Area Sport Fishing Reports
Prince William Sound
Sport Fish Management Areas
King salmon fishing in Ship Creek was poor this season. A total of 558 king salmon were collected in the William Jack Hernandez Sport Fish Hatchery raceway. The hatchery was not able to meet the broodstock goal of 329 king salmon spawning pairs. During a foot survey on July 11, 2024, a peak count of 285 king salmon were counted in Ship Creek. The total escapement for Ship Creek is estimated at 659 king salmon.
On June 29, 2024, king salmon fishing was closed in Ship Creek from its mouth upstream to a cable 100 feet downstream of the Chugach Power Plant dam.
King salmon fishing is only open for a youth-only fishery in Campbell Creek during the last weekend in June. A survey was conducted on June 25, 2024, and no king salmon were observed from Old Seward Highway to the Dimond Blvd Bridge prior to the youth-only fishery. Surveys of Campbell Creek were conducted on July 22, 2024, and escapement was estimated at 160 king salmon; the sustainable escapement goal of 340 fish was not achieved.
On June 27, 2024, king salmon fishing was restricted to no bait and catch and release only for the youth-only fishery occurring on June 29 and 30, 2024.
King salmon fishing was slow to fair in Whittier and Cordova. Both locations are terminal harvest areas. Throughout the summer and fall, many anglers reported catching king salmon in Valdez Arm. There are no stockings in the Valdez vicinity. No formal surveys are conducted for king salmon in Prince William Sound.
No management actions were implemented during the 2024 sport fishery season.
King salmon fishing was fair to good in Resurrection Bay. Angler reports indicated that the king salmon fishing in Resurrection Bay was slow and that fish seemed to be returning later and in lower numbers.
On June 26, 2024, the youth-only fishery for king salmon in the Seward Lagoon and Outfall stream was extended through July 31, 2024, to allow additional harvest opportunity.
Anglers reported good sockeye salmon fishing in Resurrection Bay but a more condensed season. On June 18, 2024, 10,761 sockeye salmon passed through the Bear Creek weir, with fair numbers of sockeye salmon still entering the river at that time. Bear Lake sockeye salmon have a sustainable escapement goal (SEG) of 700 - 8,300 fish and is managed to escape 12,200 sockeye salmon, which meets both the SEG and the Trail Lakes Hatchery broodstock requirements. The final escapement (excluding broodstock) was approximately 12,564 sockeye salmon.
On June 21, 2024, in marine waters of Resurrection Bay north of a line from Caines Head to the north point of Thumb Cove and the freshwaters open to sockeye salmon fishing, the bag and possession limits for sockeye salmon were increased to twelve fish.
Sockeye salmon fishing in the Coghill River was reported as fair to good this season. The final weir count on July 27, 2024 was 90,196 sockeye salmon through the Coghill River weir. The sockeye salmon SEG for the Coghill River is 20,000 - 75,000 fish.
On July 3, 2024, the Coghill River drainage sockeye salmon bag limits were increased 12 fish and possession limit of 24 fish. In addition, the fishing area was increased to within 50 feet of the weir.
Coho salmon fishing in Ship Creek this season was poor. The William Jack Hernandez Sport Fish Hatchery collected 740 coho salmon for broodstock and achieved the egg-take goals needed to replace Ship Creek coho salmon broodstock and for stocking terminal fisheries. Multiple surveys were conducted by Division of Sport Fish staff in Ship Creek this season to monitor coho salmon returns. High water made surveys difficult in early August.
On August 14, 2024, the coho salmon bag and possession limits were reduced to one fish in Ship Creek and only unbaited, artificial lures allowed from its mouth upstream to a cable 100 feet downstream of the Chugach Power Plant dam.
Effective August 24 through September 30, 2024, coho salmon fishing was closed on Ship Creek.
Coho salmon fishing in Anchorage Area streams was poor. Peak stream surveys on Bird, Campbell, and Rabbit creek drainages indicated poor returns on coho salmon. Sport fishing reports were poor.
On August 14, 2024, the coho salmon bag and possession limits were reduced to one fish per day, and only unbaited, artificial lures allowed in all streams excluding Bird and Campbell creeks effective through September 30,2024.
