The following is courtesy of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game:

Kodiak Fishing Report

August 15, 2022

ADF&G News

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Freshwater Fishing 

• The Saltery weir was pulled this last week but sockeye will continue to come in for a little bit, and in the last couple years have continued into September. There are a lot of pinks in the river and rumors of a couple coho too.
• The Pasagshak sockeye run continues to come in but is slowing down and will likely wind down in the next 2 weeks. No reports of coho yet in the drainage but they should be showing up any day now.
• There have been a handful of coho seen in the Buskin so far and other road system rivers, but they seem to be following suit with all of the other runs this summer at about 2 weeks later than the previous couple years.
• Coho runs on Afognak are a little late too, with a few coho around but off to a slow start.
• There are still a lot of bright pinks in the rivers, which is fairly late. They will be turning to their spawning phase quickly but fishing has been great for pinks in the last week in most rivers.

Saltwater Fishing 

• King salmon fishing has slowed in the last week with most anglers noticing a significant decline in the number of kings near the Fingers and Buoy 4 area. A few fish are being caught here and there.
• Coho fishing has also slowed near the fingers and Buoy 4, with some fish being caught but a noticeable decrease in the number of fish around. Most folks are mentioning a lot less bait fish in the area as well.
• Halibut and lingcod fishing has been good in the last week, with more reports of anglers targeting groundfish than in the previous couple weeks and reporting good success in the Buoys 3 and 4 area as well as around Long Island.
• Rockfish are still plenty in most areas but seem to be less abundant in the areas where most of the trolling effort around Buoy 4 and the Fingers takes place. See the emergency order below for more info for nonresident limits.
  • Check your 2022 Southwest Alaska Sport Fishing Regulations Summary booklet for species identification information.
  • The use of a deepwater release mechanism is required on all sportfishing vessels in Alaska and they must be used to release rockfish back down to a depth of capture or 100 feet, whichever is shallower. Ever heard of the deepwater release? Check out our webpage for more info.

Local Lakes 

Two lakes on Woody Island are stocked with rainbow trout, Tanignak, and Long lakes. Both offer excellent fishing and are a 5-minute boat ride from town or a quick kayak paddle and a short walk up to either lake.

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-4-58-22 increases the bag limit for sockeye salmon in the Saltery River to 10 per day.
• Emergency Order 2-RS-4-42-22 reopens the Buskin River drainage for sockeye salmon fishing.
• Emergency Order 2-RF-4-16-22 reduced the nonresident rockfish bag and possession limits on the eastside of Afognak and Kodiak islands from Big Fort Island near Shuyak Island to Dangerous Cape on Kodiak Island. This emergency order is in effect through 11:59 pm. Saturday, December 31, 2022.

Don’t forget to purchase your 2022 sport fishing license and king stamp! You can 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 Southwest 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 Kodiak Area Office at (907) 486-1880.