Area Sport Fishing Reports
Prince William Sound

Archived Sport Fishing Report

May 10, 2018

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

Fishing Tip: Before you go fishing ALWAYS review the sport fishing regulations and Emergency Order page.

For additional information about regulations in the Prince William Sound and Cooper River Delta Area, look in the 2018 Southcentral Alaska Sport Fishing Regulation Summary.

Regulation Reminders and Emergency Orders

• PWS non-commercial shrimp fishery opened on April 15th. Permits are mandatory for all non-commercial shrimp fisherman. Permits are available online.
• Emergency Order No. 2-SHR-6-05-18: Number of shrimp pots allowed to harvest shrimp in Prince William sound was reduced from five pots per person with a maximum of five pots per vessel, to four pots per person with a maximum of four pots per vessel.
• Lingcod season is closed until July 1 to protect nest-guarding males.
• Cutthroat and Rainbow/Steelhead trout fishing is closed through June 14th.
• Ibeck Creek is closed to all sport fishing upstream from a point 3 miles above the Copper River Highway.
• Cordova Terminal harvest area is closed to snagging June 1 to September 30.
• Eyak Lake is closed to salmon fishing.

New Regulations:

• The lingcod bag and possession limit is now 1 per day, and 1 in possession.
• The year round rockfish regulation in Prince William Sound is a bag limit of 4 fish and possession limit of 8 of which only 1 fish can be a nonpelagic rockfish.
• The bag and possession limit of nonpelagic rockfish has changed to 1 in your bag limit and only 1 in your possession. The requirement to retain the first nonpelagic rockfish is no longer in regulation.
• Effective January 2020, the use of a deepwater release mechanism will be required to be onboard all vessels sportfishing in the Prince William Sound Management Area and they must be used to release rockfish at depth of capture or 100 feet, whichever is shallower.

Fresh waters

Trout, Dolly Varden, Grayling

• Cutthroat and rainbow/steelhead trout fishing is closed April 15th - June 14th in the Cordova area.

Saltwaters

Salmon

• Chinook salmon returning to the lagoon at Fleming Spit should start to show up later this month. Try trolling outside the lagoon in the salt water to catch fish moving into the lagoon. Shore fishing should start up in a couple of weeks..

Halibut, Lingcod, and Rockfish

• Lingcod is closed until July 1st.
• Halibut angling should start to picking up this month. Small catches around the Sound have been reported. The Valdez Halibut Derby will begin May 19th and run through September 2nd.
• Rockfish can be caught easily year round throughout PWS. Check the regulations as bag limits have changed! The daily bag and possession limit is now only ONE nonpelagic in PWS.
• REMEMBER if you are targeting multiple species, target rockfish last, and use a deepwater release mechanism on all released rockfish (these devices can turn the chance of survival for a rockfish from near zero to near 100%!)
• Effective January 2020, the use of a deepwater release mechanism will be required to be onboard all vessels sportfishing in the Prince William Sound Management area and they must be used to release rockfish at depth of capture or 100 feet, whichever is shallower.

**Never heard of deepwater release for rockfish???

• Stop by your local ADF&G office for a free release mechanism (and instruction on how to use it), while supplies last.
• Check the ADF&G Rockfish Conservation webpage page to learn more.

Fishing Tip: Brush up on your rockfish identification before you head out fishing by clicking on the link below or looking in your Southcentral regulation summary booklet: https://www.adfg.alaska.gov/static/regulations/fishregulations/PDFs/SpeciesID/rockfish_id.pdf

Shellfish

• Shrimp season opened on April 15th. Try out your favorite spot or give a new location a try! Successful sets have been reported to be set around 400’ deep.
• You may get your permit online but you must have a printed and signed copy with you while fishing. Permit needs to be in possession as you are shrimping and harvest needs to be reported before your catch is concealed.
• Don’t forget to record when you drop your pots in the water the first trip out and remember only 4 pots are allowed per vessel in 2018.
• Don’t forget to turn in your harvest report after the season closes on September 15th or whenever you wrap up for the season.