Area Sport Fishing Reports
North Gulf Coast/Resurrection Bay

Archived Sport Fishing Report

May 18, 2018

General Area Description: includes 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.

Regulation Reminders and Emergency Orders

Regulation Reminders

• Anglers are reminded to review Emergency Orders and News Releases and the 2018 Southcentral Sport Fishing Regulations Summary booklet for the North Gulf Coast Area before heading out on their next fishing trip.
• The personal use season for shrimp fishing with pot gear in North Gulf Coast area waters opened on April 15. A North Gulf Coast shrimp permit is required to participate in this fishery. This permit is different than the Prince William Sound Shrimp Permit and is NOT available online.
• Lingcod fishing is CLOSED until July 1.

Saltwater Fishing

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.
• Halibut are federally managed by NOAA. Make sure you know the regulations! Unguided and guided anglers have different rules to follow. A more extensive description of the Federal Regulations can be found on NOAA’s Fisheries Sport Halibut Fishing in Alaska webpage.

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 Saltwater Fishing

• Nice Dolly Varden are being caught at Lowell Point.
• 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 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 rockfish.
• 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%!

**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 to learn more.

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 this 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 booklet for regulations on this fishery and the shrimp pot requirements.

Freshwater Fishing

Salmon

• There are no freshwater drainages in Resurrection Bay open to king salmon fishing at this time of year.
• Resurrection River, downstream of the highway and Nash Road to the ADF&G markers, opens for salmon (except Kings) on June 16.

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 visit the ADF&G Hatcheries and Stocking webpage for more information regarding when and where fish are stocked.
• First Lake has been stocked with rainbow trout! This is a great place to take the kids. This lake is closed to adults from May 17 – May 20. Take those kids down and get them hooked on fishing.