Area Sport Fishing Reports
Kodiak

Archived Sport Fishing Report

July 13, 2017

Week of July 14 to July 20

Emergency Orders and Regulation Reminders

• Anglers are reminded to review Emergency Orders and News Releases for the Kodiak Area before heading on their next fishing trip. The following Emergency Orders are currently in effect for the following areas:
  • Effective June 1, in the Ayakulik River drainage, king salmon sport fishing is restricted to catch and release. All king salmon caught must be released without being removed from the water. In addition, bait is not allowed for any sport fishing and only single hooks on artificial lures may be used.
  • Effective June 1, in the Karluk River drainage, including Karluk Lagoon, sport fishing for king salmon is closed. In addition, the use of bait is prohibited for all sport fishing downstream of Karluk Lake.
  • Effective June 1, Monashka Creek and Bay are closed to sport fishing for king salmon. In addition, the use of bait is prohibited in Monashka Creek.
  • Effective June 7, the Buskin River sockeye salmon bag limit has been increased to five per day.
  • Effective June 7, the Karluk River sockeye salmon bag limit has been increased to ten per day.
  • Effective 12:01 a.m. Friday, July 14 through August 9 king salmon in the Chignik River drainage may not be retained or possessed and bait is prohibited.
• In January 2017, the Board of Fisheries adopted new regulations for sport fishing for the Kodiak Area:
  • The bag limit for Rockfish in Chiniak and Marmot Bays has been reduced to three per day, six in possession, only two of which may be non-pelagics (four in possession) and only one may be a yelloweye (two in possession). See the 2017 Southwest Alaska Sport Fishing Regulations Summary booklet for a detailed map of the affected area.
  • Coho bag limits for the Kodiak Road Zone have changed. Coho bag limits in all freshwaters of the Kodiak Road Zone and saltwaters within 1 mile of the Kodiak Road Zone and Spruce Island have a limit of two coho per day, two in possession January 1 through September 15. From September 16 through December 31 the bag limit is one per day, one in possession. Bag limits for the remainder of Kodiak Island remain the same.

Freshwaters

Salmon

• Department of Fish and Game counting weirs on the Buskin, Afognak (Litnik), Dog Salmon, Karluk, and Ayakulik have been installed and are counting sockeye salmon. King salmon returns are also counted at Karluk and Ayakulik weirs. Respective escapement goals for these two runs are 3,000 - 6,000 and 4,800 - 8,400 fish. The current Buskin River sockeye salmon escapement goal is 5,000 - 8,000 fish.
• Sockeye runs are still going strong for most of the island, but early runs are mostly over at Buskin and Litnik. Over 7,000 sockeye have been counted at the Buskin Weir and more than 15,000 have been counted at Litnik. Both runs are more than 75% of historical run timing.
• Sockeye runs at Pasagshak and Saltery typically peak in mid-July and are in full swing right now. Saltery is strong this year, but Pasagshak escapement is lagging. Weirs have been installed on both drainages, with just about 1,400 fish counted at Pasagshak and more than 11,000 at Saltery.
• Sockeye runs at the Karluk and Ayakulik are strong as well; the bag limit for Karluk Sockeye has increased to ten per day. The Dog Salmon sockeye run has been off to a slow start but appears to be closer to being on track to meeting escapement goals.
• Karluk River king salmon counts continue to be poor and sport fishing for king salmon in the Karluk River drainage (including Karluk Lagoon) remains closed. The current weir count is about 2,300 fish, and is not expected to meet escapement objectives.
• King salmon counts at the Ayakulik remain fair. Right now, the run is not projected to meet escapement objectives but the weir has pulled due to high water several times this season and estimates have high uncertainty. The fishery will remain catch-and-release for the time being. The current weir count is about 3,500 fish.
• Road system kings continue to trickle in. Fish are being caught in American and Olds with a few reports from Salonie. Some fish are reported to be the biggest observed in for these runs.
• These appear to be late and not strong. The bulk of these kings are in by mid-July every year.
• In recent years, returns of stocked king salmon have been poor to Monashka Creek, though they have been excellent at the American and Olds rivers. Poor returns are expected again this year and Monashka Creek and Bay are subsequently closed to king salmon fishing to aid in collection of brood stock for enhancement of road system king salmon runs. In addition, in Monashka Creek, bait may not be used and only single hooks are allowed.
• Anglers can find daily updated fish counts by visiting the ADF&G Fish Count Data webpage.

Trout, Dolly Varden

• Dolly Varden are beginning to return to local rivers and will continue through the month of August. The biggest returns of dollies will be found in Buskin, American, Olds, and Pasagshak rivers but can be caught in all local drainages. In coming tides near the mouths of most local rivers can be highly productive for dollies this time of year.
• Most stocked lakes should be warming up now and rainbows will be active and feeding throughout the lakes. Look for high relief areas along the lake shores to catch schooling fish traveling in search of food. Harvest of rainbow trout on the Kodiak Road System is only allowed in currently stocked lakes, but many lakes have been stocked historically and rainbows can be caught in nearly all local lakes.

Saltwaters

Halibut

• Halibut fishing reported continues to be good with catch rates increasing in areas closer to town and in shallower water. Fishing should be excellent for the remainder of the summer and many reports of productive fishing has come in, as well as, catches of fish over 70 lbs. Popular places to fish halibut are Whale Pass, Outer Humpback Rock, Cape Chiniak, and Williams Reef, though fish may be found between Woody and Long islands and Buoy #4, as well.

Salmon

• Recent reports indicate that trolling for king salmon has been excellent in Ugak Bay and has increased significantly this week around Woody and Long islands.
• Other well-known trolling spots along the road system are Cape Chiniak, Cape Gravelle, and waters between long and Woody islands. Kodiak king salmon average 20 pounds, but fish up to 70 pounds are occasionally caught.
• Coho should be showing up in Chiniak Bay soon. Schooling coho can often be caught just off Woody and Long islands, at Buoys 3 and 4, and near Chiniak.
• Pink salmon have been reported in strong numbers far from shore in the saltwater and the first observations in local rivers have been reported.

Other Saltwater Fishing

• Black rockfish can currently be caught at depths of 60 feet or less near kelp beds along rock pinnacles and other natural or man-made structures in most locations on Kodiak Island. Rockfish are also frequently caught from shore at locations such as the outer reaches of White Sand beach and the breakwater barrier shielding St. Paul Harbor.
• Lingcod season opened on July 1 and the bag limit is two per day of any size.