Area Sport Fishing Reports
Kodiak

Archived Sport Fishing Report

July 05, 2018

Regulation Reminders and Emergency Orders

Emergency Orders

• Anglers are reminded to review Emergency Orders and News Releases for the Kodiak Area before heading out on their next fishing trip.
  • o Per Emergency Order No. 2-RS-4-17-18, effective June 16, 2018, the Afognak River drainage (Litnik) is closed to sport fishing for sockeye salmon.
  • o Per Emergency Order No. 2-RS-4-16-18, effective June 16, 2018, the Buskin River drainage is closed to sport fishing for sockeye salmon.
  • o Per Emergency Order No. 2-KS-4-08-18, effective June 1, 2018, Monashka Creek and Bay are closed to king salmon fishing. In addition, the use of bait is prohibited in Monashka Creek.
  • o Per Emergency Order No. 2-KS-4-07-18, effective June 1, 2018, in the Karluk River drainage, including Karluk Lagoon, fishing for king salmon is closed. In addition, the use of bait is prohibited for all fishing downstream of Karluk Lake.
  • o Per Emergency Order No. 2-KS-4-06-18, effective June 1, 2018, in the Ayakulik River drainage, king salmon fishing is restricted to catch and release. All king salmon caught must be released without being removed from the water. In addition, the use of bait is prohibited and only one unbaited, single-hook artificial lures may be used.

Regulation Reminders

• Anglers are reminded there are new rockfish regulations for the Kodiak Area.
  • o The bag and possession limits for rockfish in Chiniak and Marmot Bays has been reduced to 3 per day, 6 in possession, only 2 per day, 4 in possession may be non-pelagic, and only 1 per day, 2 in possession may be a Yelloweye. Please review the 2018 Southwest Sport Fishing Regulations Summary booklet for a detailed map of the affected area.

Freshwater Fishing

Salmon

• Sockeye salmon runs at Buskin and Litnik are past their peak and not expected to meet escapement goals, despite subsistence and sport closures. Both runs are experiencing record low returns. The count at Buskin is just over 1,200 fish and about 12,000 for Litnik.
• The Karluk and Ayakulik weirs are counting sockeye and kings. Sockeye runs on the south and west side of the island are strong in terms of escapement, king salmon runs similar to previous years but below what would be needed to allow harvest. The count at Karluk is about 2,300 and about 1,900 at Ayakulik. The weir recently was pulled for 5 days due to high water at Ayakulik and the count should be considered a minimal estimate.
• A few sockeye have been counted at Pasagshak and by most reports, fishing sounds slow.
• Saltery is also starting off a little slow for sockeye and the weir count is slightly behind what is expected, but there are many reports of fish building in the river and angler catching limits frequently.
• Hatchery king salmon are just starting to show up in the near shore waters of Kalsin Bay and likely other areas but seem to be off to a weak start. A few kings have been caught in the American and Olds rivers, but fishing is slow right now. It appears these runs are following similar trends to the sockeye runs and are coming in weak.
• Poor returns are expected for Monashka Creek again this year and Monashka Creek and Bay are 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 will be open to king salmon fishing, but the immediately adjacent saltwater’s are closed.
• Weir counts are posted daily on the ADF&G Fish Count webpage.

Trout, Dolly Varden

• Dollies are starting their return to freshwaters right now and anglers should look to the intertidal areas for these fish to start with, but in the coming weeks dollies will be in almost all freshwaters of the island.
• Some anglers have reported good Dolly fishing in Salonie Creek and Olds River so far.
• This is an excellent time to fish our stocked lakes as rainbows are becoming more active as waters warm up and they begin to feed more actively. Visit lower elevation lakes first as fish will be more active in warmer waters.
  • o 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.

Saltwater Fishing

Halibut

• Halibut fishing has been good from some reports and poor by others. Anglers report not seeing as many halibut in their traditional spots but finding them in unexpected places. Popular spots include Buoy 4, Chiniak, Kalsin Reef and Whale Pass.

Salmon

• King salmon fishing has been reported to be good in the last week but occasionally they have gone off the bite. Lots of fish have been caught between Buoys 3 and 4 recently, though anglers report fish on the smaller side, generally less than 15 pounds.
• Other popular spots to fish kings are the capes Chiniak and Grevel, Ugak Island, as well as in between Woody and Long islands. Though king fishing in Ugak Bay has been reported to be slow.
• Coho salmon are starting to show up as well and are starting to be caught near town. The usual spots are Buoy 4 out to Williams Reef, Chiniak, and between Woody and Long Islands.

Other Saltwater Fishing

• Black rockfish can be caught just out of the boat harbor 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 3 per day for pelagic rockfish in Chiniak and Marmot Bays.
• Lingcod season opened on July 1. Please review the 2018 Southwest Sport Fishing Regulations Summary booklet for bag and possession limits.