08-05-2004, 04:48 AM
Petersburg/Wrangell Sport Fish Report
Petersburg/Wrangell King Salmon and Halibut fishing:
The local emphasis on area saltwater fishing has changed to primarily fishing in the Wrangell Narrows for king salmon and Halibut fishing in Frederick Sound and Sumner Strait. After a spell of hot dry weather and smaller tides, fishing activity has picked up dramatically for Chinook salmon in Wrangell Narrows. Fish have also been entering Blind Slough with the rising tide, giving the shorebased anglers action at the Blind River Rapids either on the rising tide or at low water when some of the fish hold in pools downstream of the rapids. Anglers can continue to seek king salmon in areas near Petersburg such as Beacon Point and Point Frederick but the catch rates in these locations are much lower than in Wrangell Narrows where anglers are doing well to catch fish returning to Crystal Lake Hatchery. The current catch rates for chinook salmon is estimated at 7 hours per fish in the Petersburg area, between 6/21 and 6/27. Halibut fishing has continued to pick-up in Frederick Sound and Sumner Strait locations, with the most recent catch rate estimated at 5 hours per fish. For Halibut in Frederick Sound, anglers have been succeeding in about 300 feet of water, with some successes also in shallower waters. In Sumner Strait, anglers can fish in shallower waters with varied success. Try to fish the slack tides with heavy duty gear and use whole herring for bait. Coho salmon should begin to turn up in saltwater areas in greater numbers soon, and I heard of one being caught from shore along the Wrangell Narrows in Petersburg in the last week. Anglers will begin to find coho salmon returning to the Crystal Lake Hatchery in the Wrangell Narrows and catch them by trolling or spincasting with spinners or spoons. Late in July and in August, they will be entering the fresh water areas of Blind Slough. Wild coho stocks in other area streams will be a bit later in August and September.
In Wrangell, Babbler Point or right in front of town off Point Highfield can be good places to find chinook this time of year. Fish returning to Sumner Strait (near Baht Harbor) Vank Island, and Elephants Nose are also popular places to fish. Although hatchery releases of Chinook have been discontinued at Earl West Cove, some adult Chinook should be returning and available to anglers there. The hatchery release program for Chinook and other salmon has moved to Anita Bay, and adult Chinook returning there have been started producing some medium sized fish, corresponding to 3-ocean age classes returning. In any event, trolling a fresh or frozen herring , whole or cut-plug are the methods of choice among local anglers. Last weeks catch rate for chinook salmon was 10 hours per fish in the Wrangell area.
Other area fishing:
Although a bit early for coho fishing in most areas, some anglers have reported catches of coho in Sumner Strait between Pt Baker and Snow Pass, and nearing Neck Lake on the East side of Prince of Wales Island. Cutthroat trout fishing may be available in local creeks although many of the larger sea-run fish may have left the creeks by now, and stream levels are very low from our dry summer. Dolly Varden fishing in the Petersburg Harbor continues in and around the docks and cannery outfalls, but anglers are also catching them at Blind River Rapids while fishing for Chinook salmon. Herring fishing has picked up in and around the Narrows in Petersburg, and many small scrapfish are available for young anglers fishing from the docks. Schools of smelt and cod, and numbers of flounder are keeping the action up and providing for competition in the Petersburg annual Scrap Fish Derby held on the holiday weekend.
Recent Management actions: Crystal Lake Hatchery chinook are showing up in Wrangell Narrows with a modest return of chinook salmon forcasted to return this year, similar to the levels observed in 2003. The 2004 projected return to Wrangell Narrows includes approximately 4,400 adult chinook. A news release on May 28 announced the increased bag and possession limits for hatchery return king salmon in the Wrangell Narrows/Blind Slough terminal harvest area. In this area, the sport fishing bag and possession limits for all anglers will increase to three king salmon 28 inches or more in length and three king salmon less than 28 inches in length from June 1, 2004 through July 31, 2004. The slight reduction in bag limits this year is to better achieve spawning escapement to the Crystal Lake Hatchery at the head of Blind Slough.
