Alaska Fishing Report 5-28-10

[Saltwater Fishing]

Interior Fishing Reports

Upper Copper Upper Susitna Area Fishing Report
May 26, 2010

PERSONAL USE
The Copper River Chitina Subdistrict is scheduled to open Saturday, June 5, at 08:00 A.M. and close on Saturday, June 5, at 11:59 P.M. for a 16 hour opening.

KING SALMON FISHING
The counting tower is presently being installed above the West Fork of the Gulkana River. The Gulkana has cleared from spring runoff, but is at lower than normal levels for this time of year. No fish have been observed by crew traveling on the river. Once the counting tower is operating, king salmon and sockeye salmon escapement can be monitored on the Gulkana River by visiting the “Fish Counts” link at the bottom of this page. The tower is usually up and running by the end of May or first week of June.

King salmon are usually present in the Gulkana River by June 1.

SOCKEYE SALMON FISHING
Gulkana and Klutina rivers are flowing and have cleared to fishable levels. Sockeye should be entering the Gulkana River at any time. As of the day of this report, we have had no reports of fish being taken. Please remember to respect private property owners' land as legal access is very limited along the Klutina, Tonsina, and Gulkana Rivers.

LAKE TROUT
The larger lakes which include Lake Louise, Susitna, Tyone, and Crosswind are free of ice as of 05/24/2010. Paxson, and Summit lakes are still covered with ice but are breaking up.

STOCKED LAKES
Lakes stocked in 2007 with fingerling rainbow trout should now contain catchable fish. These lakes are Ryan, Buffalo and Tex Smith Lakes on the Glenn Highway and Pippin on the Richardson Highway. Old Road and Round lakes off the Lake Louise Road and Two Mile and Three Mile lakes along the Edgerton Highway.

For the best rainbow trout fishing head out the McCarthy Road to Strelna, Silver, and Sculpin lakes which offer the best opportunity to catch more and a possibility to catch larger fish. Silver Lake was stocked with 5000 catchable rainbow trout last summer and will again be stocked with large rainbow this season. These rainbows were transfered from Summit Lake in the Wrangell Mountains and transported to Silver Lake by airplane. Silver Lake has walk in access only; canoes and small boats can be carried or carted in from the McCarthy Road.

Peanut and Tolsona Mountain Lakes are also excellent lakes for rainbow trout but an ATV is helpful to access them. These two lakes are not readily available to the road system and have been stocked in past years and receive little pressure. Information on stocked and wild lakes including contour maps can be found by clicking on the “Fish stocking” link at the bottom of this page.

ARCTIC GRAYLING
The stream levels are high around Glennallen and Sourdough and grayling are moving into the smaller tributaries to spawn. Small flies either wet or dry are worth a try. Many of the small lakes on the Lake Louise and Nabesna roads contain grayling populations. Long Lake and Jack Lake are good bets for grayling. Tolsona lake would be a good bet for some family fishing for grayling. Moose Creek in Glennallen is open to use of bait and this makes for a golden opportunity for teaching younger and inexperienced anglers how to fish. The water level is still lower than normal, and not many grayling have been reported. Fishing should pick up within the next week, lots of grayling have been seen in the last few days headed upstream.



http://www.sf.adfg.state.ak.us/FishingReports/

[Saltwater Fishing]

Region 1-Southeast News Release

May 27, 2010

BLIND SLOUGH CLOSES TO SPORT FISHING AND KING SALMON BAG LIMITS REDUCED IN WRANGELL NARROWS
Petersburg – The Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Division of Sport Fish today announced regulation changes for the Wrangell Narrows-Blind Slough Terminal Harvest Area for the June 1st to July 31st period. These will include a closure of all sport fishing in Blind Slough upstream of a line between Blind Point and Anchor Point, from Tuesday June 1st through Saturday July 31st, 2010. The bag and possession limits for king salmon within the Wrangell Narrows Terminal Harvest Area (THA) from June 1 through June 31 is two king salmon 28 inches or greater in length, and two king salmon less than 28 inches in length.

The nonresident annual limit will remain at three king salmon, 28 inches or greater in length. Nonresident anglers must record harvested king salmon immediately, in ink, on the back of their license or on a harvest record card. King salmon less than 28 inches in length do not count toward the annual limit and do not have to be recorded on the back of the license or a harvest record card.

The sport fishery for hatchery produced king salmon in terminal waters of Wrangell Narrows and fresh waters of Blind Slough is managed under the Wrangell Narrows-Blind Slough Terminal Harvest Area Management Plan (5 AAC 33.381). This plan distributes harvest of the Crystal Lake Hatchery king salmon run among sport and commercial troll fisheries while preserving a portion of the run for hatchery brood stock. In 2010, the Crystal Lake Hatchery king salmon return is projected to be 1,500 -1,700 fish. As prescribed in the plan, if the projected king salmon return to the terminal harvest area is between 1,000 and 2,000 fish,the Wrangell Narrow-Blind Slough Terminal Harvest Area Management Plan (5 AAC 33.381) instructs the department to close the freshwaters of Blind Slough to sport fishing and set the bag and possession limit at two king salmon 28 inches or greater in length, and two king salmon less than 28 inches in length from June 1 through July 31 within the boundaries of the Wrangell Narrows-Blind Slough Terminal Harvest Area.

