Area Sport Fishing Reports
Kodiak

Archived Sport Fishing Report

September 08, 2017

Week of September 8 to September 15

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 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 10 per day.
  • Effective July 19, the Saltery River sockeye salmon bag limit has been increased to 10 per day. Only five of these may be pink or chum salmon and only two may be coho prior to September 15 and one after September 16.
• 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.

Freshwater Fishing Report

Salmon

• The Department of Fish and Game counting weir on the Karluk is counting late run sockeye salmon. The Buskin weir is counting coho salmon and Litnik, Ayakulik, Saltery, and Pasagshak have been pulled for the season.
• Coho are in in the Buskin and most road side streams. Fishing has been excellent in almost all rivers in the last week.
• The one exception is that reports indicate fishing is slow at the American but fish have started to come in in the last day or so.
• The Olds, Pasagshak, and Roslyn all have coho now and fishing has been good.
• Stocked returns to Mill Bay and Mission Beach appear strong and fishing has been good when the weather allows.
• Returns to Pillar and Monashka Creeks are also coming in but anglers still report large numbers of pinks in those areas.
• Coho salmon runs typically peak in mid-September so returns should continue to build in the coming week.
• Pinks are still in almost all local drainages and most reports indicate that bright fish can still be found. Pinks can be excellent fighters and are highly aggressive and easy to catch.
• Many reports have come in that there are excellent chum runs in most local drainages. Generally, chums are not very good to eat when they enter freshwater in this area but are excellent fighters and can be over 15 pounds. They will readily take flies and spinners of most varieties.
• Anglers can find daily updated weir counts on the ADF&G webpage.

Trout, Dolly Varden

• Dolly Varden are in almost all local rivers and fishing has been excellent. The biggest returns of dollies will be found in Buskin, American, Olds, and Pasagshak Rivers but can be caught in all local drainages. Many fish will be following pink salmon up the rivers and will be spread throughout the drainages; look to the tail-outs of pools holding spawning salmon for the best dolly fishing.
• Most stocked lakes should be warm 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. Fall is often a great time to fish rainbows. 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.

Saltwater Fishing Report

Halibut

• Halibut fishing continues to be good when the weather allows. With some reports of fish being caught in less than 20 feet of water near the mouths of local rivers. Most recently, Buoy 3, Outer Humpback Rock, and Cape Chiniak have been the go-to spots. Other popular places to fish halibut are Whale Pass 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 is still very good at Buoys 3 and 4 and in the vicinity of Long Island.
• Anglers report large numbers of very small king salmon that are easily caught while trolling. Anglers are reminded that the ‘jack’ bag limit of 10 salmon less than 20 inches only applies to freshwater. These are immature salmon and will continue to grow if released unharmed.
• King salmon bag limits are two per day of any size.

Other Saltwater Fishing

• Black rockfish can be caught almost year round 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.