Area Sport Fishing Reports
Haines/Skagway

September 5, 2024

Be Bear Aware!

There is increasing bear activity on the Chilkoot River this time of year. Responsible anglers should take active steps to reduce human-bear conflicts. Teach bears that angles do not make an easy meal!

Splashing fish attract bears:

• If a bear is nearby, stop fishing.
• If the bear approaches while you have a fish on the line, give it slack or cut the line to eliminate splashing.

When you catch a fish:

• Bring your fish from the river to your vehicle.
• Coolers are not bear proof, so keep it in your vehicle.
• If using a stringer, keep it near you and do not leave it if approached by a bear.

Fish remains attract bears:

• Don’t leave fish scraps on the bank, toss them into deep, fast flowing water or use designated fish cleaning stations

Keep fish and gear closely attended and don’t leave it if approached by a bear.

Fall Fishing Opportunities - Fresh Water

Coho (silver) salmon

Coho are beginning to trickle into Chilkoot river! Anglers will have increasing chances of catching silvers through September and into early October.

A few silvers have been captured by department crews in Chilkat lake. Fishing will pick up on the Chilkat near the end of September and into October. Try targeting clearwater tributaries where they merge into the Chilkat!

Water levels in Fall can change fast! You can see the Chilkat River water level for the last 7 days and a water level forecast for the next 3 days, thanks to the National Weather Service. River fishing improves when the water level is stable and low.

Sockeye salmon

The sockeye salmon run through the Chilkoot River weir is winding down, but there are still a few fish in the river and lake. This year's escapement is approaching 65,000 fish.

You can learn a technique for sockeye sport fishing in glacial water starting at 2:45 in this ADF&G video.

Sockeye salmon counts through the Chilkat Lake weir are above average this year. Counts are projected to land near the upper end of the escapement goal range.

Pink salmon

Pink salmon are below average in the Chilkoot and the Chilkat rivers. But anglers still report good catch rates. They are aggressive biters and fun to catch.

Char and Trout

Fish for Dolly Varden and Cutthroat Trout in clear water streams and lakes. Chilkat Lake and Mosquito Lake have special regulations to protect cutthroat trout:

• Bait is not allowed.
• Cutthroat and rainbow trout: 2 fish bag and possession limit, with a slot limit of 14-inch minimum to the 22-inch maximum length required to keep a fish.

In the remainder of the Haines and Skagway area fresh and salt waters, bait is allowed, and the regional length limit for cutthroat and rainbow trout is 11-minimum to the 22-inch maximum.

Fishing for Dolly Varden on Chilkoot Lake is good near the mouths of tributary streams. Chilkoot Lake and Chilkoot River have a special Dolly Varden bag limit:

• Dolly Varden: 4 fish bags and possession limit, no size limit.

In the remainder of Haines-Skagway area salt and fresh waters and most of Southeast Alaska, the Dolly Varden bag and possession limit is 10 fish.

Salt Water fishing opportunities

Shellfish

Pot fishing for shrimp and Dungeness crab is open year-round in the Haines and Skagway area saltwater.

• Non-Alaska residents with a sport fishing license catch shellfish with these bag & possession limits:
  • Dungeness crab - 3 legal size males.
  • Shrimp - 3 quarts or pounds.
• Alaska residents catch shellfish under subsistence or personal use regulations with more liberal bag & possession limits. See the Southeast Alaska Shellfish Regulation Summary booklet for details.

All shrimp harvesters must print a no-cost permit from the ADF&G online store and record their daily pot fishing effort and harvest on the paper permit. The harvest information must be reported online, or the paper permit must be returned to ADF&G by December 31, 2024.

Halibut

There are still halibut in upper Lynn Canal. Catch rates typically decline at the end of the pink salmon runs.

Rockfish

When the water is calm, take a trip south of town to catch rockfish.

All vessels sport fishing in Southeast Alaska saltwater is required to have at least one functional deepwater release device on board, regardless of the species targeted. Anglers are required to use a deepwater release device to release rockfish to the depth it was hooked or to at least 100 feet depth. To see examples of rockfish release devices and how they work, see the Southeast Alaska Sport Fish Regulation Summary, visit the Rockfish Conservation web page, or visit the Haines ADF&G office.

Rockfish regulations vary by species category. A handy rockfish ID guide is available to download or pick up a hard copy at the Haines Fish & Game office.

Demersal Shelf Rockfish

• Alaska Residents: One demersal slope rockfish per day; two in possession.
• Non residents may not retain slope rockfish
• Demersal shelf rockfish species are yelloweye, quillback, china, tiger, canary, copper, and rosethorn rockfish.

Slope Rockfish

• One slope rockfish per day; one in possession.
• Some common slope rockfish species are redbanded, rougheye, silvergrey, shortraker, and vermilion rockfish.

Pelagic Rockfish

• Five pelagic rockfish per day; ten in possession.
• Some common pelagic rockfish species are black, dark, dusky, widow, and yellowtail rockfish.

King Salmon - No Retention Allowed in the Haines/Skagway Area

ADF&G is continuing king salmon conservation regulations to rebuild the Chilkat River king salmon from very low escapements. Restrictions on sport, commercial, and subsistence fisheries have been successful in delivering healthy king salmon escapements to Chilkat River spawning grounds.

• Now through December 31 - In the entire Haines and Skagway area, the retention of king salmon is prohibited; any king salmon caught must be released immediately and returned to the water unharmed

Sport Fishing Licenses

Alaska residents under 18 years old do not need a sport fishing license. Non-Alaska residents under 16 years old do not need a sport fishing license.

Residents of Yukon Territory in Canada may purchase an annual Alaska non-resident sport fishing license for the same price that Alaska residents pay. Yukoners are not Alaska residents, so Yukoners must comply with the non-resident regulations such as the number of shellfish pots, shellfish bag limits, and king salmon bag and annual limits. The Yukoner license is available from license vendors in Whitehorse, Haines, and Skagway.

For more information about sport fishing in Haines and Skagway, call Area Biologist Alex Tugaw at 907-766-3638.