08-14-2004, 11:04 PM
This is the Haines and Skagway Sport Fishing Report for the week of August 2-August 8, 2004.
Pullen Pond and the portion of Pullen Creek above Pullen Pond in Skagway is open to king salmon fishing through September 14th. Hatchery king salmon returning to Pullen Creek are now projected to exceed brood stock needs. Therefore, anglers are allowed to keep ten king salmon any size per day and in possession. King salmon caught in Pullen Creek and Pond do not count toward the nonresident annual limit.
Fishing for king salmon was very good in Taiya Inlet last week where it took an average of 8 rod hours of effort to catch a king salmon 28 inches or greater in length. This compares with the average of 24 hours per king for that week. Anglers are reminded that the Taiya Inlet terminal hatchery regulations expired August 1st. Regional regulations apply to Taiya Inlet. Alaska resident anglers have a bag and possession limit of two king salmon 28 inches or greater in length; no annual limit. Nonresident anglers have a bag and possession limit of one king salmon 28 inches or greater in length; with an annual limit of three fish.
The number of sockeye salmon counted through the Chilkoot River remained high last week. Anglers are warned to be bear conscious due to recent bear incidents (see BEAR ALERT below). The weir was pulled due to high water on June 19th, and was not fish tight until the afternoon of June 27th. As of August 8th, 45,404 sockeye had been counted through the weir but an unknown number passed through while the weir was open. This compares with the five year average of 41,342 sockeye salmon counted through the weir. Anglers are allowed six sockeye per day and in possession in the Chilkoot River drainage. Average daily weir counts of salmon are presented below.
The catch of sockeye salmon in the Chilkat River fish wheels has been slightly above average so far. As of August 8th, 2,533 sockeye had been caught in the Chilkat River fish wheels. This is compares with the average of 2,333 for this date. Good places to fish for them are in Chilkat Lake and clearwater tributaries of the river in coming weeks. Anglers are allowed six sockeye per day and twelve in possession in the Chilkat River drainage. Average daily fish wheel salmon catches are presented below.
up to be another record year for pink salmon returning to the area. An all time record 48,254 had been counted through the Chilkoot River weir by August 8th. The average for this date is 7,829 pink salmon (see graph below). A total of 3,219 had been caught in the Chilkat River fish wheels as of August 8th which is well above the average of 1,441 for this date. Anglers are allowed to keep six per day and in possession in the Chilkoot River. In the Chilkat River you are allowed six pink salmon per day and twelve in possession.
Halibut fishing has been improving in the area. There have been several reports of anglers landing 100 lb and larger fish in past weeks. Dolly Varden can be caught in saltwater along the shorelines of Chilkat Inlet, Lutak Inlet, and Portage Cove, and in freshwater along the Chilkat and Chilkoot Rivers. The limit for Dolly Varden is 10 per day and in possession except in the Chilkoot drainage where the bag and possession limit is four Dolly Varden.
Important Announcements and Reminders:
BEAR WARNING……Anglers should be aware that there have been a number of brown bear and human interactions along the Chilkoot River in recent days. For example, a sow has been frequenting the fishing area below the weir and recently obtained fish from an angler who refused to stop fishing when the bear approached. This situation is very dangerous for both anglers and the bear. The bear learns to associate anglers with food making a dangerous situation for all anglers and will likely result in the bear having to be killed. You can help to reduce these incidents by following these guidelines:
Filleting and Heading Salmon is Prohibited this Season in the Skagway Marine Boat Sport Fishery: Marine boat anglers returning to the Skagway Boat Harbor are now prohibited from filleting, mutilating, or heading sport caught king salmon, coho salmon, and lingcod until the fish have been brought to shore and offloaded, unless the fish have been consumed or preserved onboard. However, anglers are still allowed to gut and gill these fish before returning to port, and for the purposes of this regulation, anglers will be allowed to fillet and head them on their boats once they are tied up at a docking facility.
Yukon Residents to Pay Less for Sport Fishing Fees Beginning in 2005: Governor Frank H. Murkowski signed a bill adopting reciprocal sport fishing fees for residents of the Yukon. Specifically, the bill would enable a Yukon resident to receive a nonresident sport fishing license or a king salmon tag for the same annual fee that an Alaska resident would pay.
"I am pleased to support this legislation, because it fosters good relations with our neighbors in Yukon," Murkowski said. "It will give Yukoners who come to Southeast to fish for salmon a little bit of a break, yet will still require them to comply with nonresident restrictions, such as bag limits."
Yukon residents will continue to pay nonresident fees through the remainder of this year. The reduced fees become effective January 1, 2005.
King Salmon Bag Limits: Current king salmon bag and possession limits for sport anglers fishing in the marine waters of Southeast Alaska are as follows:
Ø Alaska residents: bag and possession limit of two king salmon 28 inches or greater in length; no annual limit.
Ø Nonresidents: bag and possession limit of one king salmon 28 inches or greater in length; annual limit of three fish.
These regulations are based on the preseason abundance index determined by the Pacific Salmon Commission’s Chinook Technical Committee, as directed by the Southeast Alaska king salmon management plan.
