Area Sport Fishing Reports
Southern Kenai/LCI
Archived Sport Fishing Report
August 04, 2020
* Just a reminder to all our anglers, please do your part to help slow the spread of Covid-19 by following and reviewing the current State of Alaska Health Mandates in effect. This includes practicing social distancing while sport and personal use fishing and wearing a face covering when fishing and if you are needing fishing supplies from your local store as indicated in Health Alert 010.
* The Alaska Board of Fisheries adopted several proposals establishing new sport fish regulations for the Lower Cook Inlet Management Area at its Seward December 2019 and Anchorage February 2020 meetings. Please see the 2020 Southcentral Sport Fishing Regulation Summary booklet for a complete summary of the Lower Cook Inlet sport fisheries regulations.
Emergency Orders
Please review the Emergency Orders and Advisory Announcements below in their entirety before heading out on your next fishing trip.
- Emergency Order 2-RCL-7-03-20 and 2-RCL-7-04-20 closed all EASTSIDE Cook Inlet beaches to clamming for all species from the mouth of the Kenai River to the southernmost tip of the Homer Spit in 2020.
Freshwater Fishing
Dolly Varden
- Dolly fishing on the lower Kenai Peninsula roadside streams including the Anchor River has been fair. The upstream sections of these streams opened to sport fishing on August 1. The stream levels are dropping now from weekend rains, which could improve the fishing. Expect success to fluctuate with stream levels. Beads should work best, but it is worth trying different tackle including small spinners and spoons, and flies.
Salmon
- Coho salmon fishing has been poor but could improve with large tides or increases in stream levels. Try fishing a small piece of cured eggs under a bobber near the mouth of the Anchor River or Deep Creek. Spinners can work well too.
- Pink and chum salmon have started showing up in the small streams on the south side of Kachemak Bay. Humpy Creek and the Seldovia River offer the best fishing.
- China Poot Personal Use dipnetting has continued to have mixed success, but more dippers have successfully dipped bag limits recently. Sockeye salmon should continue to arrive until the season closes after August 7.
Saltwater Fishing
Halibut
- Halibut fishing has been consistently good in offshore locations and there was plenty of good sized fish caught throughout July. If you don’t have a boat, there’s lots of charters available in Homer, Anchor Point, and Ninilchik.
Salmon
- Trolling for coho salmon remains slow in Kachemak Bay and Cook Inlet.
- Coho salmon are present in the Nick Dudiak Fishing Lagoon, but fishing has remained poor to fair. Try working the outside of the lagoon on the start of the outgoing tide. Eggs or herring under a bobber work best.
- Trolling for coho with small spoons on either side of the Homer Spit can be productive as the coho return builds in the NDFL and other Kachemak Bay locations.
- King salmon trolling has been spotty, but anglers are still finding some fish in most locations around Kachemak Bay and Cook Inlet, including south of Bluff Point and Point Pogibshi.
- Pink salmon are definitely in the mix for the outer bay locations. To target king and coho salmon and avoid pink salmon, try fishing deeper depths.
- Most anglers use downriggers and fish with troll sized herring or spoons behind flashers.
Don’t forget to bring your 2020 sport fishing license and king salmon stamp! Help maximize social distancing and purchase your 2020 sport fishing license and king stamp through the ADF&G online store and print it off from the comfort of your own home. Also, make sure to review Emergency Orders and the 2020 Southcentral Sport Fishing Regulations Summary booklet for the area you are fishing before you head out.
For additional information, please contact the ADF&G Homer office at (907) 235-8191.