The Wrangell Narrows-Blind Slough terminal harvest area near Petersburg is described as: that portion of Wrangell Narrows, south of 56O 46' N. latitude (Martinsen's dock) and east of the longitude, and north of the latitude, of the northern tip (Inlet Point) of Woewodski Island, and; the waters of Blind Slough upstream of a line between Blind Point and Anchor Point. An important distinction for King salmon caught by nonresident anglers in this area is that king salmon greater than 28 inches caught in this area, during this period, do not count toward the 2004 nonresident annual limit (3 fish). Resident and non-resident anglers planning to fish there should also refer to the 2004 Southeast Alaska Sport Fishing Regulations Summary, and examine maps showing the boundaries of areas where different regulations exist in fresh and salt waters for chinook salmon. Maps of the terminal area are available at the Petersburg Fish and Game office, and posted locally at South, Middle, North Harbors, at the Blind River rapids access, and at Papke's Landing.
As an additional note, anglers boating in the area should pay close attention while piloting small craft there, as the area commonly fished is constricted by numerous navigational bouys, and has heavy commercial and recreational boat traffic.
Some other fishing reminders:
[ul] [li]Please don't forget to purchase your 2004 King salmon stamp; [li]The regional daily bag and possession limit for Alaska residents is two king salmon 28 inches or greater in length; no annual limit king salmon 28 inches or more in length;
[li]For Nonresidents the bag and possession limit is one king salmon 28 inches or greater in length and the annual limit is three fish; [li]The Grey's Pass closure for salmon fishing at the mouth of the Stikine River is no longer in effect; [li]All anglers are reminded that region-wide regulations prohibit the possession of king salmon less than 28 inches when fishing outside of designated terminal harvest areas like the Wrangell Narrows/Blind Slough Terminal Harvest area; and, [li]Anglers returning to Petersburg or Wrangell may not head or fillet king salmon, coho salmon and lingcod prior to returning to port and offloading unless fish are preserved or consumed onboard. Once anglers have tied their boat to a docking facility or to existing fish cleaning stations, king salmon coho salmon and lingcod may be filleted and headed on board. This regulation does not prohibit anglers from gutting and gilling king and coho salmon before returning to port. [/li][/ul]
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Petersburg/Wrangell King Salmon and Halibut fishing:
The local emphasis on area saltwater fishing has changed to primarily fishing in the Wrangell Narrows for king salmon and Halibut fishing in Frederick Sound and Sumner Strait. After a spell of hot dry weather and smaller tides, fishing activity has picked up dramatically for Chinook salmon in Wrangell Narrows. Fish have also been entering Blind Slough with the rising tide, giving the shorebased anglers action at the Blind River Rapids either on the rising tide or at low water when some of the fish hold in pools downstream of the rapids. Anglers can continue to seek king salmon in areas near Petersburg such as Beacon Point and Point Frederick but the catch rates in these locations are much lower than in Wrangell Narrows where anglers are doing well to catch fish returning to Crystal Lake Hatchery. The current catch rates for chinook salmon is estimated at 7 hours per fish in the Petersburg area, between 6/21 and 6/27. Halibut fishing has continued to pick-up in Frederick Sound and Sumner Strait locations, with the most recent catch rate estimated at 5 hours per fish. For Halibut in Frederick Sound, anglers have been succeeding in about 300 feet of water, with some successes also in shallower waters. In Sumner Strait, anglers can fish in shallower waters with varied success. Try to fish the slack tides with heavy duty gear and use whole herring for bait. Coho salmon should begin to turn up in saltwater areas in greater numbers soon, and I heard of one being caught from shore along the Wrangell Narrows in Petersburg in the last week. Anglers will begin to find coho salmon returning to the Crystal Lake Hatchery in the Wrangell Narrows and catch them by trolling or spincasting with spinners or spoons. Late in July and in August, they will be entering the fresh water areas of Blind Slough. Wild coho stocks in other area streams will be a bit later in August and September.
