The most productive roadside fisheries this week:
WELCOME TO THE 2024 FISHING SEASON
This page is primarily catered to open-water fishing opportunities in Southcentral Alaska rivers, streams, and saltwater, but there will be some information on ice fisheries in season. Main reports run weekly from approximately late April to late October reflecting the availability of salmon, trout, and char in regional waters; however, there may be occasional reports between November and April as conditions warrant.
Updated Thursday, May 2
ROADSIDE FISHING REPORT
Regional Summary: The last several days has seen an expected and welcoming shift in action in several prominent fishing locales in the Southcentral region, most notably in the marine waters around the Kenai Peninsula for halibut and a variety of bottomfish, but there are some freshwater opportunities to be had as well for steelhead and char. No reports yet of king salmon being caught. Hooligan are starting to arrive in Turnagain Arm and likely into the mouth of Kenai River, too. On another note, the middle and upper Kenai River as well as all Kenai tributaries are closed to fishing from May 1 through June 10.
The Matanuska-Susitna Valleys and Copper Valley-Port Valdez have yet to turn on as most rivers and streams are still shedding ice and/or snow but it will not be long before trout, char, and grayling fishing sets in; yet for now, expect many flowing waters to be high and muddy—set sights on lake-origin drainages for cleaner water. Ice fishing is a thing of the past in lowland waterways, although larger lakes at higher elevations, such as Louise, are still considered “safe” and yielding a good mix of trout, char, burbot, and whitefish.
HOT SPOTS OF THE WEEK
Almost all of the more promising places to go this weekend are on the Kenai Peninsula, with Turnagain Arm being the exception.
COOK INLET: Anglers surf-casting are experiencing a nice uptick in success for halibut on the various beaches along the inlet, from Anchor Point up the coast to the mouths of Kenai and Kasilof rivers, and there should be some flatfish present at Nikiski very shortly, if not already. The Anchor Point, Whiskey Gulch, and Ninilchik sites are doing reasonably well and areas to the north will progressively turn on as the season unfolds. Most fish caught the last week have been in the 10- to 15-pound range with a few reported up to 40 pounds or more. The peak halibut action generally occurs from around now and through the first week of June, depending on location. Additionally, shark (spiny dogfish) and skate are showing up in numbers. Pacific cod has been a regular catch.
SEWARD/RESURRECTION BAY: The bay area continues to be a relative hot spot for Pacific cod, with some sizable catches to 10-15 pounds or more being achieved. While the Lowell (South) Beach location at Lowell Point has received a lot of attention this spring, it certainly is not the only spot where some decent fishing can be had. Entrepreneuring anglers may want to check out the beaches around Spring Creek, Fourth of July, and—with some more effort to access—Tonsina Creek. The deep water along Lowell Point Road, although very rough on tackle right near shore, can yield some very respectable catches of Pacific cod as well as rockfish and a few halibut a little farther out. Anglers taking initiative to locate halibut will see encounters more often as hooligan and herring arrive in near-shore waters.
HOMER/KACHEMAK BAY: Homer Spit is the all-time favored place for surf-casters in this area and anglers are experiencing good catches of general bottomfish (pollock, flounder, sculpin, etc.), but a number of big Pacific cod are also being landed. While baitfish such as hooligan are not the main attractant here for larger predatory species such as halibut, the nearby fish processing plant chums the water quite nicely; expect an increasing number of flatfish (as well as skates) to become available as summer arrives. In other opportunities, sea-run Dolly Varden have arrived and can be targeted using smolt/fry imitation flies and small lures; expect fair to good catches for the next few weeks. No sign yet of king salmon in the lagoon, although the potential for fish is there between now and mid-month as the run builds.
KASILOF RIVER: There is still a fair amount of shelf ice along the shoreline in many places, yet anglers in the vicinity of Crooked Creek are finding at least a few steelhead trout. The cold water has the fish arriving a little slower than usual but action will pick up as more fish come in and the water warms. While typically this week should see the peak of the run, it is likely to be delayed until this weekend or next week. Expect fair opportunities to be had. Very few signs yet of Dolly Varden showing up but they will be here shortly. As for salmon, hatchery kings are allowed to be retained and it is very likely that at least a few scouts will nose into the river between now and the weekend—fishable numbers tend to be present by May 15.
TURNAGAIN ARM: The hooligan run is just getting started here and fishing effort has been near non-existent so far this season. A few dip netters have reported spotty success (and some none at all), yet this will change very soon as the main run arrives, likely by next week. But for now, fair dipping is projected for the weekend for the stretch of water from Peterson Creek to near the mouth of 20-Mile River. As for 20-Mile River, access issues earlier have been resolved and dip netters have a big parking area open for use.
Updated Wednesday, April 17
FIRST OPEN WATER FISHING REPORT OF 2024
Summary: Things are starting to happen on the road system around Southcentral Alaska as winter gives way to typical spring fishing conditions. Although most of the rivers and streams in the region are dealing with ice and/or muddy water due to snowmelt, there are a few that support reliable early-season angling opportunities and fish are starting to be caught. But also the briny is turning on, especially in waters around the Kenai Peninsula. The following presents some popular fisheries that are likely to see the brunt of activity within the next few weeks and what to expect.
