Juneau Area Fishing Report: September 15-21, 2008

October 1, 2008 by admin · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Juneau 

Report From Alaska Fish and Game 

  • Juneau Area
  • Last week, no king salmon were encountered by the survey.  Last year at this time, it took 87-rod hours and the five-year average was 316-rod hours per fish.  Remember, to fish for kings, anglers must have in possession a 2008 fishing license and a king salmon stamp.
  • Coho fishing was worse last week taking 95-rod hours per fish.  Last year at this time it took 17-rod hours and the five year average was at 6-rod hours.  There were not enough fish caught to calculate hot spots for coho.
  • Halibut were encountered last week, taking 14-rod hours to harvest a halibut.  The prior year it took 30-rod hours and the five year average was at 8-rod hours per halibut.
  • Anglers are reminded that the use of bait is allowed in freshwater, from September 15 – November 15 in streams that are open to fishing. 
  • However, the following waters crossed by the Juneau road system are CLOSED YEAR ROUND to the use of bait:  Auke Lake, Mendenhall Lake, Glacier Lake, Moraine Lake, Windfall Lake, Peterson Creek Saltchuck (Salt Lake), and Montana Creek.

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2008 JUNEAU AREA FISHING REPORT - July 21-27, 2008

August 10, 2008 by admin · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Juneau 

2008 Weekly Harvest Rates
Week of July 21-27, 2008

Report from Alaska Fish and Game 

Regionwide

Coho salmon and halibut were the dominant sport fish being targeted and harvested in Southeast Alaska last week, while Chinook salmon fishing success continues to slow down, and pink and chum salmon are still prevalent in anglers’ harvest at certain ports.

Harvest rates for Chinook salmon last week ranged from 18 rod hours per fish in Wrangell to 576 rod hours in Sitka, and only Wrangell and Skagway had harvest rates that matched or were better than the recent five-year average. The recent implementation in the SE Alaska Chinook salmon sport fishery of non-resident anglers having a 48-inch minimum size limit for harvestable fish is the reason for the dramatically poorer harvest rates in certain ports, especially at ports such as Sitka and Craig where nonresident fishing effort represents the majority of the total fishing effort. The Chinook salmon fishery throughout the region will continue to be productive through July and into early August, as the inner Southeast Alaska ports have hatchery fish returning to enhance local fisheries (e.g., as evident by the decent harvest rates for Juneau marine boat anglers in the Terminal Harvest Area during the last seven weeks), while the outer coast ports will continue to have the benefit of access to a mixed-stock Chinook salmon fishery.

All sampled ports had harvested halibut encountered by our creel survey personnel, with harvest rates ranging from 1 rod hour per fish in Craig/Klawock to 7 rod hours per fish in Wrangell.

Harvested coho salmon were encountered in all ports, with harvest rates ranging from 1 rod hour per fish in Yakutat to 10 rod hours in Juneau. Craig/Klawock, Petersburg, Sitka, and Elfin Cove had harvest rates for this time of year that were matching or better than the five-year average.

Pink salmon were harvested and encountered at all ports except Wrangell last week, with harvest rates ranging from 4 rod hours per fish in Ketchikan to 48 rod hours per fish in Petersburg.

Harvested chum salmon were encountered by creel personnel at four ports last week, with harvest rates ranging from 67 rod hours in Ketchikan to 1969 rod hours in Craig/Klawock.

Juneau Area

Last week, on average it took Juneau area marine boat anglers 79-rod hours to harvest a king. Last year at this time, it took 43-rod hours and the five-year average was 63-rod hours per fish. The hot spot for last week was Auke Bay. Remember, anglers must have in possession a 2008 fishing license and a king salmon stamp.

Coho are continuing to show up in the fishery taking 10-rod hours to land a fish last week, much better than the prior week. Last year at that time it took 7-rod hours and the five year average was 4-rod hours. Hot spots for coho were South Shelter Island, Funter Bay, North Shelter Island, and Pt. Retreat.

Halibut fishing remains good, taking 4-rod hours last week to harvest a fish. The prior year and the five year average were both at 5-rod hours per halibut. Anglers had luck at a variety of locations last week, with the hotspots being North Shelter Island, Benjamin Island, St. James Bay, Couverden, and Homeshore.

Regulations

The regional sport harvest limits for king salmon in Southeast Alaska and Yakutat are issued each year by emergency order.  The regional limits for 2008 became effective as of May 1 and are as follows:

  • Alaska resident harvest limits:
    • bag and possession limit of 1 king salmon 28” or greater in length;
      no annual limit
  • Nonresident bag and possession limits:
    • May 1 – July 15:
      • 1 king salmon 28 inches or greater in length;
    • July 16 – September J30:
      • 1 king salmon 48 inches or greater in length;
    • October 1 – December 31:
      • 1 king salmon 28 inches or greater in length.
  • Nonresident Harvest (annual) limits:
    • January 1 – June 30:
      • 3 king salmon, 28 inches or greater in length;
    • July 1 – July 15:
      • 2 king salmon 28 inches or greater in length;
      • King salmon harvested from January 1 – June 30 will contribute to this 2 fish harvest limit
    • July 16 – December 31:
      • 1 king salmon, 28 inches or greater in length
      • King salmon harvested from January 1 – July 15 will contribute to this1 fish harvest limit

     

Sport fishing regulations for king salmon fishing within the Juneau terminal harvest area (THA) have been liberalized to provide additional opportunity to harvest hatchery king salmon.  These regulations are in effect from Sunday, June 1 through Friday, August 31, 2008 (please check the web page or news release for a map).   Within the boundaries of the THA:

  • The daily bag and possession limit is four king salmon of any size;
  • King salmon harvested in the THA by nonresidents do not contribute to their annual limit. Therefore, king salmon harvested in the THA by non-resident anglers do not need to be recorded on their license or harvest record card.

Anglers fishing in the THA may not continue to fish outside the THA if they possess king salmon that do not comply with the regional bag, possession or size limits.

Regulations have also been liberalized to allow anglers to target hatchery king salmon in freshwater streams on the on the Juneau road system.  The daily bag and possession limits are the same for freshwater streams as they are inside the Juneau terminal harvest area (4 per day no size limit; fish don’t count toward NR annual harvest limit).

Regulations for non pelagic rockfish and lingcod were also issued by emergency order in 2008.  All emergency orders and news releases can be found here.

Harvest limits for other species, as well as other regulations pertaining to sport fishing in Southeast Alaska can be found at: http://www.sf.adfg.state.ak.us/statewide/regulations/seregs.cfm

The Department of Fish and Game also reminds anglers that beginning April 28, 2008 marine boat anglers possessing sport caught king and coho salmon, lingcod or non-pelagic rockfish may not fillet, mutilate, or de-head these fish until the fish have been offloaded, unless they are preserved or have been consumed onboard.  Gutting and gilling is allowed.  Once you offload at port, you may head and/or fillet your catch.  This restriction allows our creel survey crew at the docks to check for coded-wire-tags and collect biological information.

For further information concerning sport fishing opportunities, current regulations and news releases in the Juneau area, please call your nearest Division of Sport Fish office listed here.

Halibut Regulations:

The halibut limits for non-chartered anglers are two fish per day and four in possession, with no size limit. 
For information on halibut limits for chartered anglers, please refer to the following website: http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/sustainablefisheries/halibut/charters.htm

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