Area Sport Fishing Reports
North Slope

Archived Sport Fishing Report

June 01, 2022

This report is intended for both the Northwest and the North Slope Management Areas.

Freshwater Fishing

• Rivers are open throughout the Northwest (NW) and North Slope Management Area (NSMA) but most lakes are still at least partially ice-covered.
• North Slope rivers are high and turbid right now from breakup and fishing will be difficult until water levels drop.

Dolly Varden and Arctic grayling

• Fishing for Arctic grayling and Dolly Varden is slow in Norton Sound streams but should pick up as the water warms up and outmigrating salmon smolt begin to move downstream.
• Spawning Dolly Varden will not begin upstream migration in Northwestern and North Slope rivers until July. The Noatak and Wulik Rivers are the most popular spots for large Dolly Varden, with fish over ten pounds possible in both drainages.
• Small spinners, and smolt imitation flies will catch both species, and Arctic grayling can be caught on topwater flies as well.

Northern pike

• Fishing for northern pike should improve in the Pilgrim-Kuzitrin River complex as the water warms up, but it is still too soon to fish for northern pike in off-channel habitats of the larger Noatak, Kobuk, and Selawik Rivers where rivers are still high and turbid from breakup. Big spoons and soft baits work well for northern pike, as do large topwater lures and flies.

Arctic char and lake trout

• Open leads around North Slope lakes are good spots to fish for Arctic char and lake trout before the water warms up.

Salmon

• Salmon have not entered streams in the NW/NSMA yet, but the first king, pink, and chum salmon should arrive soon in the marine waters of southern Norton Sound. Escapement projects will not start for another three weeks or so.

Sheefish

• Sheefish will not begin their upstream migration to the spawning grounds in the Kobuk and Selawik Rivers before July.

Emergency Orders

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

• Emergency Order 3-KS-W-06-22 closes sport fishing for king salmon in all freshwaters from Bald Head to Point Romanof. This closure includes, but is not limited to, the Unalakleet, Shaktoolik, Koyuk, Ungalik, Inglutalik, and Golsovia river drainages. In addition, only one unbaited, single-hook, artificial lure may be used in these drainages. All king salmon caught incidentally in the waters described above while fishing for other species may not be removed from the water and must be released immediately.

Additional Tips

• Because fish typically grow and reproduce more slowly at high latitudes and elevations, please use proper techniques when engaging in catch-and-release in order to ensure the survival of the released fish such as:
  • Use lures with a single hook and crimp down the barb. Do not use bait.
  • Land the fish with a soft net and keep the fish in the water when removing the hook.
  • To release the fish, hold it gently facing into the current or in water without a current gently cradle the fish, and move it slowly back and forth until it swims away under its own power.
• Don’t forget to bring your 2022 sport fishing license. Help maximize social distancing by purchasing your sport fishing license at the ADF&G Online Store and printing it off from the comfort of your home. Also, be sure to review Emergency Orders and the 2022 Northern Sport Fishing Regulations Summary Booklet for the area you are fishing in before you head out.

For More Information

• Call Northwest and North Slope Area Management Biologist Brendan Scanlon at (907) 459-7268.