Area Sport Fishing Reports
Prince William Sound

July 24, 2024

General Area Description: includes all waters between Cape Fairfield and Cape Suckling.

Freshwater Fishing

Salmon

• Sockeye salmon has slowed down at the Eyak River (Cordova area), but a few fish are still available throughout the Eyak River (Cordova area) and near the lake.
  • Remember: Effective June 1, Eyak River Special Regulations are in effect (see 2024 regulation summary).
• Sockeye salmon are moving through Alaganik Slough (Cordova area) in good numbers. Anglers have reported catches throughout the Slough at both the upper and lower boat launches.
• Sockeye salmon continue to enter the Coghill River in Port Wells in fishable numbers, although this run will be tapering off in the next week or so.
  • By emergency order, the sockeye salmon bag limit was increased to 12 per day, 24 in possession in the Coghill River drainage. Additionally, the closed area near the ADF&G weir on the Coghill River has been reduced to 50 feet upstream and downstream.
• Sockeye salmon have started to arrive at Eshamy Creek. It is still early in the run with it peaking in August. Milling sockeye may be available at the mouth of the creek and in Eshamy Lagoon.

Cutthroat Trout/Dolly Varden

• Cutthroat trout fishing has been good to excellent in lakes throughout Prince William Sound. Cutthroat can be found at the mouth of streams or the outlets of lakes feeding on salmon fry.
• Dolly Varden has been reported from multiple streams in Prince William Sound. Fishing will improve as more salmon move into fresh water and sea-run Dolly Varden follow them into the creeks.

Saltwater Fishing

Halibut

• Halibut are well-distributed throughout Prince William Sound and fishing has been good. Try fishing at the entrances of a bay at depths of 150-300’ with a jig tipped with herring.
• Halibut fishing has been good to excellent in the outside waters of Prince William Sound when weather has been good. Anglers are reporting limits of small to medium-sized halibut. Anglers have been successful by setting a chum bag and fishing a large herring on a circle hook.

Lingcod

Anglers continue to catch legal-sized lingcod by jigging over rocky pinnacles in the outside water of Prince William Sound. Keep your jig or bait a few feet off the bottom to reduce rockfish catches.

Rockfish

Rockfish fishing has been excellent throughout Prince William Sound and anglers have been finding schools of pelagic rockfish near the entrances to Prince William Sound.

Other Finfish

Fishing for Pacific (gray) cod continues to be excellent throughout Prince William Sound, but may be slower than earlier in the Summer. Anglers have no trouble catching cod while targeting other saltwater species.

Salmon

• Sockeye salmon fishing in Main Bay has slowed down over the last few weeks. A few late sockeye salmon are still available. The barrier seine net has been removed in Main Bay as the broodstock goal has been met, so fish are less concentrated. Anglers may have better success targeting later sockeye runs such as Eshamy Gunboat, or Bay of Isles.
  • Reminder: Anglers may not sport fish from a vessel that is within 60 feet of the hatchery barrier seine or from a vessel that is inside of the barrier seine. Cost recovery efforts continue to be underway and anglers should yield to this vessel when active.
• Shore fishing for pink salmon in Valdez has improved, but fishing remains fair to good.
• King salmon fishing in Prince William Sound has been fair to good. Anglers are having better success inside Prince William Sound near Glacier Island. King salmon catch rates have been good with many good-sized fish returning to port. Try trolling a herring behind a medium-sized flasher.
• There have been a few scattered reports of coho (silver) salmon. Fishing has been good near Glacier, but off to a slow start for other parts of Prince William Sound. Anglers are picking up some fish near Crafton and Naked Islands.

Local Lakes

• Both Blueberry and Thompson lakes were stocked a few weeks ago. Fishing for rainbow trout in both lakes has been good. Anglers may also find lake trout in Blueberry and Arctic grayling in Thompson.
• Ruth Pond (Valdez area) has also been stocked and fishing has been fair to good.

Special Species Information

Shrimp

Shrimpers are reporting good catches in Northern Prince William Sound while setting pots at depths around 300-400’.

Emergency Orders

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

• Emergency Order 2-RS-6-35-24 increases the sockeye salmon bag and possession limit to 12 fish per day, 24 in possession in the Coghill River drainage. Additionally, this emergency order reduces the area closed to fishing adjacent to the Coghill River weir to 50 feet.
• Emergency Order 2-SHR-6-03-24 reduced the number of shrimp pots allowed to harvest shrimp in the Prince William Sound noncommercial shrimp fishery. The pot limit per person and per vessel has been reduced to three pots; however, of those three pots only two pots can be set in areas of historical high effort including areas near the Port of Valdez, near the Port of Whittier, and in portions of Port Wells and Culross Passage.
• Emergency Order 2-RF-6-04-24 reduces the rockfish bag and possession limits in Prince William Sound to three per day and six in possession of which only one per day, one in possession can be nonpelagic. In addition, from April 1 through June 30, 2023, yelloweye rockfish may not be retained.

Don't forget to purchase your 2024 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 2024 Southcentral Alaska Sport Fishing Regulations Summary booklet for the area you are fishing before you head out.

For additional information, please contact the Anchorage Area Office at (907) 267-2218.