Area Sport Fishing Reports
Kodiak

June 30, 2025

Freshwater Fishing

• The Buskin sockeye run continues to see strong counts through the weir with 7,300 counted so far. Fishing reports are still mixed but good numbers of fish continue to enter the river. Fishing sounds best in the stretch above the Beaver Pond and on incoming tides at the mouth.
• Litnik sockeye counts slowed down over the past week but there are still some fish around. There is a good build up in the lagoon right now and fish are moving up with the tides.
• Saltery is continuing to get some early fish with about 900 counted. This is a little below average but above last year when fish came in a little later and very strong. The water is fairly high lately, so fishing is a little tougher in holes like the Bed Springs.
• Pasagshak has over 700 sockeye counted through the weir and fish continue to come in with each tide. Fishing has been excellent from most reports. And the mouth of the river is open at the moment, having been blocked for just 1 day.
• No word on hatchery king salmon yet, returns are expected at Salonie and Monashka this year but have been very small runs recently and expected to be the same in 2025.
• Dollies are still being caught off local beaches now with the mouth of the Buskin, Mission Beach and the beaches in Kalsin and Chiniak being the usual hot spots.

Saltwater Fishing

• King salmon fishing was good over the weekend at the Fingers and Buoy 4 area. Fish are still being found between Woody and Long and in the channel off Spruce Cape. Most fish are in the 8-12 lb range. The Westside of the Island opens to saltwater king salmon fishing July 1 but remains at the area wide bag limit of 1 per day.
• Some silvers are starting to be found trolling now, with some recent success at the Fingers. Lots of pinks showed up over the weekend as well, so you may need to sift through pinks to find silvers and kings.
• Halibut are being found in the usual places in Chiniak Bay with fish in the 20-40 lb range being most common. Kodiak Rocks, Buoy 4 and between Woody and Long Islands have been spots with recent success.
• Rockfish fishing has been good with most rock piles and reefs in Chiniak Bay producing good catches. Lots of folks are figuring out the new rockfish regulations and having success finding a variety of species after they fill their limit of 2 black rockfish. Duskies can often be found in places that are common for trolling for salmon and are a good option to pursue. They tend to move around more than other species to feed on traveling schools of bait fish.
• Lingcod season opens on Tuesday July 1, lots of lingcod have been encountered fishing for other species and sounds like there are quite a few of various sizes around.

Local Lakes

If you have Coast Guard base access or a friend that can sponsor you to get on, the pond on Nyman’s Peninsula, often called Lilly Pad Lake offers surprisingly good fishing. Rainbows in the 10-14” range can be easily caught from shore and from a boat, float tube, or paddle board.

Special Species Information

• New rockfish regulations took effect April 1 for Kodiak and Afognak waters north of Dangerous and Cape Ikolik. This includes all the waters of Afognak, Raspberry and Shuyak Islands as well as Chiniak, Ugak and Marmot Bays and all of Whale Pass, Kupreanof Straight and the Westside of Kodiak Island. It is also in effect for all anglers, both resident and non-resident.
• Anglers fishing in these waters can keep 5 rockfish per day, but only 2 can be of a single species. This is similar to salmon bag limits in the Kodiak Road Zone and an example would be that an angler could harvest 2 black rockfish, 2 dusky rockfish and a yelloweye. Species ID guides are available in the Southwest Alaska Regulation Booklet, on the ADF&G website and in the Kodiak ADF&G office.
• The standard bag limit for yelloweye rockfish is still in effect Island wide, only one fish of your rockfish bag limit may be a yelloweye.
• After similar regulations were implemented last season, many anglers found that shifting their fishing behavior slightly resulted in increased rockfish catches of species other than Black Rockfish, which are typically most commonly caught. Dark Rockfish, Dusky Rockfish and other species can often be found just off the side of a rock pile or reef and in deeper water than black rockfish that typically prefer the top of and middle of these structures.
• Keep an eye out for some of the species you may not have realized we have in Kodiak: Widow, Yellowtail, Canary, Tiger, Northern and Silvergray rockfish are some of these.
• New for Kodiak waters are Emergency Orders restricting saltwater king salmon harvest. The Island-wide king salmon bag limit has been reduced to 1 fish per day, with no annual limit to align with the rest of the Gulf of Alaska for the 2025 season.

Emergency Orders

Please review the emergency orders and advisory announcements below in their entirety before heading out on your next fishing trip.

• NEW! Emergency Order 2-RS-4-22-25 increased the bag and possession limit for sockeye salmon in the Buskin River Drainage to 5 per day effective Wednesday June 18, 2025. This is a combined salmon bag limit, of which all 5 may be sockeye salmon.
• Emergency Order 2-RF-4-19-25 reduced the bag and possession limit for a single species of rockfish to 2 per day, 4 in possession north of Outlet Cape and Cape Ikolik. This emergency order is in effect from Tuesday April 1, 2025 through 11:59 pm. Wednesday, December 31, 2025.
• Emergency Order 2-KS-4-12-25 closed the Karluk River drainage (including the lagoon and its outlet stream) and the Ayakulik River drainage to king salmon fishing and restricted fishing gear to only one unbaited, single-hook artificial lure through 11:59 p.m. Friday, July 25, 2025.
• Emergency Order 2-KS-4-16-25 reduce the bag and possession limit for king salmon in the Kodiak Area to 1 per day from 12:01am Tuesday, April 1, 2025 through 11:59 p.m. Monday, September 15, 2025.
• Emergency Order 2-KS-4-18-25 closed the saltwaters of the Westside of Kodiak Island from Outlet Cape to Cape Ikolik to king salmon fishing from 12:01am Thursday, May 1, 2025 through 11:59 p.m. Monday, June 30, 2025.

Don't forget to purchase your 2025 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 it off from the comfort of your own home. Make sure to review emergency orders, advisory announcements, and the 2025 Southcentral Alaska Sport Fishing Regulations Summary booklet for the area you are fishing before you head out.

For additional information, please contact the ADF&G Kodiak Area Office at (907) 486-1880.