Area Sport Fishing Reports
Southern Kenai/LCI

Archived Sport Fishing Report

May 14, 2014

Weekly Fishing Report
Homer Area

Regulation Reminders and Emergency Orders

The Board of Fisheries (BOF) approved changes to sport fishing and personal use regulations affecting various Lower Cook Inlet freshwater and marine fisheries. These regulation changes and emergency orders can be reviewed at the following sites:

http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/sf/EONR/index.cfm?ADFG=region.NR&NRID=1905
http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/sf/EONR/index.cfm?ADFG=region.NR&NRID=1908
http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/sf/EONR/index.cfm?ADFG=region.NR&NRID=1914

King Salmon

The BOF approved changes to king salmon regulations and additional pre-season emergency orders have been issued. These changes are summarized below and are in effect through Monday, June 30, 2014.
• The combined annual limit is 2 king salmon 20 inches or greater in length for fish harvested from May 1 to June 30 in the Anchor River, Deep Creek, Ninilchik River and all marine waters south of the latitude of the mouth of the Ninilchik River to the latitude of Bluff Point.
• The closed area marker south of the Anchor River was relocated to the Anchor Point Light (59º 46.14 minutes N).
• After harvesting a king salmon 20” or greater from either the Anchor River, Deep Creek, or the Ninilchik River, anglers are required to stop fishing for any species in these streams for the rest of the day.
• Anglers may only use one unbaited, single-hook, artificial lure on the Anchor River, Deep Creek, and Ninilchik River.
• Ninilchik River king salmon bag and possession is one wild or hatchery-reared fish during regulatory weekend openings in May and June; beginning July 1, bag and possession is limited to one hatchery-reared king salmon.
• The Anchor River is closed to sport fishing on Wednesdays.

Shellfish Emergency Orders

• The Ninilchik Beach areas from the north bank of Deep Creek to a marker located approximately 3.2 miles north of the Ninilchik River at 60º 05.66? N. lat., are closed to the taking of all clam species. The bag and possession limit for razor clams harvested from the remaining eastside Cook Inlet beaches, extending from the mouth of the Kenai River to the southernmost tip of the Homer Spit, is reduced to the first 25 razor clams dug per day and only 25 razor clams may be in possession. These restrictions are effective through 11:59 p.m., Wednesday, December 31, 2014.

New Sport Fishing Regulations

• Sport caught pink salmon may be used as bait in the salt water fisheries.

Salt waters

Halibut

• Early-season halibut has been sporadic and most fish are small. Success will improve as more fish move from deep, over-wintering waters back into shallow, summer feeding areas.
• Regulation changes are in effect for guided anglers fishing for halibut. The bag limit for guided anglers is two fish per day, one of any size and one less than or equal to 29 inches in length. A more extensive description of these Federal regulations can be found at: http://alaskafisheries.noaa.gov/frules/79fr13906.pdf You can also contact NOAA fisheries at 1-800-304-4846 or 907-586-7228 with questions about regulations pertaining to sport fishing for halibut.

Salmon

• As a part of the Chinook Salmon Research Initiative, the Department has begun a project looking at the genetic stock composition of the marine king salmon fishery. There are port samplers stationed at the Homer Harbor, and Deep Creek and Anchor Point tractor launches conducting quick interviews and collecting biological information, scales, and genetic clips from sport caught king salmon. If you fished for king salmon in Cook Inlet, regardless of success, we’d like to talk to you! More information on the Chinook Salmon Research Initiative can be found at: http://dfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=chinookinitiative.main
• Trolling success for feeder king salmon has been improving from Bluff Point north.
• Early-run king salmon are typically available this time of year in the nearshore salt waters of Anchor Point, Whiskey Gulch and Deep Creek. Anglers usually concentrate their fishing efforts in near shore, shallow waters between Anchor Point and Deep Creek.
• Popular trolling set-ups for king salmon include herring, hootchies, tube flies, and spoons. Try using dodgers or flashers for extra attraction.

Fresh waters

Salmon

• Local streams along the Sterling Highway south of the Kasilof River are currently closed to all fishing.
• The Anchor River, as defined by the ADF&G markers, will open to fishing at 12:01 a.m. Saturday, May 17, through midnight, Monday, May 19.
• At this time of year, steelhead trout will be leaving the rivers and entering saltwater to recover their strength after spending the winter in the river and spawning in the spring. Please familiarize yourself with the differences between kings and steelhead trout before you fish and practice good fish handling if you catch one. Remember, hooked steelhead trout must not be removed from the water and they must be released immediately.

Lake Fishing

• The ice is gone from most Kenai Peninsula stocked lakes and fishing conditions are good. Most of these lakes are stocked with rainbow trout which, this time of year, are taken on dry or wet flies, small spoons, spinners, or bait. A brochure listing the locations of the stocked lakes is available on the Sport Fish web site and at ADF&G offices.

Shellfish

• The next series of clamming tides will be May 13-19 then May 26-31.
• The razor clam bag and possession limit is 25 clams for all eastside Cook Inlet beaches. See above emergency order closure of Ninilchik Beach areas.
• Hardshell clam diggers are reminded that the sport, personal use and subsistence bag and possession limits for littleneck and butter clams in Cook Inlet and Resurrection Bay is a combined limit of 80 clams. They are also reminded that the minimum size limit of littleneck clams is 1.5 inches in length across the widest part of the shell and the minimum size for butter clams is 2.5 inches in length across the widest part of the shell.
• Littleneck (steamer) and butter clams can be found in gravel beaches on the south side of Kachemak Bay from Seldovia to Chugachik Island.
• Good numbers of butter clams are found on the islands in China Poot Bay. Butter clams can be found up to 2 ft deep.
• Littleneck clams can be found on in a variety of habitats from Jakolof Bay to Bear Cove. Try exploring new beaches for success. Typically, littleneck clams are found shallower in the substrate, up to 8 inches deep.
• All shrimp and crab fisheries in Kachemak Bay are currently closed.