In Wrangell, Babbler Point or right in front of town off Point Highfield can be good places to find chinook this time of year. Fish returning to Sumner Strait (near Baht Harbor) Vank Island, and Elephants Nose are also popular places to fish. Although hatchery releases of Chinook have been discontinued at Earl West Cove, some adult Chinook should be returning and available to anglers there. The hatchery release program for Chinook and other salmon has moved to Anita Bay, and adult Chinook returning there have been started producing some medium sized fish, corresponding to 3-ocean age classes returning. In any event, trolling a fresh or frozen herring , whole or cut-plug are the methods of choice among local anglers. Last weeks catch rate for chinook salmon was 10 hours per fish in the Wrangell area.
Other area fishing:
Although a bit early for coho fishing in most areas, some anglers have reported catches of coho in Sumner Strait between Pt Baker and Snow Pass, and nearing Neck Lake on the East side of Prince of Wales Island. Cutthroat trout fishing may be available in local creeks although many of the larger sea-run fish may have left the creeks by now, and stream levels are very low from our dry summer. Dolly Varden fishing in the Petersburg Harbor continues in and around the docks and cannery outfalls, but anglers are also catching them at Blind River Rapids while fishing for Chinook salmon. Herring fishing has picked up in and around the Narrows in Petersburg, and many small scrapfish are available for young anglers fishing from the docks. Schools of smelt and cod, and numbers of flounder are keeping the action up and providing for competition in the Petersburg annual Scrap Fish Derby held on the holiday weekend.
Recent Management actions: Crystal Lake Hatchery chinook are showing up in Wrangell Narrows with a modest return of chinook salmon forcasted to return this year, similar to the levels observed in 2003. The 2004 projected return to Wrangell Narrows includes approximately 4,400 adult chinook. A news release on May 28 announced the increased bag and possession limits for hatchery return king salmon in the Wrangell Narrows/Blind Slough terminal harvest area. In this area, the sport fishing bag and possession limits for all anglers will increase to three king salmon 28 inches or more in length and three king salmon less than 28 inches in length from June 1, 2004 through July 31, 2004. The slight reduction in bag limits this year is to better achieve spawning escapement to the Crystal Lake Hatchery at the head of Blind Slough.
The Wrangell Narrows-Blind Slough terminal harvest area near Petersburg is described as: that portion of Wrangell Narrows, south of 56O 46' N. latitude (Martinsen's dock) and east of the longitude, and north of the latitude, of the northern tip (Inlet Point) of Woewodski Island, and; the waters of Blind Slough upstream of a line between Blind Point and Anchor Point. An important distinction for King salmon caught by nonresident anglers in this area is that king salmon greater than 28 inches caught in this area, during this period, do not count toward the 2004 nonresident annual limit (3 fish). Resident and non-resident anglers planning to fish there should also refer to the 2004 Southeast Alaska Sport Fishing Regulations Summary, and examine maps showing the boundaries of areas where different regulations exist in fresh and salt waters for chinook salmon. Maps of the terminal area are available at the Petersburg Fish and Game office, and posted locally at South, Middle, North Harbors, at the Blind River rapids access, and at Papke's Landing.
As an additional note, anglers boating in the area should pay close attention while piloting small craft there, as the area commonly fished is constricted by numerous navigational bouys, and has heavy commercial and recreational boat traffic.
Some other fishing reminders:
[ul] [li]Please don't forget to purchase your 2004 King salmon stamp; [li]The regional daily bag and possession limit for Alaska residents is two king salmon 28 inches or greater in length; no annual limit king salmon 28 inches or more in length;
[li]For Nonresidents the bag and possession limit is one king salmon 28 inches or greater in length and the annual limit is three fish; [li]The Grey's Pass closure for salmon fishing at the mouth of the Stikine River is no longer in effect; [li]All anglers are reminded that region-wide regulations prohibit the possession of king salmon less than 28 inches when fishing outside of designated terminal harvest areas like the Wrangell Narrows/Blind Slough Terminal Harvest area; and, [li]Anglers returning to Petersburg or Wrangell may not head or fillet king salmon, coho salmon and lingcod prior to returning to port and offloading unless fish are preserved or consumed onboard. Once anglers have tied their boat to a docking facility or to existing fish cleaning stations, king salmon coho salmon and lingcod may be filleted and headed on board. This regulation does not prohibit anglers from gutting and gilling king and coho salmon before returning to port. [/li][/ul]
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