UPPER KENAI RIVER: After a long, bitter cold winter that saw an unusual near total freeze-up of the river, the water is flowing steadily now and anglers have been exploring this popular spring fishery for the last several weeks with some fair success reported for primarily rainbow trout. Although the upper river has a reputation of remaining ice free all winter long, cold spells of 20 below and months of persistent below average temperatures led to swaths of the river icing over, effectively preventing boaters from drifting and shore anglers having to deal with the gamble of extensive shelf ice to reach open leads. However, it is now possible to launch from the outlet of Kenai Lake and drift down to Jims’ Landing, and wading is absolutely possible. Ice is still present along much of the river shoreline but the trout are increasing in numbers (and size) as spawning time draws ever closer; the season closes on May 1 by regulation. Also worth mentioning is that there are still a few silver salmon spawning and dying off, mostly in the stretch from the lake outlet to Princess Rapids; targeting silvers is prohibited during the winter and spring months.
KASILOF RIVER: The river is open and flowing, yet there is plenty of shelf-ice along its course, meaning that the water is very cold and thus slowing the bite for steelhead trout. These fish are present in small numbers throughout the middle and upper river with quite a few of the lot heading to Crooked Creek, an important spawning stream for the species. The confluence area of the stream and the mainstem Kasilof is a virtual hot spot from the last week of April into mid-May as fish gather in preparation to move upstream into Crooked. Expect a mix of trout ranging from bright to blush or dark fish in pre-spawning mode. The action is typically described as fair but can be better at times some days; this is a catch-and-release fishery. King salmon generally start entering the river right around the first of May; only hatchery fish are allowed for harvest this season by emergency order. No signs of Dolly Varden being present yet—at least not on the lower river—but they will arrive once the ice goes out on Tustumena Lake.
COOK INLET: While there has been a rare catch of halibut being landed off area beaches since February, a sizable push of flatfish will very shortly invade the shallows as they target the spawning runs of hooligan headed to the Kenai River and Turnagain Arm. The runs of these baitfish (as well as herring) has begun but are still some 10 days away from peaking along the coast, meaning that more reliable catches of halibut should occur any day now from Anchor Point up to Nikiski Beach; exercise caution driving in some spots, such as Whiskey Gulch, where access roads may be very muddy due to ongoing snowmelt. And, of course, sharks and skates will be present in numbers as well, in addition to a few Pacific cod. Note: Of particular interest this year is the regulatory change to the King Salmon Conservation Zones around Anchor River, Deep Creek, and Ninilchik River; it is now allowed to surf-cast for halibut and other bottomfish within these zones as long as king salmon are not being targeted—check the new 2024 regulation booklet for details.
HOMER/KACHEMAK BAY: The fishing is and has been spotty to sometimes fair off the spit, with the typical suspects being landed (pollock, sculpin, flounder, etc.), yet a few anglers have walked away with some very respectable catches of Pacific cod. While the intense beach action here really does not take off until about mid-May, it remains a great place to surf-cast for a variety of species. And like elsewhere around the marine waters of the peninsula, feeder kings is a possibility, but a remote one. Expect a few kings bound for the Dudiak Lagoon to show up along the spit in another couple of weeks, yet do not look for much in the lagoon itself until about the 15th of May.
SEWARD/RESURRECTION BAY: Anglers here have been catching a number of Pacific cod and other bottomfish, including an occasional halibut (and one that reportedly weighed in excess of 60 pounds), from area beaches all winter long and are continuing to latch into some decent fish. Albeit the bite is not always consistent and often more sporadic, depending on location, the most success recently has come from the vicinity of Lowell Point, in particular the beach on the south side at the end of the road. However, the deeper water off Lowell Point Road and near the fish processing plant is also worth an attempt. Also, hooligan along with herring will be arriving very soon, which means a greater influx of large, predatory species entering the shallows along the bay as they chase these smaller baitfish. Catches of larger cod, halibut, and even feeder king salmon becomes a possibility as all three of these are typically present later this month and throughout the month of May. Sea-run Dolly Varden is another favorite in Seward but no reports yet of any of these showing up, probably due to the fact that a cold, late spring has seen most overwintering lakes and ponds still firmly locked up in ice; the out-migration from fresh water to the salt generally starts in late April and continues until June.
TURNAGAIN ARM: The ice has completely cleared out of the arm and the lower tidal area of 20-Mile River thanks to strong and persistent southeasterly winds, boding well for a start of the hooligan run soon. With the lack of ice and warming water temperatures, there should be scouts nosing into this area within the next week, perhaps even right now. This will be a hot spot for dip netters in early to mid-May. While the arm and halibut are generally not thought of as being synonymous, there have been anecdotal reports of flatfish being caught in years past around Beluga Point, which harbors some relatively deep water in contrast to the rest of Turnagain that tends to be very shallow on all stages of the tide.