Area Sport Fishing Reports
North Gulf Coast \ Resurrection Bay

May 20, 2020

* Just a reminder to all our anglers, please do your part to help slow the spread of Covid-19 by following and reviewing the current State of Alaska Health Mandates in effect. This includes practicing social distancing while sport and personal use fishing and wearing a face covering when fishing and if you are needing fishing supplies from your local store as indicated in Health Alert 010.

* The Alaska Board of Fisheries adopted several proposals establishing new sport fish regulations for the North Gulf Coast Area at its Seward December 2019 meeting and the Anchorage February 2020 meeting. Please see the 2020 Southcentral Sport Fishing Regulation Summary booklet for a complete summary of the North Gulf Coast sport fisheries regulations.

General Area Description: Salt waters within 200 miles of shore from the longitude of Gore Point to the longitude of Cape Fairfield. All fresh waters between Gore Point and Cape Fairfield.

Effective January 2020, the use of a deepwater release mechanism is required on all sport fishing vessels in Alaska and they must be used to release rockfish back down to depth of capture or 100 feet, whichever is shallower. Never heard of deepwater release? Check out the rockfish conservation webpage for more info!

Emergency Orders

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

• There are currently no Emergency Orders for the North Gulf Coast Management Area.

Freshwater Fishing

Hooligan

• Hooligan are starting to arrive in the Resurrection River area.
• Dipnetting for hooligan (smelt) opened April 1 and will remain open until June 15 in freshwater. There is no bag or possession limit.
• This is a personal use fishery and only Alaska residents can participate. No permit is required, but you do need a valid 2020 Alaska resident sport fishing license or ADF&G Permanent fishing license ID card with you.
• Hooligan run timing and run strength is highly variable.
• For additional information on dipnetting for hooligan see the 2020 Southcentral Alaska Sport Fishing Regulations summary booklet.

Rainbow Trout/Dolly Varden

• Try creek mouths for Dolly Varden this time of the year. Casting small spinners and spoons off the beach can provide some good action.
• If you are fly fishing, fry and smolt patterns are good to use in Seward area streams this time of the year.

Salmon

• There are no freshwater drainages in Resurrection Bay open to salmon fishing at this time of the year.

Saltwater Fishing

Port Sampling efforts in Seward are currently underway.

Please assist our port sampling program by returning to the harbor with whole groundfish or groundfish carcasses and allowing ADF&G technicians to sample your harvest. Data collected from the sport fish harvest is needed to manage and maintain healthy fisheries. We appreciate you supporting the port sampling program and your assistance in getting managers information that aids in managing fisheries in the Southcentral.

Halibut/Lingcod/Rockfish

• Lingcod fishing will open on July 1.
• Halibut fishing has been reported as fair.
• Rockfish limits year-round are four fish per day, eight in possession of which only one can be a nonpelagic rockfish. Check the 2020 Southcentral Sport Fishing Regulations Summary booklet for species identification information.

Salmon

• The king salmon limit in Resurrection Bay is currently two per day, any size. There is no annual or seasonal king salmon limit in effect, and there is no king salmon harvest reporting requirement, but a king stamp is required.
• King fishing has been slow, but more fish should be showing up soon. Successful anglers have been fishing further out in the bay.
• A few sockeye salmon have been caught in Resurrection Bay, but it is very slow. This is pretty common timing for sockeye to start trickling in and a few more fish will be arriving daily. Run timing can vary from one year to the next but fishing for sockeyes in Resurrection Bay usually starts to pick up around the first week in June. The sockeye run in the Resurrection Bay continues until late July. A few fish will even be coming in early August.

Local Lakes

• First Lake has been stocked with rainbow trout. The First Lake Youth-Only fishery is occurring on First Lake from May 21 - May 24, 2020. Anglers over the age of 15 are not allowed to fish during the Youth-Only Fishery.
• Troop Lake should be ice free and fishing should be good if you are looking for a short hike.

Don’t forget to bring your 2020 sport fishing license and king stamp! Help maximize social distancing and purchase your 2020 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 2020 Southcentral Sport Fishing Regulations Summary booklet for the area you are fishing before you head out.

For additional information, please contact the Anchorage Area Office at (907) 267-2218.