Area Sport Fishing Reports
Kodiak

Archived Sport Fishing Report

June 30, 2017

Week of June 30 to July 6

Emergency Orders and Regulation Reminders

• Anglers are reminded to review Emergency Orders and News Releases for the Kodiak Area before heading on their next fishing trip. The following Emergency Orders are currently in effect for the following areas:
  • 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.
  • Effective June 7, the Buskin River sockeye salmon bag limit has been increased to five per day.
  • Effective June 7, the Karluk River sockeye salmon bag limit has been increased to ten per day.
• In January 2017, the Board of Fisheries adopted new regulations for sport fishing for the Kodiak Area:
  • The bag limit for Rockfish in Chiniak and Marmot Bays has been reduced to three per day, six in possession, only two of which may be non-pelagics (four in possession) and only one may be a yelloweye (two in possession). See the 2017 Southwest Alaska Sport Fishing Regulations Summary booklet for a detailed map of the affected area.
  • Coho bag limits for the Kodiak Road Zone have changed. Coho bag limits in all freshwaters of the Kodiak Road Zone and saltwaters within 1 mile of the Kodiak Road Zone and Spruce Island have a limit of two coho per day, two in possession January 1 through September 15, 2017. From September 16 through December 31, the bag limit is one per day, one in possession. Bag limits for the remainder of Kodiak Island remain the same.

Freshwaters

Salmon

• Department of Fish and Game counting weirs on the Buskin, Afognak (Litnik), Dog Salmon, Karluk and Ayakulik have been installed are counting sockeye salmon. King salmon returns are also counted at Karluk and Ayakulik weirs. Respective escapement goals for these two runs are 3,000 - 6,000 and 4,800 - 8,400 fish. The current Buskin River sockeye salmon escapement goal is 5,000 - 8,000 fish.
• Sockeye runs are still going strong for most of the island, but early runs are past their peak. About 6,600 sockeye have been counted at the Buskin Weir and more than 15,000 have been counted at Litnik.
• Typically both of these runs are about 75% complete by now. The bag limit is five per day at both drainages.
• Sockeye runs at Pasagshak and Saltery typically peak in mid-July and are starting to pick up right now. Weirs have been installed on both drainages with just over 200 fish counted at Pasagshak and nearly 3,000 at Saltery. Reports from the rivers indicate strong runs in both locations.
• Sockeye runs at the Karluk and Ayakulik are strong as well; the bag limit for Karluk Sockeye has increased to ten per day. The Dog Salmon sockeye run has been off to a slow start but appears to be closer to being on track to meeting escapement goals.
• Karluk River king salmon counts continue to be poor and 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. The current weir count is about 1,600 fish, and is not expected to meet escapement objectives.
• King salmon counts at the Ayakulik remain good, but not great. Right now, the run is projected to meet escapement objectives but the fishery will remain catch and release as few extra fish are expected still. Bait is also not allowed for any sport fishing and only single hooks on artificial lures may be used. The current weir count is nearly 2,800 fish.
• Road system kings appear to be a little late this year with just a few caught so far. There are recent reports of some groups of fish showing up in the Olds, but not yet in the American and Salonie. Rivers are all very high right now and it will be a few days before we see what the rain brought in.
• 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.
• Anglers can find daily updated fish counts by visiting the ADF&G Fish Count Data webpage.

Trout, Dolly Varden

• Dolly Varden should be returning to local rivers now and will continue through the month of August. The biggest returns of dollies will be found in Buskin, American, Olds and Pasagshak rivers but can be caught in all local drainages. A great early place to catch Dolly Varden is Pasagshak, as they tend to follow sockeye salmon in the rivers.
• June is also an excellent time to fish rainbow trout in the stocked lakes along the Kodiak road zone, as during and shortly 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. 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.

Saltwaters

Halibut

• Halibut fishing reportedly has been good with catch rates increasing in areas closer to town and in shallower water. Fishing should be excellent for the remainder of June. Popular places to fish halibut are Whale Pass, Cape Chiniak, and Williams Reef, though fish may be found between Woody and Long islands and Buoy #4.
• Salmon
• Recent reports indicate that trolling for king salmon has been excellent in Ugak Bay at times but slow in other places and overall has been spotty. Look for king fishing to improve as water temperatures warm up and bait fish schools move closer to shore, though it appears this is slow to happen this year with colder water temperatures. Popular places include Buoy #4, Whale Pass, Sharatin Bay, and Kalsin Bay.
• Other well-known trolling spots along the road system are Cape Chiniak, Cape Gravelle, and the waters between long and Woody islands. 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 60 feet 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. Remember to check the current regulations for the area you intend to fish. Bag limits for rockfish have been reduced to three per day for pelagic rockfish in Chiniak and Marmot bays.
• Anglers are reminded that the lingcod season does not open until July 1, 2017.