Area Sport Fishing Reports
North Gulf Coast/Resurrection Bay

Archived Sport Fishing Report

May 10, 2018

General Area Description: Salt waters within 200 miles of shore from the longitude of Gore Point to the longitude of Cape Fairfield. All fresh waters between Gore Point and Cape Fairfield.

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

For additional information about regulations in the Seward/North Gulf Coast area, look in the 2018 Southcentral Alaska Sport Fishing Regulation Summary.

Regulation Reminders and Emergency Orders

• The personal use season for shrimp fishing with pot gear in North Gulf Coast area waters opened on April 15th. North Gulf Coast shrimp permit is required to participate in this fishery.
•  Lingcod fishing is CLOSED until July 1.

Halibut

• Halibut fishing in the North Gulf Coast has been reported to be fair to good. Fishing closer to the Gulf has been more productive but weather has been limiting access to this area. The weekend forecast looks good for getting out further for those bigger halibut.

Salmon

• The king salmon limit in Resurrection Bay is currently two per day, any size. There is no annual or seasonal king salmon limit in effect, and there is no king salmon harvest recording requirement.
• Try trolling with a small- to medium-sized herring and an oversized flasher.
• Anglers continue to catch king salmon in the bay daily. Most kings caught have been feeder kings, indicating that it is still early for the king salmon returning to the Lagoon.
• It’s getting close to the time to start scouting for sockeye in Resurrection Bay.

Other salt water fishing

• Lingcod fishing is CLOSED until July 1 to protect nest guarding males.
• There have been no reports of hooligan in Resurrection Bay yet. Historically, they arrive in the last week of May.
• Rockfish are easy to catch and have a fairly conservative bag limit, so target your rockfish last.
• The rockfish daily bag limit is 4 per day, of which only 1 may be a non-pelagic (demersal) rockfish. 
•  Use deepwater release methods to release incidentally caught rockfish.

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

• Stop by your local ADF&G office for a free deep water release mechanism, while supplies last.
• Check the ADF&G Rockfish Conservation webpage 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

• There have been no reports from the personal-use shrimp pot fishery. This fishery is now open in the entire North Gulf Coast area from Cape Fairfield to Gore Point. To participate in the fishery you must be an Alaska resident with a current sport fishing license or ADF&G Permanent ID card, and a North Gulf Coast shrimp pot fishery permit. Permits can be obtained at the Anchorage, Homer, or Soldotna ADF&G offices.
• Check out the 2018 Southcentral Alaska Sport Fishing Regulations Summary for regulations on this fishery and the shrimp pot requirements.

Fresh waters

Salmon

• There are no freshwater drainages in Resurrection Bay open to salmon fishing at this time of year.

Rainbow Trout, Dolly Varden, Arctic Grayling

• Fish for Dolly Varden around creek mouths, especially creeks where pink and chum salmon usually spawn.
• Try casting small spinners and spoons off the beach for some sea run Dolly Varden action.
• Fry and smolt patterns have been known to produce catches of Dolly Varden in Seward area streams.

Northern Pike

• Northern pike are not native to Southcentral Alaska. Please report the capture of any pike in unconfirmed waters to ADF&G. Do not release any pike you have caught.

Lake Fishing

• Area lakes will be stocked soon so check the ADF&G Sport Fish website for stocking updates.
• Try your luck at Troop Lake for rainbow trout.