Area Sport Fishing Reports
Bristol Bay

September 14, 2026

Freshwater Fishing

• Fishing for resident species such as rainbow trout, Arctic char, and Arctic grayling is reported as great to excellent. Spinners, spoons, and flies should continue to work well; however, since salmon spawning has been ongoing and some salmon are starting to deteriorate, flesh and egg patterns are extremely effective.
• Coho salmon fishing on the Togiak River is reported to be good to excellent and should continue to produce fish through mid to late September.
• Fishing for coho salmon on the Wood River is reported to be fair to good, in addition to throwing hardware, including spinners, spoons, and twitching jigs, fly anglers can also present streamers to snappy silvers. Coho salmon should continue to be present until mid-September.

Local Lakes

• Naknek River Drainage: fishing for rainbow trout is reported as good and should be good through mid-October.
• Wood River lakes system: fishing for rainbow trout, Arctic char, Dolly Varden, and Arctic grayling remains good to excellent at the outlets of salmon spawning streams and in tributaries of the lakes.

Special species information

When angling for rainbow trout using an egg pattern be aware of the species and egg stage you intend to mimic in regard to color and size.

Northern Pike

• In the Naknek and Alagnak drainages, fishing should be fair through the fall.
• In the Wood River Lake system, fish should continue to be caught in shallow weedy bays through the fall.
• Large spoons, spinnerbaits, jerkbaits, and topwater frog or mouse patterns in silver/red, red/white, gold, chartreuse, or firetiger colors should be effective in landing a pike.

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-RS-2-36-26 increased the bag and possession limits for sockeye salmon to 10 fish in all waters of the Wood River drainage, effective through 11:59 p.m. Thursday, December 31, 2026. The bag and possession limit for other salmon, except king and sockeye salmon, remains at five fish. These limits for salmon, other than king and sockeye salmon, are in combination with the more liberal limits for sockeye salmon.
• Emergency Order 2-RS-2-37-26 increased the bag and possession limits for sockeye salmon to 10 fish in all waters of the Nushagak-Mulchatna River drainage, effective through 11:59 p.m. Thursday, December 31, 2026. The bag and possession limit for other salmon, except king and sockeye salmon, remains at five fish. These limits for salmon, other than king and sockeye salmon, are in combination (chum, pink, coho salmon combined to total a bag limit of five fish) with the more liberal limits for sockeye salmon.

This is the last fishing report for the 2026 season. This fishing report will be updated when additional information is available. For current seasonal information, please contact the Dillingham office at (907) 842-2427.

Don't forget to purchase your 2026 sport fishing license and king stamp! You can purchase and display your fishing license and king stamp, record your annual harvest (i.e. king salmon), access sport fishing regulations and locations, and so much more on your mobile device. Download the ADF&G Mobile App today.

You can also purchase licenses through the ADF&G online store and print it off from the comfort of your own home. Make sure to review emergency orders, advisory announcements, and the 2026 Southcentral Alaska Sport Fishing Regulations Summary booklet for the area you are fishing before you head out.

For additional information, please contact the ADF&G Bristol Bay Area Office at (907) 842-2427.