Area Sport Fishing Reports
Kodiak

Archived Sport Fishing Report

June 20, 2016

Kodiak Area

Week of June 19 to June 25
Issued June 20, 2016

Emergency Orders and regulation reminders

• For full details of all Emergency Orders that have been issued this year, click on the links in the “Kodiak EO’s” box, above.
• Effective June 1, in the Ayakulik River drainage, king salmon sport fishing is restricted to catch and release. All king salmon caught must be released without being removed from the water. In addition, bait is not allowed for any sport fishing and only single hooks on artificial lures may be used.
• Effective June 1, in the Karluk River drainage, including Karluk Lagoon, sport fishing for king salmon is closed. In addition, the use of bait is prohibited for all sport fishing downstream of Karluk Lake.
• Effective June 1, Monashka Creek and Bay are closed to sport fishing for king salmon. In addition, the use of bait is prohibited in Monashka Creek.
• 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 4, the bag limit for sockeye in the Afognak River (Litnik) is increased from 5 to 10 fish per day.
• Effective June 9, the bag limit for sockeye in the Buskin River is increased from 2 to 5 fish per day.

Fresh waters

Salmon

• Department of Fish and Game counting weirs on the Buskin, Afognak, Olga, Dog Salmon Karluk, and Ayakulik rivers are now operating to count returns of sockeye salmon. King salmon returns will also be counted at Karluk and Ayakulik weirs. Respective escapement goals for these two runs are 3,000 – 6,000 and 4,000-7,000 fish. The current Buskin River sockeye salmon escapement goal is 5,000-8,000 fish, and the Afognak River sockeye goal 20,000 – 50,000 fish. As of June 19, sockeye counts in most rivers are above average for this date.
• In anticipation of relatively poor returns in 2016, sport fishing for king salmon in the Karluk River drainage (including Karluk Lagoon) is closed. In addition, the use of bait for all sport fishing is prohibited downstream of Karluk Lake and single hooks must be used.
• Poor returns are also expected this year for the Ayakulik River king salmon run. Consequently, king salmon sport fishing is closed as well. Bait is not allowed for any sport fishing and only single hooks on artificial lures may be used.
• In recent years, returns of stocked king salmon have been poor to Monashka Creek, though they have been excellent at the American and Olds rivers. Poor returns are expected again this year and Monashka Creek and Bay are subsequently closed to king salmon fishing to aid in collection of brood stock for enhancement of road system king salmon runs. In addition, in Monashka Creek, bait may not be used and only single hooks are allowed.
• The freshwaters of Pillar Creek are open to fishing from the highway downstream; however, all saltwaters of Monashka Bay are closed to king salmon fishing, including the beach in front of Pillar Creek.
• King salmon returns to the American and Olds rivers have started. Reports of fish being caught at the American and the Olds rivers are coming in, though fishing may still be sporadic. Look to fish the incoming tides or near-shore saltwaters in these areas.
• More than 5,000 sockeye have been counted in the Buskin River already and fishing has been excellent. The Buskin sockeye run usually peaks during mid-June, and in the last 10 years has averaged about 12,000 fish.
• Afognak River (Litnik) is off to a great start with more than 24,000 sockeye counted as of June 19. The bag limit has been increase to 10 sockeye per day.
• Sockeye are starting to show up at Pasagshak and Saltery Cove. These runs are just beginning and typically peak in the 2nd week of July. Be sure to keep an eye out for emergency orders regarding the Pasagshak run as it has been small in recent years.
• After Kodiak salmon counting weirs begin operating anglers can find daily updated counts at http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/sf/FishCounts/ .

Dolly Varden

• Dolly Varden are starting to show back up in road side creeks but also can be caught in near-shore saltwaters. Popular places for fishing Dollies are Mission Beach, the mouths of Pillar and Monashka creeks, Kalsin Beach and at the mouth of Buskin River. Dollies are also often caught off of the beaches near Roslyn and Myrtle creeks. During June, Dolly Varden should be available in salt waters near most rivers along the Kodiak road system. They may also be caught in any of the road-side creeks and rivers including Buskin and the American.

Lake Fishing

• June is an excellent time to fish rainbow trout in the stocked lakes along the Kodiak road zone, as after ice-out the fish travel shoal areas in search of food. Visit lower elevation lakes for rainbow fishing, as fish will be more active in warmer waters, but most lakes should be warming steadily by now. 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. Be sure to check the local sport fishing regulations for a current list of stocked lakes as harvest of rainbow trout is only allowed in lakes that are currently stocked.

Salt waters

Halibut

• Halibut fishing has been good by most reports and will likely get better through the month of June. There have been many reports of anglers catching halibut while trolling for king salmon as well as while targeting them in Chiniak and Marmot bays. Popular places to fish halibut in the spring are Whale Pass, Cape Chiniak and Williams Reef. Reports have been coming in that many fish are larger than the last several years, averaging between 30 and 40 pounds.

Salmon

• Trolling for Chinook (king) salmon in Kodiak’s marine waters has become very popular in recent years. Kings can be fished successfully year-round, though fishing can be difficult to predict. Recent reports indicate that trolling has been slow. Popular places to troll including Buoy #4, Whale Pass, Sharatin Bay, and Kalsin Bay.
• Other well-known trolling spots along the road system are Cape Chiniak, Cape Gravelle and waters between long and Woody islands. Kodiak king salmon average 20 pounds, but fish up to 70 pounds are occasionally caught.
• Kings should be able to be caught near the mouths of the American and Olds rivers now and Kalsin Beach is a good bet for casting for these fish from shore or trolling near the beach.
• Last year, silver salmon were caught as early as June 12th in Chiniak Bay, keep an eye out for feeding school of silvers during the month of June as they may move in to near-shore waters early again this year.
• The annual Kodiak King Salmon Derby sponsored by the Kodiak Association of Charter Operators (http://www.kodiakkingsalmonderby.com ) is ongoing.

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 man-made structures. Rockfish are also frequently caught from shore at locations such as the outer reaches of White Sand beach and the breakwater barrier shielding St. Paul Harbor.
• Anglers are reminded that the lingcod season does not open until July 1.