Coho salmon fishing in the North Gulf Coast including Resurrection Bay was poor this season for both boat and shore anglers. While coho salmon returning to the Seward Lagoon arrived later in the season, fishing was still poor. Fishing at the mouth of Resurrection River was reportedly poor this season for coho salmon. As of October 17, 693 coho salmon have entered the Bear Creek weir, which will not provide adequate escapement for broodstock goals. Egg takes were conducted with only 60 female coho salmon at the Bear Creek. Escapement surveys were not conducted for coho salmon due to budget cuts.
On August 21, 2024, the coho salmon bag and possession limits were reduced to 1 per day and in possession in the North Gulf Coast fresh and salt waters (excluding Resurrection Bay).
On August 21, 2024, the coho salmon bag and possession limits were reduced to 3 per day and in possession in Resurrection Bay Terminal Harvest Area.
Coho salmon fishing was poor throughout Prince William Sound. Coho salmon fishing at Fleming Spit was better than previous years but not nearly as good as observations in 2023. It has not been determined yet if broodstock goals have been met by the Valdez Fisheries Development Association (VFDA) and Prince William Sound Aquaculture Corporation hatcheries (PWSAC). Currently the VFDA in Valdez does not have enough coho salmon to meet their egg take goal and PWSAC also may not meet their egg take goals at the Wally Noerenberg hatchery. Egg takes for these locations have not yet occurred. Both Whittier and Cordova are stocked by PWSAC and are terminal harvest areas. In Valdez, coho salmon are stocked by VFDA. No formal surveys are conducted for coho salmon in Prince William Sound, except for on the Copper River Delta.
On August 19, 2024, the coho salmon bag and possession limits were reduced to 3 per day and 6 in possession in the Valdez Terminal Harvest Area.
On August 24, 2024, the coho salmon bag and possession limits were reduced to 1 per day and in possession in the Prince William Sound Area, excluding the Terminal Harvest Areas.
On September 13, 2024, the Valdez Terminal Harvest area was closed to fishing for coho salmon through October 31.
Coho salmon fishing on the Copper River Delta was good. Water conditions were variable throughout the season with some high-water events and some normal periods of low fishable water. As of early September, the Copper River Delta coho salmon return was anticipated to meet the SEG of 32,000 - 50,000 fish based on aerial survey counts. The coho salmon return is still being assessed.
No management actions were implemented during the 2024 sport fishery season.
The total allowable harvest (TAH) of 117,023 pounds was established from the results of the fall 2023 Prince William Sound shrimp survey. The 2024 guideline harvest level (GHL) for the noncommercial (sport and subsistence) shrimp fishery harvest was established to be 70,214 pounds. This was approximately 30% lower than the TAH and GHL established for the 2023 season. Approximately 4,143 noncommercial permits were issued in 2024. Effort and harvest are assessed post-season after harvest reports are received. Anecdotal reports from permit holders indicate that shrimping was fair to good this season.
A preseason emergency order effective April 15, 2024, reduced the number of allowable noncommercial shrimp pots per person and per vessel to two pots in areas near the ports of Valdez and Whittier, and three pots in outer areas of Prince William Sound.
The harvest of rockfish has increased and sustainable levels of rockfish harvest are currently unknown. Preliminary stock assessment work was reviewed in spring 2023 and changes in the biological data along with the increased harvest are indicators of a possible change in the population structure of rockfish in this area. In addition, harvest rates of yelloweye rockfish specifically appear to be unsustainable into the future and a seasonal restriction was put in place for the second year in a row to reduce harvest and protect these fish during the period of time that females are gravid and release larvae. The 2024 harvest information will not be finalized until the fall of 2025.
Effective April 1 – June 30, 2024, no retention of yelloweye rockfish was allowed in the Prince William Sound Management Area.
Effective April 1 – December 31, the bag and possession limit for all rockfish was reduced to 3 per day and 6 in possession.
The harvest of rockfish has increased, and sustainable levels of rockfish harvest are currently unknown. Preliminary stock assessment work was reviewed in spring 2023 and changes in the biological data along with the increased harvest are indicators of a possible change in the population structure of rockfish in this area. The 2024 harvest information will not be finalized until the fall of 2025.
Due to Board of Fisheries regulatory action, effective January 1 – December 31, 2024, the bag and possession limit for rockfish was reduced to 3 per day and 6 in possession.
PDF of Summary, which includes tables of Escapement Goals and Escapements - including some prior years.