Anyone needing further information concerning this announcement should contact the Division of Sport Fish office in Petersburg at (907) 772-5231.



http://www.sf.adfg.state.ak.us/EONR/

[Saltwater Fishing]

Region 3-Interior News Release

May 25, 2010

AMENDMENT TO THE 2010 COPPER RIVER PERSONAL USE DIP NET SALMON FISHERY SCHEDULE
The opening of the Chitina Subdistrict for Saturday June 5 has been changed. The Chitina Subdistrict will remain closed through 07:59 a.m. Saturday June 5. The Chitina Subdistrict will open for the season with a 16-hour period from 08:00 a.m. Saturday June 5 through 11:59 p.m. Saturday June 5. There will be no supplemental harvest during this fishing period. As a reminder, the Copper River Personal Use Dip Net Salmon Fishery Management Plan and the Statewide Personal Use Fishing Regulations state that:

· The annual limit is a total of 15 salmon, of which no more than one may be a king salmon for a household of one, and 30 salmon, of which no more than one may be a king salmon for a household of two or more.

· Personal use fishers must possess both their Chitina Personal Use fishery permit and a valid resident sport fishing license when fishing.

· Of the total limit only one king salmon can be kept.

· Steelhead cannot be kept, and must be returned to the water unharmed.

· When a harvestable surplus of 50,000 salmon or greater will be present in the Chitina Subdistrict, by emergency order, a supplemental permit for 10 additional sockeye salmon will be issued to Chitina Subdistrict personal use permit holders.

· Harvest must be recorded on the permit immediately.

· The tips of the tail of personal usecaught fish must be clipped immediately upon landing a fish.

· Immediately is defined as before concealing the salmon from plain view or transporting the salmon from the fishing site. Fishing site means the location where the fish was removed from the water and became part of the permit holder’s bag limit.

During May 20 - 23, there were 6,758 salmon counted past the Miles Lake sonar. The preseason projection for this period was 37,124 salmon, which results in a deficit of 30,366 salmon. Copper River sockeye salmon migratory timing and the previous five-year average harvest and participation rates indicate sufficient numbers of salmon available to allow 16 hours of fishing time during the week of June 1 – 6. Depending on actual numbers of salmon passing the Miles Lake sonar, future openings may be increased or decreased, accordingly.

All residents of Alaska qualify to participate in this personal use fishery. A Chitina Subdistrict Personal Use Fishing permit and a resident sport fishing license are required to participate in this personal use fishery. There is no fee for the Chitina Subdistrict personal use fishing permit.

Public access, without a fee, to the Copper River is available in those areas where the eastern boundary of the 300’ wide O’Brien Creek Road easement reaches the ordinary high water mark of the west bank of the Copper River. The road approximately one mile beyond O’Brien Creek remains closed from that point and beyond. Boat launch access to the Copper River is available via the 17b easement located upstream of the Chitina-McCarthy Bridge on the east bank of the Copper River. Public access and boat launching is also available downstream of the Chitina-McCarthy Bridge on the east bank of the Copper River within the DOT ROW where it reaches ordinary high water. Boat launching is currently not available at O’Brien Creek.

Landowners in the area have incorporated a fee-based permit system which allows public access over their private lands along the Copper River. Not all private land is posted. A brochure, which offers guidance into private land locations within the fishery area, is distributed with the permit. The Department urges dipnetters to respect the rights of private landowners.

When cleaning fish, the carcasses should be disposed of in fast moving water that washes the carcasses downstream such as O’Brien Creek or the Copper River. Leaving carcasses along the road, stream bank or in lakes is considered littering and subject to a $1,000 fine.

Camping space is reduced and limited. Public camping is available at the DOT wayside on the east bank of the Copper River by the Chitina-McCarthy Bridge, waysides along the O’Brien Creek Road ROW, and a private campground at the Chitina Airport. The Liberty Falls Recreation Site is open for the 2010 season. Wood cutting within the DOT ROW is prohibited.

Information regarding the fishery can be found at the ADF&G web site: http://www.sf.adfg.state.ak.us/Manag...hitina.chitina This site provides information regarding the Upper Copper River fisheries including: fishery descriptions and summaries, maps of the subdistricts, a listing of vendors that carry the permits, and links to the sonar numbers and Emergency Orders. If you have any questions regarding the Chitina Subdistrict personal use fishery, please contact the ADF&G office in Glennallen at (907) 822-3309. Changes in the fishery openings will be announced at least 48 hours in advance. Fishery information is available 24 hours each day at (907) 822-5224 in Glennallen, (907) 459-7382 in Fairbanks and (907) 267-2511 in Anchorage. Please contact the information phone line prior to planning your trip to Chitina to insure that the fishery will be open when you arrive.



http://www.sf.adfg.state.ak.us/EONR/