08-29-2004, 05:53 AM
PRINCE OF WALES ISLAND AREA
Chinook fishing traditionally is slow at this time of year off the west coast of POW however anglers did relatively well last week. Anglers fishing for chinook last week out of the ports of Craig and Klawock spent an average of 22 hours of effort per king salmon, much better than the 5-year average of 238 hours/fish for this same time period. Coho salmon fishing was good last week, as it took an average of 2 hours of effort to land a coho, a little slower than the five year average of 1 hour/fish. Halibut came in at 2 hours/fish, right at the five-year average. Anglers are also catching quite a few pinks and few chums. Anglers are reminded to check ADF&G 's main web page for in-season regulation changes for king salmon, lingcod and the prohibition on filleting of king, coho and lingcod until returning to port under the emergency order icon. Inquires about in-season changes can also be addressed by calling the POW office at (907) 826-2498 or dropping by the office in Craig.
Fresh water fishing on POW is experiencing extremely low water again (August 24). Pink and Chum salmon have entered island streams in good numbers but many more fish are holding off stream mouths in salt water until stream levels rise. Water temperatures have cooled slightly over the last week but are still very warm and this has resulted in extremely stressful conditions (warm water holds less dissolved oxygen) for fish in some island streams. Staney Creek experienced a "die-off" around the 15 of August, where over an estimated 10,000 pink and chum salmon died from the warm water before spawning. A few other streams have had some fish die before spawning and conditions will remain stressful until it rains. Anglers that practice catch and release fishing should use extreme care when playing and releasing fish under these stressful conditions.
There are some coho that have also entered fresh water and the next good rain should trigger more of these fish to enter streams. The best bet for coho is the Klawock River and anglers can also fish for these fish in salt water by fishing from the shoreline between Craig and Klawock. Commercial trollers have been working the shoreline between Craig and Klawock the last few days indicating that there are coho in the area. The Thorne River also has a few coho that have entered already. Anglers looking for trout fishing on Prince of Wales Island should consider Control, Klawock, Eagle, Red Bay, and No Name Lake as well as the Thorne River drainage just to name a few. Please check the regulation booklet for limits and other regulations that apply to these areas.
Chinook fishing traditionally is slow at this time of year off the west coast of POW however anglers did relatively well last week. Anglers fishing for chinook last week out of the ports of Craig and Klawock spent an average of 22 hours of effort per king salmon, much better than the 5-year average of 238 hours/fish for this same time period. Coho salmon fishing was good last week, as it took an average of 2 hours of effort to land a coho, a little slower than the five year average of 1 hour/fish. Halibut came in at 2 hours/fish, right at the five-year average. Anglers are also catching quite a few pinks and few chums. Anglers are reminded to check ADF&G 's main web page for in-season regulation changes for king salmon, lingcod and the prohibition on filleting of king, coho and lingcod until returning to port under the emergency order icon. Inquires about in-season changes can also be addressed by calling the POW office at (907) 826-2498 or dropping by the office in Craig.
Fresh water fishing on POW is experiencing extremely low water again (August 24). Pink and Chum salmon have entered island streams in good numbers but many more fish are holding off stream mouths in salt water until stream levels rise. Water temperatures have cooled slightly over the last week but are still very warm and this has resulted in extremely stressful conditions (warm water holds less dissolved oxygen) for fish in some island streams. Staney Creek experienced a "die-off" around the 15 of August, where over an estimated 10,000 pink and chum salmon died from the warm water before spawning. A few other streams have had some fish die before spawning and conditions will remain stressful until it rains. Anglers that practice catch and release fishing should use extreme care when playing and releasing fish under these stressful conditions.
There are some coho that have also entered fresh water and the next good rain should trigger more of these fish to enter streams. The best bet for coho is the Klawock River and anglers can also fish for these fish in salt water by fishing from the shoreline between Craig and Klawock. Commercial trollers have been working the shoreline between Craig and Klawock the last few days indicating that there are coho in the area. The Thorne River also has a few coho that have entered already. Anglers looking for trout fishing on Prince of Wales Island should consider Control, Klawock, Eagle, Red Bay, and No Name Lake as well as the Thorne River drainage just to name a few. Please check the regulation booklet for limits and other regulations that apply to these areas.