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Fishing Reports From Around Alaska

Fishing Reports From Around Alaska

By June24, 2022 Featured Content, Fishing 0 Comments

The following press releases are courtesy of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game:

Upper Copper/Upper Susitna Fishing Report

June 23, 2022

ADF&G News

  • ADF&G is mobile. You can purchase and display your fishing license and king stamp, record your annual harvest (i.e. king salmon, halibut), access sport fishing regulations and locations, and so much more on your mobile device. Download the ADF&G Mobile App today.

Personal Use

  • Dipnetters are reporting excellent catches of red salmon in the Copper River personal use dip net fishery at Chitina. The fishery is currently open through July 3; however, the retention of king salmon is prohibited in the Chitina Subdistrict personal use dip net fishery through Sunday, June 26. Starting Monday, June 27 dipnetters may again retain a king salmon.

Informational Hotlines for Chitina Personal Use Fishery

  • Anchorage: 907-267-2511
  • Fairbanks: 907-459-7382
  • Glennallen: 907-822-5224

Freshwater Fishing

  • All lakes are now open. Lake trout fishing is great on Lake Louise and should be fantastic on Paxson Lake. For a guide to where all the accessible fisheries are, check out Sport fishing Alaska rivers and lakes in the Upper Copper/Upper Susitna River Basin. This guide lists all the fisheries, species available and mile markers along all the major highways crossing the Upper Copper and Upper Susitna Area. Fish the colder headwater streams in the area to find the largest Arctic grayling in our area.

Salmon

  • Sockeye salmon have arrived on the Klutina. Anglers are reporting great fishing and most folks are able to limit out. Remember, your daily bag limit in the area is still just 3 sockeye salmon per day, but now you may have a total of 6 sockeye salmon in possession. So if you are camping for two days you no longer need to get that first day’s catch frozen or canned before fishing the second day.
  • King salmon sport fisheries in the Upper Copper River drainage are restricted to catch and release and bait is prohibited through this Sunday, June 26. Starting Monday, June 27 the king salmon sport fishery will re-open with a one-fish daily bag and possession limit and an annual limit of two king salmon from the upper Copper River drainage. Bait will also be allowed. The only roadside king fishery open will be the Gulkana River, which is still running high but should be fishable around Monday. Most of the king salmon are still in the lower river, but we have some that have reached our counting tower so some are spread throughout the river. The Klutina and Tonsina River king salmon fisheries open on July 1.

Emergency Orders

Please review the Emergency Orders and Advisory Announcements listed at the top of this report in their entirety before heading out on your next fishing trip:

  • Emergency order 3-RS-I-14-22 opens the Chitina Subdistrict personal use fishery from 12:01 p.m. Monday, June 27 through 11:59 p.m. Sunday, July 3, and reinstates the retention of king salmon in this fishery.
  • Emergency order 3-KS-I-15-22 allows for a 1-fish bag and possession for king salmon 20 inches in length or greater and reduces the annual limit from 4 fish to 2. Additionally, the use of bait and treble hooks is permitted where regulations normally allow.

Additional Tips

For more information

Call the Glennallen office at (907) 822-3309 with any questions.

Northern Kenai Fishing Report

June 23, 2022

ADF&G News

  • The Soldotna ADF&G office is now offering a fishing rod loaner program and has salmon fishing gear anglers can borrow for up to three days. This is a first-come, first-served program and rods cannot be reserved. For more information, check out the Rod Loaner Program webpage or contact Jenny Gates at
    (907) 262-9368.
  • ADF&G is mobile. You can purchase and display your fishing license and king stamp, record your annual harvest (i.e. king salmon, halibut), access sport fishing regulations and locations, and so much more on your mobile device. Download the ADF&G Mobile App today.

