Area Sport Fishing Reports
Kodiak

Archived Sport Fishing Report

August 16, 2018

Regulation Reminders and Emergency Orders

• Anglers are reminded to review Emergency Orders and News Releases for the Kodiak Area before heading out on their next fishing trip.

Emergency Orders

• Per Emergency Order No. 2-RS-4-47-18, effective July 31, 2018, the bag limit for sockeye salmon was restored to five fish per day, five in possession in the Saltery Cover drainage.
• Per Emergency Order No. 2-RS-4-34-18, effective July 12 through December 31, 2018, Pasagshak River drainage is closed to sockeye salmon fishing.
• Per Emergency Order No. 2-RS-4-17-18, effective June 16, 2018, the Afognak River drainage (Litnik) is closed to sport fishing for sockeye salmon.
• Per Emergency Order No. 2-RS-4-16-18, effective June 16, 2018, the Buskin River drainage is closed to sport fishing for sockeye salmon.

Regulation Reminders

• Reminder: there are no longer closed waters above the highway bridges for streams flowing into Chiniak Bay; however, on September 16 the coho salmon bag limit will change from two fish to one fish, excluding stocked returns.
• Anglers are reminded there are new rockfish regulations for the Kodiak Area.
  • o The bag and possession limits for rockfish in Chiniak and Marmot Bays has been reduced to 3 per day, 6 in possession, only 2 per day, 4 in possession may be non-pelagic, and only 1 per day, 2 in possession may be a Yelloweye. Please review the 2018 Southwest Sport Fishing Regulations Summary booklet for a detailed map of the affected area.

Freshwater Fishing

Salmon

Saltery Cove sockeye salmon counts are slowing with about 22,000 counted through the weir. Fishing could still be good for the few days but increased pink salmon escapement will make sockeye salmon fishing harder.
Pink salmon are showing up in force in many local rivers. They have been trickling in through the month of July but now rivers like the Buskin, Sargent, and Russian are seeing lots of pink salmon coming in.

Mixed in with those pink salmon are a few early coho salmon. There have been 200 counted through the Buskin weir so far. About 2,500 coho salmon passed Litnik before the weir was pulled on August 12. Signs are pointing towards an excellent and early coho salmon return.

Weir counts are posted daily on the ADF&G Fish Count webpage.

Trout, Dolly Varden

• Dolly fishing has still been very good by most accounts, rivers such as the Olds, Russian, and American have been good with very large fish.
• Other good Dolly streams are Buskin and Salonie.
• This is an excellent time to fish our stocked lakes as rainbows are actively feeding. Some anglers have reported rainbows actively feeding on insect hatches recently.
  
  • o Although ADF&G currently stocks only sterile juvenile trout, some lakes with a stocking history dating to the 1950s may also contain spawning populations of adult fish. Be sure to check the local sport fishing regulations for a current list of stocked lakes as harvest of rainbow trout is only allowed in lakes that are currently stocked.

Saltwater Fishing

Halibut

• Halibut fishing has been spotty this summer. Some anglers report good success but many report having a hard time finding halibut in the usual spots. During the last week, halibut fishing has improved. This time of year look to waters between 80 and 120 feet for good halibut fishing and many times they can be caught in very shallow water near river mouths this time of year.

Salmon

• King salmon fishing has still been good near Buoy 4 after a couple weeks of hot fishing near Woody Island.
• Other popular spots to fish king salmon are the capes of Chiniak and Greville, Ugak Island, as well as in between Woody and Long islands.
• Coho salmon are also in and being caught at Buoys 3 and 4 with good success, though they will be returning to freshwaters soon and fishing typically tapers off by mid-August. Anglers are reminded that within 1 mile of shore of the Kodiak Road System, the coho salmon bag limit is two fish per day, some places on Woody Island are within 1 mile of the Kodiak shoreline.
• Coho salmon fishing has also been good near Chiniak at Kalsin Reed and Elephant Rock.

Other Saltwater Fishing

• Black rockfish can be caught just out of the boat harbor near kelp beds along rock pinnacles and other natural or man-made structures. 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. Remember to check the current regulations for the area you intend to fish. Bag limits for rockfish have been reduced to 3 per day for pelagic rockfish in Chiniak and Marmot bays.
• Few reports of lingcod catches have come in lately; however, no reports to indicate fishing is poor.