Area Sport Fishing Reports
Southern Kenai/LCI

Archived Sport Fishing Report

June 13, 2023

ADF&G News

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Freshwater Fishing

• The Ninilchik River will be open to sport fishing 7 days a week starting Friday, June 16. Fishing for king salmon has continued to improve as the season progresses. Anglers found success last weekend, during the early morning hours, above the Sterling Highway Bridge and during the incoming tide, in the harbor. Expect fair fishing over the next week.
• For the best success with hatchery king salmon, try drifting baits such as cured salmon egg clusters, plug cut herring, or shrimp under a bobber. Tackle such as spinners, spoons, plugs, and flies will all work too.

Saltwater Fishing

Halibut

• Halibut fishing has been slowly improving in Cook Inlet. More consistent success is coming from offshore locations, with slower fishing in the shallow water from Bluff Point to Anchor Point, in Kachemak Bay east of the Homer Spit, and around Seldovia.
• Fishing around slack tide is the best time for targeting halibut, so you can hold the bottom with less weight.
• Herring on a circle hook is the most popular bait; however, octopus, salmon heads, and jigs also work.
• When anchoring, try using a chum bag to attract more fish to your location.

King Salmon

• Anglers trolling for king salmon continued to find some fish scattered throughout Kachemak Bay last week. Anglers had better success at Bluff Point, Point Pogibshi, and Glacier Spit.
• Small troll herring or spoons behind a flasher are the most popular setups, but spoons, hootchies, and tube flies will all produce fish.
• King salmon fishing at the Nick Dudiak Fishing Lagoon was poor to fair over the last week. Expect the fishing to remain similar over this week. Try soaking bait under a bobber as the tide floods into the lagoon or try fishing on the outside of the lagoon on the outgoing tide.
• King salmon fishing in the Seldovia Slough improved over last week. Anglers were having success fishing from the bridge during the incoming tide and in the lagoon around high tide.

Other Saltwater Fishing

• Surf fishing in Cook Inlet has been fair so far this spring. Anglers are finding success with halibut on the Clam Gulch beaches. Whiskey Gulch provides good shoreline access as well.
• Anglers are catching a variety of groundfish and flatfish from the tip of the Homer Spit. Soaking a small chunk of herring, on the bottom, will have the best results.
• There are minus tides later this week for digging razor clams in west Cook Inlet. Locations such as Clam Cove, Spring Point, and Silver Salmon Creek would be worth trying.

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-7-13-23 closed the Anchor River and Deep Creek to all sport fishing through July 15, 2023.
• Emergency Order 2-KS-7-12-23 restricts gear to single hook but allows bait, changes the king salmon bag limit to 2 hatchery king salmon 20” or longer, and prohibits the retention of wild king salmon. The bag limit for king salmon less than 20” has changed to 10 hatchery king salmon and you may not retain wild king salmon under 20”.
• Emergency Order 2-KS-7-14-23 reduces the king salmon bag limit to one fish any size in Cook Inlet and Kachemak Bay south of the latitude of Bluff Point from May 15 through July 31.
• Emergency Order 2-KS-7-15-23 closes sport fishing for king salmon in Cook Inlet and Kachemak Bay north of the latitude of Bluff Point from May 15 through July 31.
• Emergency Order 2-RF-7-20-23 reduces the rockfish bag and possession limits in Cook Inlet 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 ADF&G Homer office at (907) 235-8191.