Freshwater Fishing 

  • The early-run Kenai River king salmon sport fishery is closed. Fishing for king salmon of all sizes in the Kenai River is prohibited. Please see the emergency order below for more info.
  • Fishing for rainbow trout in the middle Kenai River is fair.
  • Kasilof River (from the mouth upstream to Tustumena Lake) king salmon fishing is closed. Fishing for king salmon of any size including hatchery-origin fish is prohibited. Please see the emergency order below for more info.
  • Sockeye fishing on the Upper Kenai and Russian rivers is good and anglers are catching limits. The Russian River Sanctuary area opened to fishing on June 22 and by emergency order, bag limits on the Upper Kenai and Russian rivers will increase to six per day and 12 in possession at 12:01 a.m. Saturday, June 25. Anglers are reminded that they may possess only the limit allowed for the waters they are actively fishing. Please see emergency orders below for more info
  • Lower Kenai River sockeye salmon fishing has been fair to slow for anglers willing to put in the time. Try fishing at Centennial Park, Rotary Park, Donald E. Gilman River Center, Soldotna Visitors Center, Moose Range Meadows, or Soldotna Creek Park.

Personal Use

  • The personal use set gillnet fishery at the mouth of the Kasilof River will close to fishing on Friday,
    June 24. Fishing hours are 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily. Please see below the emergency order for more info. Don’t forget to submit your personal use harvest report, if you are done for the season. All harvest reports are due online by August 15.
  • The Kasilof River dipnet fishery opens to fishing on Saturday, June 25. Fishing is allowed 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. An Upper Cook Inlet Personal Use permit is required in addition to a sport fishing license. Only Alaska residents can participate in this fishery.

Local Lakes 

  • Lake fishing for rainbow trout, Arctic char, Arctic grayling, and land-locked salmon should be good to excellent. Try fishing with dry or wet flies such as an egg-sucking leech, bead head nymph, or mosquito pattern; small spoons and spinners size #0 or #2; or small bait under a bobber.
  • Spirit (Elephant) Lake access gate is open, and the lake was recently stocked with approximately
    5,500 catchable-sized Arctic char averaging 9.3 inches long.
  • John Hedberg Lake was recently stocked with 1,000 rainbow trout catchables and fishing is excellent.
  • Island Lake was recently stocked with approximately 5,500 catchable-sized Arctic char averaging
    9.3 inches long.
  • Johnson Lake was recently stocked with approximately 1,600 catchable-sized rainbow trout.
  • Sport Lake was recently stocked with approximately 2,000 catchable-sized rainbow trout.
  • Not familiar with all the stocked lakes in the area? Check out the ADF&G publication with locations, access, and other valuable information on Kenai Peninsula area lakes. More lake information can be found on the ADF&G Alaska Lakes Database.
  • Interested in recent stocking activities at lakes? Check out the ADF&G stocking database online.
  • Many local lakes have been stocked with rainbow trout and coho salmon fingerling recently. For specific lake stocking information including species stocked and numbers of fish stocked, directions, bathymetric maps, and amenities, please visit the ADF&G Alaska Lakes Database.

Emergency Orders 

Please review the emergency orders and advisory announcements below in their entirety before heading out on your next fishing trip.

Kasilof River

  • Emergency Order 2-RS-1-31-22 reduces the hours open during the personal use set gillnet fishery at the mouth of the Kasilof River. The hours open to fishing in the personal use set gillnet fishery will be reduced to 11:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. daily from Wednesday, June 15 through Friday, June 24, 2022.
  • Emergency Order 2-KS-1-30-22 prohibits the retention of king salmon in the Kasilof River effective 12:01 a.m. Wednesday, June 15 through 11:59 p.m. Friday, July 15, 2022. Fishing for king salmon of any size, including hatchery-origin fish is prohibited. Effective 12:01 a.m. Saturday, July 16 through 11:59 p.m. Sunday, July 31, 2022, from its mouth upstream to the Sterling Highway Bridge will be open to catch and release. Waters from the Sterling Highway Bridge upstream to the outlet of Tustumena Lake, 12:01 a.m. Saturday, July 16 through 11:59 p.m. Sunday, July 31, 2022, will remain closed to king salmon fishing and anglers are limited to only one unbaited, single-hook, artificial lure while fishing for other species.

