Area Sport Fishing Reports
Prince of Wales Island

September 30, 2026

With the arrival of Octover the fishing season on Prince of Wales is slowing down. There are still some bright coho entering freshwater drainages but the majority of fish are turning to spawning colors. Saltwater salmon fishing is slowing down with opportunities for late silvers and feeder king salmon. Fishing for halibut, lingcod and rockfish remains good, weather permitting. Dolly Varden have beautiful coloration this time of year as they approach spawning later in the fall and can be found in many drainages feeding on salmon eggs.

Check out the wefishak page on the ADF&G website for the gofishak interactive map to discover fishing locations and information on species run timing, fishing gear selections, and boat and angler access tips.

Chinook (King) Salmon

King salmon will be available around Prince of Wales through the fall although fishing is generally slow.

Chinook Salmon Regulations for 2026

• The resident daily bag limit is three fish over 28 inches;
• The nonresident daily bag limit is two fish with an annual harvest limit of four fish over 28 inches.
• Immediately upon landing and retaining a king salmon, a nonresident must enter the species, date, and location on their paper or electronic harvest record.

Coho (silver) Salmon

Fall run coho salmon are present in most drainages but it is past peak run timing and anglers will have to sort through dark fish to find bright ones. There are a lot of fish in the Klawock River with fresh fish trickling in through mid-October. Coho salmon are present in most drainages of Prince of Wales with good options including Staney Creek, Harris River and the hatchery return in the Klawock River.

Trout and Dolly Varden

Rainbow trout, cutthroat trout, and Dolly Varden are available in many of the freshwater drainages of POW. Trout and Dolly Varden are feeding on salmon eggs. Productive drainages for trout include Luck, Klawock, and Sarkar lakes, the Thorne River, and Ratz Creek. Regulations regarding size limits, bag limits, and the use of bait can vary by waterbody, so please check the Southeast Alaska Sport Fish Regulation Summary.

Halibut

Halibut fishing is good around POW throughout the fall.

Lingcod

Lingcod are aggressive, relatively easy to catch, get big and are good table fare.

• The resident daily bag limit is one fish with no size limit;
• Season closes December 1;
• The nonresident daily bag limit is one fish with an annual harvest limit of one fish fish between 30 and 35 inches and one fish over 55 inches;
• Immediately upon landing and retaining lingcod, a nonresident must enter the species, date, and location on their paper or electronic harvest record.

Rockfish

Rockfish can be caught year-round. There is a section on the Fish and Game website for identifying common rockfish of POW.

All sport fishing vessels are required to have at least one functional deepwater release device (regardless of species targeted), and anglers will be REQUIRED to use a deepwater release device to release rockfish to the depth it was hooked or to a depth of at least 100 feet. Please see the Southeast Alaska Sport Fish Regulation Summary or visit your local ADF&G office to see examples of rockfish release devices and learn about their use.

Demersal Shelf Rockfish

The retention of demersal shelf rockfish, including yelloweye is open for residents of Alaska with a daily bag limit of one and possession limit of two.

Demersal shelf rockfish, including yelloweye, closed for nonresidents August 26.

Demersal shelf rockfish are the following species: yelloweye, quillback, copper, canary, china, tiger, and rosethorn rockfish.

Slope Rockfish

Some slope rockfish are common in marine waters surrounding POW. The most common species are silvergrey and vermilion rockfish.

• Resident and nonresidents daily bag limit of one per day; one in possession

Pelagic Rockfish

Pelagic rockfish, most commonly black rockfish, provide good fishing in the marine waters surrounding POW.

• Season: year-round
• Three per day; six in possession

For additional information regarding rockfish identification and management, please refer to the rockfish conservation page.

Regulation summaries and copies of the news releases are available at the Craig ADF&G office.

For further information, please contact the Prince of Wales Area Management Biologist: Craig Schwanke (907) 826-2498.