Area Sport Fishing Reports
Southern Kenai/LCI

Archived Sport Fishing Report

July 20, 2021

* Just a reminder to all our anglers, please do your part to help slow the spread of Covid-19 by practicing social distancing while sport and personal use fishing, and wearing a face covering when social distancing is not possible and if you are needing fishing supplies from your local store.

Freshwater Fishing

• The lower sections of the Anchor River, Deep Creek, and Stariski Creek are open to sport fishing except king salmon. Small numbers of Dolly Varden and pink salmon are passing through these low sections daily. For the Anchor River, the daily Dolly Varden counts are now posted on the Fish Counts website.
• The lower Ninilchik River is also open for all species except wild king salmon. You may fish for hatchery king salmon, but the run is winding down fast.
• When targeting Dolly Varden with spinning gear, try small spinners and spoons and beads or smolt patterns are most effective on fly fishing gear.
• The Homer Reservoir is a great place to take kids and try fishing for Dolly Varden. The fish are small but plentiful. Casting a spinner from shore works great.

Saltwater Fishing

Halibut

• Halibut fishing was excellent over the weekend with plenty of large fish being harvested throughout Kachemak Bay and Lower Cook Inlet.
• Both drifting and anchoring can work to catch halibut, try the other if one isn’t working.
• Marine weather forecast looks mostly favorable for the week in Kachemak Bay and Cook Inlet which should allow anglers get to the offshore locations.
• Herring on a circle hook is the most popular bait; however, octopus, salmon heads, and jigs also work well.

King Salmon

• Trolling for king salmon was fair to good in Kachemak Bay last week. Bluff Point continued to be the most consistent location, but anglers will be limited to south of the latitude of Bluff Point starting Wednesday through July 31, 2021. See emergency order 2-KS-7-47-21 below for more info.
• Pink salmon are becoming more prevalent throughout Kachemak Bay which makes it harder to target king salmon. There are large numbers of them from Seldovia to Flat Island. To target king salmon around pink salmon, try setting the gear at deep depths to get below the pink salmon.
• Most anglers use downriggers and fish with troll sized herring or spoons behind flashers.

Coho Salmon

• The coho salmon run continues to be slow at the Nick Dudiak Fishing Lagoon.
• Try fishing outside of the lagoon on the outgoing tide for milling fish.
• Plug cut herring or small cluster of salmon eggs under a bobber are the most effective.

Sockeye Salmon

• Anglers have been having some success with snagging sockeye in Tutka Bay Lagoon and in China Poot Bay near the creek mouth.

Shellfish

• There are good clamming tides from July 22 through 27. The best bet is for razor clams in West Cook Inlet in the Crescent River Bar and Polly Creek areas. East side beaches are closed to all clamming. See the emergency orders below for more info.

Personal Use

• Dipnetting sockeye salmon in China Poot Creek has been fair to good. For the best success try arriving early in the start of the incoming tide.

Emergency Orders

Please review the Emergency Orders and Advisory Announcements below in their entirety before heading out on your next fishing trip.

• Emergency Order 2-KS-7-47-21 closes sport fishing for king salmon, including catch-and-release, in all Cook Inlet saltwaters north of the latitude of Bluff Point (59° 40.00' N. lat.) This regulatory change is effective 12:01 a.m. Wednesday, July 21 through 11:59 p.m. Saturday, July 31, 2021.
• Emergency Order 2-KS-7-18-21 increases the hatchery king salmon bag and possession limits in the Ninilchik River from one fish to two fish 20” or greater in length and removes the annual limit effective 12:01 a.m. Saturday, June 12 through 11:59 p.m. Sunday, October 31, 2021.
• Emergency Order 2-RCL-7-04-21 and 2-RCL-7-05-21 closed all EASTSIDE Cook Inlet beaches to clamming for all species from the mouth of the Kenai River to the southernmost tip of the Homer Spit in 2021.

Don't forget to purchase your 2021 sport fishing license and king stamp! Help maximize social distancing and purchase your 2021 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 and the 2021 Southcentral Sport Fishing Regulations Summary booklet for the area you are fishing before you head out.

For additional information, please contact the ADF&G Homer office at (907) 235-8191.