Area Sport Fishing Reports
Juneau

Archived Sport Fishing Report

September 13, 2018

Salmon Fishing in Juneau Area Marine Waters

Coho salmon fishing in Gastineau Channel is red hot right now. Anglers are having a ton of success catching large coho salmon in the saltwater shorelines near DIPAC Hatchery, near dowtown Juneau and Douglas as well as Sheep Creek down Thane Road. The hatchery coho return is so robust that hatchery managers have enough broodstock for future production so the sport bag limit was doubled in a designated saltwater hatchery area. See the news release dated September 7, 2018.

To catch these aggressive coho, folks are having good luck using large rabbit strip flies known as Dolly Lamas as well as leach patterns. In addition, spin cast anglers are doing well with bright spinners and spoons in a variety of colors. So keep on fishing and keep on harvesting. This is a great opportunity for Juneau anglers to fill their freezers with delicious salmon.

Anglers fishing near Gustavus and Elfin Cove also reported better catches of cohos at Homeshore and Deer Harbor as another pulse moved onshore. Try fishing a hootchie or cut plug herring behind a large dodger in 30-60' of water. Shore anglers have reported catching bright cohos from shore in the Sheep Creek estuary, and from Gastineau Channel as well.

ADF&G Marine Creel personnel continue to survey marine boat anglers returning to area harbors and boat launches. Anglers are asked to please help them collect the requested information by keeping all king and coho salmon, lingcod, halibut and nonpelagic rockfish whole, so that ADF&G can take length measurements.

Halibut, Rockfish, and Lingcod

Halibut, lingcod and rockfish were caught in good numbers from a variety of areas: Vanderbilt and Hanus Reefs, Benjamin Islands, Horse/Colt Islands, N. Shelter and Lincoln Island, Homeshore, Pleasant Island, and Pt. Adolphus. Rockfish species harvested locally included dusky, quillback, silvergrey, black, dark, copper, redbanded, and rougheye.

Anglers are reminded that beginning January 1, 2020, all marine boat anglers will be required to carry and utilize Rockfish Deepwater Release Devices. Visit the ADF&G Rockfish Conservation webpage for additional information and stop by the Douglas or Headquarters office to get a free deepwater release device.

Other Fishing Opportunities
Dolly Varden/Cutthroat Trout Fishing

Anadromous Dolly Varden and cutthroat trout are in freshwater now that local chum and pink salmon are in the streams spawning. Pink and chum spawning is winding down but good numbers of fish are still present. Creeks such as Montana, Fish, and Cowee creeks may provide opportunity to catch these fish. Stream anglers have been having good luck using salmon flesh pattern lies and egg-sucking leach patterns or small spinners and spoons in the pools and glides uptream from saltwater where the salmon are spawning.

There will also be some fish that do not leave their “over-wintering” sites and head for the ocean. Known as “residents”, these fish stay in their home lake, pond, or stream the entire year. While these fish may move around in the system to take advantage of food or environmental conditions, they will be present for your fishing pleasure all year.

In all drainages crossed by the Juneau road system, as well as the saltwater adjacent to the Juneau road system to a line ¼ mile offshore, cutthroat and rainbow trout bag limits (in combination) are:

2 daily, 2 in possession with a 14 inch minimum and 22 inch maximum size limit.
Dolly Varden limits are 2 daily, 2 in possession, no size limit.

Anglers should check the 2018 Southeast Alaska Sport Fishing Regulations Summary booklet for special regulations specific to the stream or lake they intend to fish.

King Salmon Sport Fishing Regulations (saltwater) 

• The bag and possession limit (resident and nonresident) is ONE king salmon, 28 inches or greater in length.

• For nonresidents, annual harvest limits and recording requirements apply as follows:

  • From January 1 through June 30, the annual limit is THREE king salmon 28 inches or greater in length;

  • From July 1 through December 31, the annual limit is ONE king salmon, 28 inches or greater in length, and any king salmon harvested from January 1 through June 30 will apply toward the one fish annual limit;

• Immediately upon landing and retaining a king salmon a nonresident must enter the species, date and location, in ink, on the back of their sport fishing license or harvest record.

Juneau area (Section 11-A) Remains CLOSED to Sport and Personal Use Pot Shrimp Fishing.

Surveys conducted in the Section 11-A area this spring indicated that shrimp size composition and abundance have not yet rebounded and are not favorable to allow fishing. The intention of these closures is to allow spot shrimp abundance to rebound to sustainable levels. The department will continue to monitor Section 11-A shrimp. The sport and personal use pot fisheries will remain closed in this area until data indicates that spot shrimp abundance can again sustain harvest. 

Sport, Personal Use, and Subsistence Shrimp Permits Are Now REQUIRED for All Anglers starting June 25

Anglers should obtain their FREE shrimp permits for sport pot shrimp and personal use and subsistence pot and trawl shrimp online at ADF&G's Online Store or at the Headquarters Office downtown near the whale sculpture or at the Douglas Office. Anglers are required to have shrimp permits in possession prior to fishing.