Fall Fishing Report

• This report will next be updated in mid-November, for winter fishing.

Emergency Orders and regulation reminders

• There are no emergency orders currently in effect for the North Gulf Coast Area.
• The new Personal Use shrimp fishery between Aialik Cape and Gore Point closes September 15, so be sure your pots are pulled by midnight. ALL permits must be returned by September 30, whether you used them or not, or whether you caught anything or not.

Salt Waters

Halibut

• The halibut fishing has been good in the last few weeks, but these big flat fish are heading out to deeper Pacific Ocean waters to over-winter and spawn.
• Your best bet would be to head east to fish around Montague Island, or west to fish around Granite Island, if the weather allows.

Salmon

• The beach fishery for silver salmon can range from fair to very good from now through the end of September. Some tides have brought more fish onto the beach than other tides, so it can be hit and miss. Last year, silvers were still hitting the beach in early October, well after everyone gave up fishing. Fish the incoming tide at these beach sites.

Other salt water fishing

• Lingcod fishing has started to slow down, but is open through December 31.
• Rockfish fishing is also slowing down.
• During late fall and winter, these fish move into deeper waters to avoid the high-energy surge created by winter storms.

Fresh waters

Salmon

• The Resurrection River drainage, downstream of the Seward Highway and Nash Road, remains open to salmon fishing through December 31. Silvers should be available through mid-October, but anglers will have to sort through the water-marked fish to find bright fish. Freshwater bag limits apply. Only one unbaited, single-hook artificial lure is allowed. Try a single-hook Popsicle fly, or a medium-sized single hook orange or pink Pixee.
• All other fresh waters draining into Resurrection Bay are closed year-round to salmon fishing.

Dolly Varden Char

• The anadromous Dolly Varden are now returning to streams and lakes to spawn and over-winter. Fishing for these char should be good.

Lake Fishing

• All lake stocking has been completed for the season. See the links below to help you find out when your favorite stocked lake has been stocked.
• Fall is a great time to hike to some of the mountain lakes near Seward. Pick up a copy of the “Seward” brochure, or download one off the Informational Brochures web site, below.
• Remember that fall weather conditions can change quickly.

Personal Use

• The new personal use shrimp fishery closes for the rest of the year on September 15. Shrimping has been pretty slow in this personal use fishery. ALL permits must be returned by September 30.