Area Sport Fishing Reports
Kodiak

September 21, 2026

Freshwater Fishing

• The weekend rain brought some fish into road system rivers. It seems to have raised the water up a bit, with some areas more than others. Generally, fishing has picked up for silvers in the last couple days.
• The Olds was the hot spot over the weekend, with lots of silvers coming up the river with the rain. Pasagshak and Lake Rose Teed also had some decent fishing.
• The Buskin saw a few more fish with the rain, but lots and lots of pinks are still spawning, and the water did not come up a ton.

Saltwater Fishing

• Few reports of kings caught trolling have been heard, but the bag limit is back to 2 per day. The most recent hot spot was the Fingers and Buoy 4 area.
• There are still some silvers around in the salt water with the Fingers and Buoy 4, Monashka Bay and Kalsin Bay all having some fish. Remember the bag limit for silvers inside Kalsin Bay is now 1 per day and in Monashka Bay it is 2.
• Silvers are being caught off local beaches too with Kalsin Beach, Pillar, White Sands, Mill Bay and Mission all having decent schools of fish. Snagging opened at Mill Bay and Mission on the 16th.
• Halibut and lingcod fishing has been steady, with decent catches all around Long Island, at the Fingers and most of the outer reefs around Chiniak Bay.
• Rockfish are being caught in all the regular spots. With new restrictions for black rockfish effective June 1, look to deeper water on the edges of rockpiles and reefs to find dark and dusky rockfish over black rockfish. Widow and yellowtail rockfish are also around but often in discreet schools separate from other species. See Special Species Information and Emergency Orders below for more about rockfish.

Local Lakes

Most effort has been focused on salmon right now, but there are a couple opportunities this time of year for both wild rainbow trout and arctic char. Rainbows are commonly caught in the fall in Buskin Lake as they follow schooling salmon around looking for eggs that wash out of the gravel. Similarly, Arctic Char are found in Saltery Lake and can be really fun to catch on both spinners and a fly rod.

Special Species Information

• New rockfish regulations took effect June 1 for Kodiak and Afognak waters north of Dangerous and Cape Ikolik. This includes all the waters of Afognak, Raspberry and Shuyak Islands as well as Chiniak, Ugak and Marmot Bays and all of Whale Pass, Kupreanof Straight and the Westside of Kodiak Island. It is also in effect for all anglers, both resident and non-resident.
• Anglers fishing in these waters can keep 5 rockfish per day, but for only 2 can be of a single species and only 1 may be a black rockfish and 1 may be a yelloweye. This is similar to salmon bag limits in the Kodiak Road Zone and an example would be that an angler could harvest 1 black rockfish, 2 dusky rockfish and 2 dark rockfish. Species ID guides are available in the Southwest Alaska Regulation Booklet, on the ADF&G website and in the Kodiak ADF&G office.
• After similar regulations were implemented last season, many anglers found that shifting their fishing behavior slightly resulted in increased rockfish catches of species other than black rockfish, which are typically the most common catch. Dark rockfish, dusky rockfish and other species can often be found just off the side of a rock pile or reef and in deeper water than black rockfish that typically prefer the top of and middle of these structures.
• Keep an eye out for some of the species you may not have realized we have in Kodiak: widow, yellowtail, canary, tiger, northern and silvergray rockfish are some examples.
• Additional restrictions are in place for Northern Afognak and Shuyak Islands for rockfish and lingcod north of Black Cape and Tonki Cape; see Emergency Orders online for more details.
• Similar to last year, there are Emergency Orders restricting saltwater king salmon harvest. The Island-wide king salmon bag limit has been reduced to 1 fish per day, with no annual limit – in alignment with the rest of the Gulf of Alaska for the 2026 season.

Emergency Orders

Please review the emergency orders and advisory announcements below in their entirety before heading out on your next fishing trip.

• Emergency Order 2-RS-4-46-26 restored the bag limit for sockeye salmon in the Saltery Cove drainage to 5 per day.
• Emergency Order 2-RS-4-30-26 increased the Ayakulik River drainage bag limit for sockeye salmon to 10 fish, effective 12:01 a.m. Friday, June 26 through 11:59 p.m. Thursday, December 31, 2026.
• Emergency Order 2-RF-4-23-26 reduced the bag and possession limit for a single species of rockfish to 2 per day, 4 in possession north of Outlet Cape and Cape Ikolik. Only 1 rockfish of the 5 fish total limit may be a yelloweye and only 1 may be a black rockfish. This emergency order is in effect from Monday June 1, 2026 through 11:59 pm. Thursday, December 31, 2026.
  • Additionally, in waters north of Tonki Cape and Black Cape, to include the waters of Northern Afognak and Shuyak Islands, the bag limit for rockfish is 3 rockfish, of which no more than one of a single species.
• Emergency Order 2-LC-4-22-26 reduced the bag and possession limit lingcod north of Tonki Cape and Black Cape. The bag limit is 1 lingcod per day, 2 in possession, 35” or greater in length. This emergency order is in effect from Wednesday July 1, 2026 through 11:59 pm. Thursday, December 31, 2026.

Don't forget to purchase your 2026 sport fishing license and king stamp! You can purchase and display your fishing license and king stamp, record your annual harvest (i.e. king salmon), access sport fishing regulations and locations, and so much more on your mobile device. Download the ADF&G Mobile App today. You can also purchase licenses through the ADF&G online store and print it off from the comfort of your own home.

Make sure to review emergency orders, advisory announcements, and the 2026 Southcentral Alaska Sport Fishing Regulations Summary booklet for the area you are fishing before you head out.

For additional information, please contact the ADF&G Kodiak Area Office at (907) 486-1880.