Area Sport Fishing Reports
Northwest

August 1, 2024

This report is intended for both the Northwest and the North Slope Management Areas.

Local Conditions

Rivers are running clear and at normal levels throughout most of the Northwest/North Slope Management Areas, and fishing conditions are good. Salmon counting projects in Norton Sound have been hampered on and off all summer with high water but all projects are currently operational. Projects on the Nome, Eldorado, Snake, Niukluk, Ungalik, Kwiniuk, Shaktoolik, Unalakleet, and North Rivers will operate until late-summer rains bring water levels up too high to count fish.

Sport Fishing

Resident Species

• Fishing for Arctic grayling has been good in streams throughout Norton Sound. Small spinners as well as smolt imitation and dry flies will work well. Soon, egg-imitation lures and flies will become productive as salmon spawning commences.
• Fishing for northern pike has been great as the water levels have dropped and fish have moved into off-channel habitats of the Pilgrim, Kuzitrin, Selawik, and Kobuk Rivers. Big spoons and soft baits work well for northern pike, as do large topwater lures and flies.
• North Slope rivers are running low and clear in most places and fishing for Arctic grayling should be good. Fishing for Arctic char, lake trout, and Arctic grayling in North Slope lakes has been good but the lake trout and Arctic char will move into deeper water as the temperatures rise during mid-day.
• Fishing effort for burbot has historically been low in the NW/NSMA but large fish can be found in many North Slope rivers and lakes. These are almost exclusively caught with cut bait fished on the bottom.

Anadromous Species

• Counting projects for salmon in Norton Sound are up and running. King salmon were not projected to meet the escapement goal on the North River, and king salmon fishing throughout southern Norton Sound was closed by emergency order on March 28.
• Pink salmon runs have been larger than average, and the daily bag and possession limit for pink salmon was increased by emergency order from 10 to 20 fish on July 3.
• Chum salmon counts are below average in northern Norton Sound, and it looks unlikely that escapement goals will be met in the Snake and Nome Rivers. However, the run into the Unalakleet River drainage has been very good.
• Sheefish have begun their upstream migration to the spawning grounds in the Kobuk and Selawik Rivers, and fish have been caught near the upriver spawning areas. Spawning generally occurs in late-September, just before freeze-up.
• Spawning runs of Dolly Varden have begun upstream migration in Northwestern and North Slope rivers, and fish will trickle in through August. The Noatak and Wulik Rivers are the most popular spots for large Dolly Varden, with fish over 15 pounds possible in both drainages.

Emergency Orders

Please review the Emergency Orders and Advisory Announcements below in their entirety before heading out on your next fishing trip:

• Emergency Order 3-KS-W-03-24 issued on March 19 closed sport fishing for king salmon in all fresh waters from Bald Head to Point Romanof. This closure includes, but is not limited to, the Unalakleet, Shaktoolik, Koyuk, Ungalik, Inglutalik, and Golsovia river drainages. In addition, only one unbaited, single-hook, artificial lure may be used in these drainages. All king salmon caught incidentally in the waters described above while fishing for other species may not be removed from the water and must be released immediately.
• Emergency Order 3-PS-W-012-24 issued on July 1 increases the sport fish bag and possession limit for pink salmon from 10 to 20 fish in the Unalakleet River drainage in Northwest Alaska.

Additional Tips

• Because fish typically grow and reproduce more slowly at high latitudes and elevations, please use proper catch-and-release techniques when engaging in catch-and-release fishing in order to ensure the survival of the released fish such as:
  • Use lures with a single hook and crimp down the barb. Do not use bait.
  • Land the fish with a soft net and keep the fish in the water when removing the hook.
  • To release the fish, hold it gently facing into the current or in water without a current gently cradle the fish and move it slowly back and forth until it swims away under its own power.

ADF&G News

You also purchase licenses through the ADF&G online store and print it off at home. Make sure to review emergency orders, advisory announcements, and the 2024 Northern Alaska Sport Fishing Regulations Summary Booklet for the area you are fishing before you head out.

For More Information

Call Northwest and North Slope Area Management Biologist Brendan Scanlon at (907) 459-7268.