Area Sport Fishing Reports
Prince William Sound

Archived Sport Fishing Report

September 01, 2022

General Area Description

Includes all waters between Cape Fairfield and Cape Suckling.

ADF&G News

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Freshwater Fishing

Trout/Dolly Varden/Arctic Char

  • Cutthroat trout, rainbow trout, or steelhead trout fishing is open with a bag and possession limit of two fish between 11 to 16 inches.
  • Bait is allowed during this time. Anglers may use bait, artificial lures, and flies.
  • If you’re in Cordova, Pipeline lakes are a fun spot for catching cutthroat trout. It’s a nice short hike with lots of locations to try.
  • Dolly Varden/Arctic char are open year-round with a bag and possession limit of 10 fish (no size restrictions).

Salmon

  • Coho salmon are continuing to move into all of the Copper River Delta streams (Eyak River, Ibeck Creek, and Alaganik Slough). Water levels dropped for a few days but are on their way back up as there is a lot of rainfall in the forecast. Bait will typically be your best option in these conditions.
    • Remember effective June 1 - September 30, Eyak River Special Regulations are in effect. From a point 200 yards upstream from the Eyak Lake dam/weir to a point 200 yards downstream from the bridge at the outlet of Eyak Lake only single hook, artificial flies with a hook gap of 3/8 inch or less between point and shank are allowed. In addition, no additional weight may be attached to your line.
  • Coho salmon regulation reminders for Copper River Delta Highway streams:
    • Ibeck Creek is closed to all sport fishing upstream from a point 3 miles above the Copper River Highway.
    • A coho salmon that is removed from the water must be retained and becomes part of the daily bag limit for the person who originally hooked the fish. A person may not remove a coho from the water before releasing it.
    • From August 15-September 15: After harvesting a limit of coho salmon a person may not sport fish with bait for the rest of the day in these waters.
  • Alaganik Slough is starting to see more coho salmon move in. Remember that there is a lot of tidal influence in this system and anglers tend to do best when fishing as the tide comes in.
  • No reports of coho salmon at Fleming Spit. This season it’s unlikely that there will be a return of many coho to this location due to hatchery stock not being available in previous years.

Saltwater Fishing

Port sampling efforts are underway in Valdez and in Whittier. Please assist our port sampling program by returning to the harbor with whole groundfish or carcasses and allowing ADF&G technicians to sample your harvest when requested. Data collected from the sport harvest is needed to manage and maintain healthy fisheries. We appreciate you supporting the port sampling program and your assistance in getting managers information that aids in managing fisheries in Southcentral.

Halibut/Lingcod/Rockfish

  • Halibut catches have been fair to good for anglers. Fishing out towards Montague Island has been producing more consistent catches of halibut, but fishing has improved inside Prince William Sound. Those staying inside the sound are having best success when soaking a chum bag and waiting a couple hours. Try fishing off rocky areas in mud bottoms in depths of 200-400 foot but don’t rule out fishing in shallower depths as this can also be productive, especially in the late summer. If your anchored up in a bay for the night, drop a line, halibut are even getting caught in shallow waters further up in the bays.
  • The Valdez Halibut Derby wraps up this week. The leading fish is still 170lbs.
  • Rockfish limits year-round are four fish per day, eight in possession of which only one can be a nonpelagic rockfish. Check your 2022 Southcentral Alaska Sport Fishing Regulations Summary booklet for species identification information.
    • The use of a deepwater release mechanism is required on all sportfishing vessels in Alaska and they must be used to release rockfish back down to depth of capture or 100 feet, whichever is shallower. Ever heard of deepwater release? Check out our webpage for more info!
  • Lingcod season opened on July 1 and anglers are having good success in the Gulf. Rocky pinnacles are a good place to target these fish. Try fishing a few feet off the bottom or with larger jigs to avoid excess rockfish catches. Further out towards Point Elrington is a good area to try for both lingcod and halibut if your able to get out that far.

Shrimp

  • Two weeks remain in the 2022 PWS shrimp season! The sport and subsistence shrimp season will close on September 15. You are required to have your permit with you and document any time you have pots in the water.
  • In 2022, the limit is three pots per vessel but only two pots in areas in the vicinity of Whittier and Valdez. See the emergency order below and the map that comes with your permit for area specifics.
  • Don’t forget you must record your catch on your permit prior to leaving the site or concealing your catch.
  • Looking for a good starting depth? Try dropping your pots in the 300-400’ range. If your new to shrimping setting pots for a few hours and then checking them to see what your catching is a good idea. If you’re not catching, try a different depth or location.
  • Shrimpers are allowed to carry additional pots on their vessel, but those pots cannot be fished while shrimping even if they are targeting a different species (e.g. octopus).
  • Harvest reports are due online by October 15. You can keep up on your harvest report throughout the season. We suggest entering your harvest data after each trip you take. Once the season closes you have 30 days to get all of your harvest reported.
    • Harvest must be reported for each individual time you pull your pots and include your date, location, soak time, number of pots, and your harvest report in gallons of whole shrimp. If you fail to report your harvest by October 15, 2022, you will not be able to get a permit in 2023.

Salmon

  • Fishing for pinks from shore in Valdez has been fair. An Emergency Order increasing the bag limit to 12 pink salmon per day and 24 fish in possession in the vicinity of Valdez has gone into effect (see below). Try casting pink spoons or spinners.
  • The Valdez Silver Salmon derby wraps up this weekend and fishing from shore has improved just in time! Anglers have been having good success at Allison Point in Valdez. Try fishing around the tide and bring a variety of spinner colors to try.
  • Anglers are doing well catching limits of coho salmon out towards Glacier Island, in the Port and around Potato Point both trolling and mooching.
  • Silvers are continuing to move in closer to Whittier and into Passage Canal. Most anglers continue having luck by Pigot Point and Culross Island. Depths of 60’ have been a good starting point but try deeper if you aren’t having success. Also, give mooching a try for silvers if you want to mix it up.

Local Lakes

Blueberry and Thompson lakes and Ruth Pond (Valdez area) were stocked again a few weeks ago with rainbow trout so expect some good fishing! Blueberry Lake has been fishing great for rainbow and lake trout with small sized flies and spinners.

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-PS-6-52-22 increases the pink salmon bag and possession limit to 12 fish per day, 24 in possession in a portion of the Valdez Terminal Harvest area. Freshwater salmon closures remain in effect for Port Valdez. The increased limit is effective for all marine waters north of line from Entrance Point to Potato Point (Valdez Narrows) through 11:59 p.m. Saturday, December 31, 2022. This regulatory liberalization change does not change the bag and possession limit for coho salmon. Only six salmon per day and 12 in possession can be coho salmon.
  • Emergency Order 2-SHR-6-18-22 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. This emergency order is in effect through 11:59 p.m. Thursday, September 15, 2022.

Don't forget to purchase your 2022 sport fishing license and king stamp! Purchase your 2022 sport fishing license and king stamp through the ADF&G online store and print it off from the comfort of your own home. Also, make sure to review emergency orders, advisory announcements, and the 2022 Southcentral Alaska Sport Fishing Regulations Summary booklet for the area you are fishing in before you head out.

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

Archives

Prince William Sound Area Archives for:
Sep 09, 2022 Sep 01, 2022 Aug 25, 2022 Aug 17, 2022 Aug 11, 2022 Aug 03, 2022 Jul 28, 2022 Jul 21, 2022
Jul 14, 2022 Jul 06, 2022 Jun 30, 2022 Jun 23, 2022 Jun 16, 2022 Jun 10, 2022 Jun 02, 2022 May 25, 2022
May 19, 2022 May 13, 2022