Regulation reminders:
· The bag limit for Unalaska Bay fresh and saltwaters is 5 salmon per day of which only 2 may be sockeye and 2 may be coho.
· The bag limit for the remainder of Unalaska Island is 5 salmon per day all of which may be sockeye or coho.
· Anglers are reminded that Town Creek (Iliuliuk) is closed to fishing for sockeye year round, and the freshwaters of the creek are closed to snagging.
· Remember: the seasonal closure of the saltwaters within 250 yds of Summer’s Bay Creek go in to effect next Tuesday, August 16th.
· All freshwaters of Unalaska Island are closed to snagging year round.
· Anglers are reminded that many of the creeks flowing into Unalaska Bay have closed waters for a portion of the drainage or all of the drainage in some cases. Be sure to keep an eye out for signs marking closed waters and to consult the Southwest Alaska Sportfish regulation booklet for a complete list of sport fishing regulations for Unalaska Bay.
Fishing reports:
· Pink salmon can be found in many local streams, particularly at Summer’s Bay and Town Creek, runs should continue to build through mid-August. Ocean bright pink salmon can be great if they are grilled fresh from the water! They can often be caught off the beaches near river mouths and are excellent fighters.
· The sockeye run at Summer’s Bay should be nearing its end and sockeye may be tougher to find as the pink salmon run builds.
· Silvers should be showing up any day now, but no reports of silvers being caught have come in yet.
· Dollies should still be prevalent in most rivers now, and in many places will likely follow pink salmon as they move into spawning areas. Look to the tail end of deeper holes where pink salmon are holding for the best Dolly fishing.
· Halibut continues to be excellent with lots of success reported throughout Unalaska Bay and in Unalga Pass. Halibut fishing should be nearing its peak in waters closer to shore. Current hotspots include Nateekin and Kalekta bays.
· Crab fishing should continue to be good with a shift towards dungeness in Nateekin and Broad Bay. Dungies often move into shallower water in late-summer and early fall, look to shallower waters in the heads of local bays for good dungy fishing.
Tyler Polum is an assistant area biologist in Kodiak, Alaska. Contact Tyler Polum or Michelle Stratton at 486-1880 for more sport fishing information.