Pullen Pond and the portion of Pullen Creek above Pullen Pond in Skagway is open to king salmon fishing through September 14th. Hatchery king salmon returning to Pullen Creek are now projected to exceed brood stock needs. Therefore, anglers are allowed to keep ten king salmon any size per day and in possession. King salmon caught in Pullen Creek and Pond do not count toward the nonresident annual limit.
Fishing for king salmon was very good in Taiya Inlet last week where it took an average of 8 rod hours of effort to catch a king salmon 28 inches or greater in length. This compares with the average of 24 hours per king for that week. Anglers are reminded that the Taiya Inlet terminal hatchery regulations expired August 1st. Regional regulations apply to Taiya Inlet. Alaska resident anglers have a bag and possession limit of two king salmon 28 inches or greater in length; no annual limit. Nonresident anglers have a bag and possession limit of one king salmon 28 inches or greater in length; with an annual limit of three fish.
The number of sockeye salmon counted through the Chilkoot River remained high last week. Anglers are warned to be bear conscious due to recent bear incidents (see BEAR ALERT below). The weir was pulled due to high water on June 19th, and was not fish tight until the afternoon of June 27th. As of August 8th, 45,404 sockeye had been counted through the weir but an unknown number passed through while the weir was open. This compares with the five year average of 41,342 sockeye salmon counted through the weir. Anglers are allowed six sockeye per day and in possession in the Chilkoot River drainage. Average daily weir counts of salmon are presented below.
The catch of sockeye salmon in the Chilkat River fish wheels has been slightly above average so far. As of August 8th, 2,533 sockeye had been caught in the Chilkat River fish wheels. This is compares with the average of 2,333 for this date. Good places to fish for them are in Chilkat Lake and clearwater tributaries of the river in coming weeks. Anglers are allowed six sockeye per day and twelve in possession in the Chilkat River drainage. Average daily fish wheel salmon catches are presented below.
up to be another record year for pink salmon returning to the area. An all time record 48,254 had been counted through the Chilkoot River weir by August 8th. The average for this date is 7,829 pink salmon (see graph below). A total of 3,219 had been caught in the Chilkat River fish wheels as of August 8th which is well above the average of 1,441 for this date. Anglers are allowed to keep six per day and in possession in the Chilkoot River. In the Chilkat River you are allowed six pink salmon per day and twelve in possession.
Halibut fishing has been improving in the area. There have been several reports of anglers landing 100 lb and larger fish in past weeks. Dolly Varden can be caught in saltwater along the shorelines of Chilkat Inlet, Lutak Inlet, and Portage Cove, and in freshwater along the Chilkat and Chilkoot Rivers. The limit for Dolly Varden is 10 per day and in possession except in the Chilkoot drainage where the bag and possession limit is four Dolly Varden.
Important Announcements and Reminders:
BEAR WARNING……Anglers should be aware that there have been a number of brown bear and human interactions along the Chilkoot River in recent days. For example, a sow has been frequenting the fishing area below the weir and recently obtained fish from an angler who refused to stop fishing when the bear approached. This situation is very dangerous for both anglers and the bear. The bear learns to associate anglers with food making a dangerous situation for all anglers and will likely result in the bear having to be killed. You can help to reduce these incidents by following these guidelines:
Filleting and Heading Salmon is Prohibited this Season in the Skagway Marine Boat Sport Fishery: Marine boat anglers returning to the Skagway Boat Harbor are now prohibited from filleting, mutilating, or heading sport caught king salmon, coho salmon, and lingcod until the fish have been brought to shore and offloaded, unless the fish have been consumed or preserved onboard. However, anglers are still allowed to gut and gill these fish before returning to port, and for the purposes of this regulation, anglers will be allowed to fillet and head them on their boats once they are tied up at a docking facility.
Yukon Residents to Pay Less for Sport Fishing Fees Beginning in 2005: Governor Frank H. Murkowski signed a bill adopting reciprocal sport fishing fees for residents of the Yukon. Specifically, the bill would enable a Yukon resident to receive a nonresident sport fishing license or a king salmon tag for the same annual fee that an Alaska resident would pay.
"I am pleased to support this legislation, because it fosters good relations with our neighbors in Yukon," Murkowski said. "It will give Yukoners who come to Southeast to fish for salmon a little bit of a break, yet will still require them to comply with nonresident restrictions, such as bag limits."
Yukon residents will continue to pay nonresident fees through the remainder of this year. The reduced fees become effective January 1, 2005.
King Salmon Bag Limits: Current king salmon bag and possession limits for sport anglers fishing in the marine waters of Southeast Alaska are as follows:
Ø Alaska residents: bag and possession limit of two king salmon 28 inches or greater in length; no annual limit.
Ø Nonresidents: bag and possession limit of one king salmon 28 inches or greater in length; annual limit of three fish.
These regulations are based on the preseason abundance index determined by the Pacific Salmon Commission’s Chinook Technical Committee, as directed by the Southeast Alaska king salmon management plan.