Area Sport Fishing Reports
North Gulf Coast/Resurrection Bay

Archived Sport Fishing Report

June 01, 2023

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.

Freshwater Fishing

Hooligan

• The hooligan have been in the Seward area in Resurrection River and Salmon Creek for over two weeks. Some of the hooligan in these systems are beginning to die-off after spawning indicating the run might be nearing its end. Dip-netters have reported slow to fair catches of hooligan near Salmon Creek at Nash Road. If you are personal use fishing for hooligan, you must be above the saltwater markers at the mouth of Resurrection River/Salmon Creek to dipnet.
• Dipnetting for hooligan (smelt) opened on April 1 and will remain open until June 15 in freshwaters. Dipnetting for hooligan has closed in saltwater. There is no bag or possession limit.
• This is a personal use fishery and only Alaska residents can participate. No permit is required, but you do need a valid 2023 Alaska resident sport fishing license or ADF&G Permanent fishing license ID card with you.
• For additional information on dipnetting for hooligan see page 16 of the 2023 Southcentral Alaska Sport Fishing Regulations summary booklet.

Rainbow Trout/Dolly Varden

• With the cold and late spring, Dolly Varden and rainbow trout fishing remains slow. As the water temperature warms up and salmon fry begin to move, fishing at the creek mouths near Seward should begin to pick up.
• Casting small spinners and spoons off the beach can provide some good action when Dolly Varden and rainbow trout are present. If you are fly fishing, fry and smolt patterns are good to use in Seward area streams.

Salmon

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

Saltwater Fishing

Port sampling efforts have begun in Seward. 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

• Halibut fishing has been reported as fair to good for anglers traveling outside of Resurrection Bay. Some larger halibut are beginning to show up in the North Gulf Coast outside of Resurrection Bay.
• Halibut are occasionally being caught inside Resurrection Bay. Halibut are following bait fish into the bay. Try near the mouth of Tonsina Creek, Caines and Callisto Heads, and Hat Island.

Lingcod

• Lingcod season is closed until July 1.

Rockfish

• By emergency order, rockfish limits have been reduced to three fish per day, six in possession of which only one per day, two in possession can be a nonpelagic rockfish. For rockfish species identification information visit our website.
• A variety of rockfish are being caught near the entrance of Resurrection Bay. Fishing for pelagic rockfish has been good over rocky pinnacles and near points that receive large amounts of wave action.
• 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. Never heard of deepwater release? Check out our webpage for more info!

Other Finfish

• Anglers have reported excellent catches of Pacific cod throughout North Gulf Coast outside of Resurrection Bay.
• Fishing for Pacific (gray) cod, pollock, and a variety of other species have been good inside Resurrection Bay. Try fishing a small chunk of herring right off the bottom near the Sea Life Center, the mouth of Lowell (waterfall) Creek, or off Lowell Point.

Salmon

• King salmon are being caught inside Resurrection Bay, but fish are still further out. Hatchery king salmon bound for the Seward Lagoon can be picked up trolling. Try fishing near Fox Island, Caines Head, and Thumb Cove.
• A few sockeye salmon have been reported at the mouth of Resurrection River. Fishing continues to be very slow at both the saltwater off the mouth of Resurrection River and from shore at Spring Creek. Small numbers of sockeye have made their way to the Bear Creek weir and sockeye are being observed throughout the bay, so fishing should heat up any day now.
• No salmon catches have been reported from the mouth of the Seward lagoon outflow.

Local Lakes

• First Lake was stocked with catchable-sized rainbow trout about two weeks ago. Anglers have reported there are schools of rainbow trout still cruising around First Lake.
• Troop Lake is still iced-up and there is snow piled up at the access parking. As the lake begins to open and becomes accessible, hungry rainbow trout can easily be caught along the shoreline.

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

Emergency Orders

• Emergency Order 2-RF-7-20-23 reduces the rockfish bag and possession limits in North Gulf Coast/Resurrection Bay to three per day and six in possession of which only one per day, two in possession can be nonpelagic.

Don’t forget to purchase your 2023 sport fishing license and king stamp! You can purchase your 2023 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 2023 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.