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/sf/FishCounts/ .

Trout, Dolly Varden, Grayling

• Freshwater Dolly fishing in best right now in the American, Buskin and Salonie rivers.

Lake Fishing

• August is an excellent time to fish rainbow trout in the stocked lakes along the Kodiak road zone. 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 reportedly remains fair, with mostly smaller-sized fish being caught. Anglers continue to report catching fish at Buoy #4, Cape Gravelle and Sequel Point.

Salmon

• Trolling for Chinook (king) salmon was reportedly below average during the past week. Trollers reportedly continue to work Cape Chiniak and Cape Gravelle.
• Monashka Bay is now open to sport fishing for king salmon.
• Other well-known trolling spots along the road system are Buoy #4 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.
• Trollers are now also catching silver (coho) salmon in a number of locations within Chiniak Bay and elsewhere.

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.
• The Kodiak Area lingcod season opened on July 1.