Area Sport Fishing Reports
Prince William Sound

June 18, 2026

General Area Description: All waters between Cape Fairfield and Cape Suckling, including salt waters within 200 miles of shore.

Freshwater Fishing

Salmon

• Sockeye salmon have been spotted jumping in the Eyak River near Cordova. However, no catches have been reported by anglers and fishing is expected to be slow.
• Typically, the first sockeye salmon to Coghill River arrive this week or next. One fish has been counted at the weir. It is early in the run so expect fishing to be slow.

Cutthroat Trout/Dolly Varden

• Waters opened on June 15th to the use of multiple hooks, bait, and retention of Cutthroat Trout and Rainbow/Steelhead Trout in flowing waters of Prince William Sound.
• Cutthroat trout fishing has been good in lakes in the Cordova area, and the lakes in Prince William Sound are starting to ice off. Exploring lakes for cutthroat trout in Prince William Sound can be very fun and productive.

Local lakes

• Ruth Pond (Valdez area) will be stocked later in the summer. Fishing will be very slow and anglers would be better off fishing elsewhere

Saltwater Fishing

Halibut

• Halibut fishing improved this last week but fishing has still have been fair. Anglers are producing decent catches of mostly smaller halibut near the entrances into Prince William Sound with a few larger fish mixed in. Anglers are starting to find more halibut spread out within Prince William Sound as well.

Lingcod

Lingcod season is closed until July 1.

Rockfish

• As a reminder, Yelloweye Rockfish season is closed until July 1 by regulation.
• Large schools of pelagic rockfish have yet to return to the inside waters of Prince William Sound but can be found near the entrances and the coastal outside waters.

Other finfish

Fishing for Pacific (gray) cod has been excellent throughout Prince William Sound and outside waters while targeting other saltwater species.

Salmon

• King salmon fishing has been good in Prince William Sound for anglers traveling further out to Cape Cleare (Montague Island).
• A few kings are getting caught by anglers that have been putting effort into trolling in Northwestern Prince William Sound and just outside Passage Canal.
• There are still no reports of king salmon having been caught at Fleming Spit (in Cordova) yet, but fish should be milling in the nearby saltwater.
• Sockeye salmon have started arriving to Main Bay. Fishing will be slow to start but the return should build each day.

When encountering commercial activity in Prince William Sound, always motor towards the buoy or the fishing vessel, but never in between.

Shrimp

Shrimp fishing closed on Monday, June 8th. Prince William Sound Shrimpers are reminded to report their harvest by 11:59P.M. on Monday, June 22nd.

Special species information

No special species information at this time.

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-KS-6-15-26 reduces the bag and possession limit for king salmon to one fish in the Prince William Sound Management Area salt waters, excluding the Whittier, Cordova, Valdez, and Chenega Terminal Harvest Areas which have a bag limit of two fish and a possession limit of four fish of any size.
• Emergency Order 2-SHR-6-19-26 reduces the number of shrimp pots allowed to harvest shrimp in the Prince William Sound noncommercial (sport and subsistence) shrimp fishery to two pots per person with a maximum of two pots per vessel. Additionally, this emergency order reduces the open season for the Prince William Sound noncommercial shrimp fishery to May 1 – June 8.

Don't forget to purchase your 2026 sport fishing license and king stamp! You can purchase and display your fishing license and king stamp, record your annual harvest (i.e. king salmon), access sport fishing regulations and locations, and so much more on your mobile device. Download the ADF&G Mobile App today. You can also purchase licenses through the ADF&G online store and print them off from the comfort of your own home. Make sure to review emergency orders, advisory announcements, and the 2026 Southcentral Alaska Sport Fishing Regulations Summary booklet for the area you are fishing before you head out.

For additional information, please contact the Anchorage Office at 907-267-2218.