Area Sport Fishing Reports
Prince of Wales Island

August 10, 2026

Coho and pink salmon are present in good numbers in marine waters around Prince of Wales and providing good fishing. King salmon are still present but fishing is generally slow. Bottom fishing remains good. The west side of Prince of Wales south of the 56^o Latitude at Cape Decision closed for the harvest of lingcod for nonresidents August 1 and reopens September 1. Pink salmon are abundant in freshwater creeks and water levels are currently very low concentrating the fish in pools and deeper runs.

Check out the wefishak page on the ADF&G website for the gofishak interactive map to discover fishing locations and information on species run timing, fishing gear selections, and boat and angler access tips!

Creel Samplers Are on The Docks!

Marine boat anglers returning to Craig and Klawock may encounter ADF&G creel technicians this summer who will ask you about your fishing trip and sample your fish. To aid in our ability to sample fish you may not fillet, mutilate, or de-head sport-caught lingcod, nonpelagic rockfish, and king or coho salmon at sea. These fish must remain whole until your vessel is tied up at a docking facility where the fish will be offloaded, unless they’ve been consumed or preserved on board. This is specific to marine anglers returning to the port of Craig and Klawock.

The purpose of this restriction is to maximize the information collected through ADF&G creel sampling and angler interviews—critical data that helps manage and sustain our fisheries.

ADF&G creel samplers will be present on the docks, so please be patient and respectful as they carry out this important work.

Chinook (King) Salmon

King salmon fishing reports are fair on the west coast of POW, while fishing is poor on the east coast. Limits for residents and nonresidents increased as of August 1 (see below).

Chinook Salmon Regulations for 2026

• The resident daily bag limit is three fish over 28 inches;
• The nonresident daily bag limit is two fish with an annual harvest limit of four fish over 28 inches.
• Immediately upon landing and retaining a king salmon, a nonresident must enter the species, date, and location on their paper or electronic harvest record.

Coho (silver) Salmon

Coho salmon fishing is good in the marine waters of POW with nice size fish. Fall run coho will start trickling into freshwater during August with the majority showing up in September.

Pink/Chum Salmon

Pink salmon are abundant in both fresh and saltwater. Their numbers should continue to build through August as they start entering creeks. Chum salmon are present in some drainages.

Sockeye (red) Salmon

Sockeye are now present in Sarkar and Karta Rivers and several other drainages of POW. Run timing varies by drainage with sockeye showing up from June through August. Drainages with sockeye salmon include: Thorne, Sarkar and Karta rivers; Hatchery, Ratz and Eagle creeks.

Trout and Dolly Varden

Rainbow trout, cutthroat trout, and Dolly Varden are available in many of the freshwater drainages of POW. Trout and Dolly Varden are feeding on salmon fry, sculpins and aquatic insects. Productive drainages for trout include Luck, Klawock, and Sarkar lakes, the Thorne River, and Ratz Creek. Regulations regarding size limits, bag limits, and the use of bait can vary by waterbody, so please check the Southeast Alaska Sport Fish Regulation Summary.

Halibut

Halibut fishing is good around POW throughout the summer.

Lingcod

Lingcod are aggressive, relatively easy to catch, get big and are good table fare.

• The resident daily bag limit is one fish with no size limit;
• The nonresident daily bag limit is one fish with an annual harvest limit of one fish fish between 30 and 35 inches and one fish over 55 inches;
• The west side of Prince of Wales south of the 56^o Latitude at Cape Decision is closed to lingcod harvest for nonresidents August 1 through August 31;
• Immediately upon landing and retaining lingcod, a nonresident must enter the species, date, and location on their paper or electronic harvest record.

Rockfish

Rockfish can be caught year-round. There is a section on the Fish and Game website for identifying common rockfish of POW.

All sport fishing vessels are required to have at least one functional deepwater release device (regardless of species targeted), and anglers will be REQUIRED to use a deepwater release device to release rockfish to the depth it was hooked or to a depth of at least 100 feet. Please see the Southeast Alaska Sport Fish Regulation Summary or visit your local ADF&G office to see examples of rockfish release devices and learn about their use.

Demersal Shelf Rockfish

The retention of demersal shelf rockfish, including yelloweye is open for residents of Alaska with a daily bag limit of one and possession limit of two.

Demersal shelf rockfish, including yelloweye, will be open for nonresidents from July 1 through August 25 with an annual limit of one fish.

Demersal shelf rockfish are the following species: yelloweye, quillback, copper, canary, china, tiger, and rosethorn rockfish.

Slope Rockfish

Some slope rockfish are common in marine waters surrounding POW. The most common species are silvergrey and vermilion rockfish.

• Resident and nonresidents daily bag limit of one per day; one in possession

Pelagic Rockfish

Pelagic rockfish, most commonly black rockfish, provide good fishing in the marine waters surrounding POW.

• Season: year-round
• Three per day; six in possession

For additional information regarding rockfish identification and management, please refer to the rockfish conservation page.

Regulation summaries and copies of the news releases are available at the Craig ADF&G office.

For further information, please contact the Prince of Wales Area Management Biologist: Craig Schwanke (907) 826-2498.