Area Sport Fishing Reports
Prince of Wales Island

Archived Sport Fishing Report

September 27, 2022

Late September and early October is prime time for stream and river fishing for coho salmon on Prince of Wales Island and fishing is currently very good. Recent rain has made favorable water conditions for freshwater salmon fishing. Marine fishing for bottomfish fishing is currently good in the waters around Prince of Wales.

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!

Chinook (king) Salmon

King salmon fishing is slow during the fall.

Chinook Salmon regulations for 2022

  • The resident daily bag limit is two fish over 28 inches;
  • Beginning October 1, resident anglers may use 2 rods when fishing for king salmon, a person using 2 rods may only retain salmon;
  • Through December 31, the nonresident annual harvest limit is one king salmon, 28 inches or greater in length; any king salmon harvested from January 1 through July 15 2022 will apply towards the one fish annual harvest limit;
  • Immediately upon landing and retaining a king salmon a nonresident must enter the species, date, and location on their sport fishing license or on a nontransferable harvest record.

Coho (silver) Salmon

Silver salmon fishing is currently very good in the freshwaters of Prince of Wales. Good drainages to try include the hatchery return to the Klawock River which is very strong this fall. Wild coho can also be found in most drainages of Prince of Wales with Staney Creek and Harris River as good options.

Trout and Dolly Varden

Rainbow trout, cutthroat trout, and Dolly Varden are available in many of the freshwater drainages of POW. Dolly Varden and trout feed opportunistically and are concentrating on salmon eggs. 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 and should remain so throughout the fall.

Lingcod

Lingcod fishing can be very good around Prince of Wales and the season remains open through November 30. Lingcod regulations can be found in the 2022 regulation summary.

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 the species targeted). 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 is now open for residents of Alaska with a daily bag limit of one. Yelloweye remained closed.

Demersal shelf rockfish are closed to harvest for nonresidents.

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, rougheye, shortraker, and vermilion rockfish.

  • One per day; one in possession

Pelagic Rockfish

Pelagic rockfish provide good fishing in the marine waters surrounding POW.

  • Season: year-round
  • Five per day; ten in possession

Please refer to the rockfish conservation page for additional information regarding rockfish identification and management.

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

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

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