Prince of Wales Island Fishing Report [September 10, 2021]

 

Sportfishing opportunities on Prince of Wales (POW) during September are highlighted by coho salmon and bottomfish in marine waters and coho salmon, Dolly Varden, and trout in freshwaters. September is prime time for freshwater coho salmon fishing as fish are now present in freshwater drainages in good numbers and will continue to enter freshwater through September.

NEW! Check out the wefishak page on the ADF&G website for 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! The previous interactive map for Prince of Wales is still available but will be retired after September 1, 2021. For the most up-to-date information, please use the new app linked above.

Chinook (King) Salmon

See below for new king salmon regulations effective August 1, 2021. King salmon fishing on the western side of POW has slowed down after a great summer of fishing. Good areas to try are the outside waters around Noyes, Baker, and Suemez islands. King salmon catches on the east side of POW are reportedly mostly undersized fish.

Chinook Salmon regulations:

• The resident daily bag limit is one fish over 28 inches.
• As of September 1, the nonresident daily and harvest limit is one fish over 28 inches. Any king salmon harvested earlier in 2021 applies to the harvest limit of 1 king salmon.
• Immediately upon landing and retaining a king salmon a nonresident must enter the species, date, and location on their sport fishing license or on a nontransferable harvest record.
• From October 1, 2021, through March 31, 2022, a sport angler may use two rods when fishing for king salmon, a person using two rods under this regulation may only retain salmon.

Coho (Silver) Salmon

Coho salmon fishing in marine waters should remain good through mid-September with fish closer to the coast as they near their destination drainages. Coho salmon are present in and entering freshwater drainages in good numbers and will continue to do so through September. The hatchery return at the Klawock River is good as indicated by good catch reports from anglers. Coho salmon catches have also been reported from numerous other drainages including Staney Creek and Harris River.

Pink and Chum Salmon

Pink and chum salmon are spawning and pink salmon abundance in most drainages is currently very high. Most freshwater drainages of Prince of Wales have pink and chum salmon, however, Staney Creek and Thorne and Harris rivers are good locations to fish.

Sockeye (Red) Salmon

Sockeye salmon are currently present in a number of drainages including Hatchery, Eagle, Ratz creeks and Thorne, Sarkar, and Karta rivers. Sockeye salmon and are currently spawning.

Trout and Dolly Varden

Rainbow trout, cutthroat trout, and Dolly Varden are available in many of the freshwater drainages of POW. Fishing can be very good in creeks during the fall as fish feed on salmon eggs. Productive drainages for trout include Luck, Klawock, and Sarkar lakes; the Thorne River, and Ratz Creek. Regulations regarding size limits, bag limits, and the use of bait can vary by waterbody, so please check the Southeast Alaska Sport Fish Regulation Summary.

Halibut

Halibut fishing is very good throughout September.

Lingcod

Lingcod fishing can be very good through the fall in areas with rocky bottoms and structures. The lingcod season remains open through November 30.

Rockfish

Rockfish can be caught year-round. There is a section on the Fish and Game website for identifying common rockfish of POW.

All sport fishing vessels are required to have at least one functional deepwater release device (regardless of species targeted) and anglers will be REQUIRED to use a deepwater release device to release rockfish to the depth it was hooked or to a depth of at least 100 feet. Please see the Southeast Alaska Sport Fish Regulation Summary or visit your local ADF&G office to see examples of rockfish release devices and learn about their use.

Demersal Shelf Rockfish

The retention of demersal shelf rockfish is prohibited during 2021.

• No retention of demersal shelf rockfish which are the following species: yelloweye, quillback, copper, canary, china, tiger, and rosethorn rockfish.

Slope Rockfish

Some slope rockfish are common in marine waters surrounding POW. The most common species are silvergrey, rougheye, shortraker, and vermilion rockfish. 

• One per day; one in possession

Pelagic Rockfish

Pelagic rockfish provide good fishing in the marine waters surrounding POW.

• Season: year-round
• Five per day; ten in possession

For additional information regarding rockfish identification and management please refer to the rockfish conservationpage on the ADF&G Sport Fish website.

Regulation summaries and copies of the news releases are available at the Craig ADF&G office.

For further information, please feel free to contact the Prince of Wales Area Management Biologist: Craig Schwanke (907) 826-2498.