Kenai River and Russian River

  • Emergency Order 2-RS-1-37-22 increases the bag and possession limits for salmon, other than king salmon, to six fish per day and twelve fish in possession in that area of the Kenai River upstream from Skilak Lake to ADF&G regulatory markers located approximately 300 yards upstream of the public boat launch at Sportsman’s Landing including the Russian River Sanctuary Area, and the Russian River from its mouth upstream to an ADF&G marker located approximately 600 yards downstream from the Russian River Falls at 12:01 a.m. Saturday, June 25 through 11:59 p.m. Thursday, July 14, 2022.
  • Emergency Order 2-RS-1-35-22 opens the Russian River Sanctuary Area to sport fishing from 12:01 a.m. Wednesday, June 22 through 11:59 p.m. Thursday, July 14, 2022.
  • Emergency Order 2-KS-1-22-22 supersedes prior Emergency Orders and will prohibit the retention of king salmon of all sizes in the Kenai River from the mouth upstream to the outlet of Skilak effective 12:01 am Wednesday, June 8 through 11:59 pm Thursday, June 30. Fishing for king salmon will remain closed from 12:01 a.m. Friday, July 1 through 11:59 p.m. Sunday, July 31, 2022, in waters of the Kenai River drainage from an ADF&G regulatory marker located approximately 300 yards downstream from the mouth of Slikok Creek, upstream to the outlet of Skilak Lake. This closure prohibits all sport fishing for king salmon, including catch-and-release fishing. King salmon may not be retained or possessed; king salmon accidentally caught while fishing for other species may not be removed from the water and must be released immediately. Additionally, in the Kenai River from its mouth upstream to an ADF&G regulatory marker located approximately 300 yards downstream from the mouth of Slikok Creek from 12:01 a.m. Friday, July 1, through 11:59 p.m. Sunday, July 31, 2022, is restricted to the use of only one unbaited, single-hook artificial lure, and anglers may not retain king salmon of any size. King salmon may not be removed from the water and must be released immediately.

Local Lakes

  • Emergency Order 2-NP-1-04-22 prohibits the retention of any species of fish in East Mackey, West Mackey, Sevena, Union, and Derks lakes for the 2022 season.
  • Emergency Order 2-DV-1-03-22 establishes a bag and possession limit of Arctic char/Dolly Varden in Stormy Lake of one fish, less than 16 inches in length for the 2022 season.

Don’t forget to purchase your 2022 sport fishing license and king stamp! Purchase your 2022 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 2022 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 Soldotna Area Office at (907) 262-9368.

Yakutat Fishing Report

June 24, 2022

Check out the new gofishak interactive map to discover popular fishing locations and information on species run timing, fishing gear selections, and boat and angler access tips!

Freshwaters

Sockeye Salmon

Sockeye salmon have started to enter the Situk River in bigger numbers and have begun passing the weir. So far over 6k fish have passed through the weir and anglers are catching them both above and below the weir. Anglers are reporting getting their limits with fresh fish arriving daily. The run will be active for the next month. Fishing near 9-mile bridge will not be productive for another week or so as no fish have been seen in that area yet.

Saltwaters

King Salmon

Sportfishing for king salmon is open in Yakutat area marine waters. Reports of fishing by trollers and sport anglers in Yakutat Bay were slower over the last week, with not much effort being expended. Seems to be the bite recently has been good near Ankau Lagoon entrance in Monti Bay. Kings have also been reported to be caught in the islands, out front, and out near the pinnacles in the middle of Yakutat Bay. Most anglers are trolling spoons, hoochies, or herring behind a flasher 20-30 feet down along the beaches in about 40-60 feet of water.

Halibut

Halibut fishing continues to be alright. Fish being slightly on the smaller size but in decent numbers. Try soaking all sorts of baited circle hooks with bait such as herring, salmon heads, carcasses, octopus, squid, etc. The current nice weather should make it possible to get out front along the coast.

Lingcod

Fishing has been excellent for lingcod in the Yakutat area, with good catches being reported. Try using all sorts of jigs, darts, or cut-plug herring while mooching

Rockfish

Fishing for pelagic rockfish should be excellent in the Yakutat area. Try using all sorts of jigs, dart, or cut-plug herring while mooching.

For further information, please contact the Yakutat Area Sport Fish management biologist Jason Pawluk at (907) 784-3222.

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