Area Sport Fishing Reports
Haines/Skagway
Archived Sport Fishing Report
September 04, 2018
Fall 2018 fishing opportunities
Coho (silver) salmon
Early season coho salmon catches at the Chilkat River fish wheels have been above average for the last 2 weeks, and anglers have reported catching coho salmon at several locations along the Haines Highway. The first few coho salmon passed upstream at the Chilkoot River weir last week
Fishing is usually better when the Chilkat River water level has been settled for a few days. The National Weather Service posts a graph of the recent Chilkat River water level and a forecast for the next 3 days.
Trout and Dolly Varden
Dolly Varden char and cutthroat trout can be caught in clear water tributary streams and in lakes, such as Mosquito Lake, Chilkat Lake, and Chilkoot Lake.
Regulations specific to Mosquito Lake and Chilkat Lake:
- Bait is not allowed.
- Cutthroat and rainbow trout - 2 fish bag and possession limit, 14-inch min. and 22 inch max. length required to keep.
Regulations specific to Chilkoot Lake and Chilkoot River:
- Bait is allowed year-round.
- Dolly Varden - 4 fish bag and possession limit, no size limit.
Sea-run Dolly Varden and cutthroat that are feeding in salt water for the summer can be caught in near-shore salt waters of Taiya Inlet near Skagway, and in Lutak, Chilkoot, and Chilkat Inlets around Haines.
Take a hike and fish for Dollies and Cutties on Skagway's shoreline at Yakutania Point, or on two Chilkat State Park trails near Haines: Battery Point, and Seduction Point. Or hike 20 minutes up to Skagway's Lower Dewey Lake to catch Eastern Brook Trout.
Shellfish
Pot fishing for shrimp and Dungeness crab is open year round in the Haines and Skagway area salt water. Non-Alaska residents catch shellfish under a sport fishing license with the following bag & possession limits:
- Dungeness crab - 3 legal size males.
- Shrimp - 3 quarts or pounds.
NEW Sport shrimp harvesters must record their catch on a paper permit. The no-cost Southeast Sport Shrimp Permit is available online at the ADF&G Store. The shrimp harvest, location, and number of pots pulled must be recorded each day, and the permit must be returned to ADF&G or reported online at the end of the year.
Residents of Yukon Territory in Canada may purchase an annual Alaska sport fishing license for the same price that Alaska residents pay. However, Yukoners are not Alaska residents, so Yukoners must comply with the non-resident regulations such as number of shellfish pots, shellfish bag limits, and king salmon bag and annual limits. The Yukoner license is available from license vendors in Whitehorse, Haines, and Skagway.
Alaska residents under 18 years old do not need a sport fishing license. Non-Alaska residents under 16 years old do not need a sport fishing license.
Sockeye (red) salmon
Sockeye salmon counts at the Chilkoot River weir continue to diminish, averaging only 60 per day in the last week. The Chilkoot River weir will be removed for the season sometime next week.
The Chilkat River sockeye salmon run continues to come in below average this year. You can see online graphs of current and historic sockeye salmon counts from Chilkat River fish wheels, and Chilkat Lake weir.
It can be challenging to catch a sockeye salmon in the mouth, which is the only legal way to retain a sockeye salmon in fresh water. A how-to article and video on fishing for Klutina River red salmon teaches some proven techniques (starting at 2:50 in the video).
Pink salmon
Fish counts are dwindling toward zero at the Chilkoot River weir and Chilkat River fish wheel projects. The Chilkoot River weir pink salmon count is the 5th lowest in 27 years (1992-2018).
Pink salmon runs in the Haines-Skagway area are typically weaker in even-numbered years than in odd-numbered years.
King salmon
Chilkat River king salmon abundance in salt water is very low, so retention of king salmon is not allowed in the Haines and Skagway area from April 1-December 31, 2018.
Despite fishery restrictions this year and in previous years, the Chilkat River king salmon inriver abundance is below the goal range for the third consecutive year. The Taku River and Stikine River king salmon runs also did not achieve the lower end of their respective escapment goals in 2017 and 2018.
For more information about sport fishing in Haines and Skagway, call Area Biologist Richard Chapell at 907-766-3638.