Prince William Sound
Late Winter/Early Spring (March, April)
Fishing Summary

Halibut, Rockfish, Lingcod

Don't forget: Your fishing license expired December 31!

Halibut fishing will still likely be slow, at least until mid-May. Most of the larger fish will still be far offshore.

Although the bag limit for rockfish remains at 10 through April 30, angler must still keep the first two non-pelagic rockfish they catch. Non-pelagic rockfish - such as "red snapper" - need this additional protection because they rarely survive the change in pressure as they are brought to the surface. Rockfish are extremely long-lived fish, and are slow to reach sexual maturity. Overharvest would quickly reduce the number of mature fish available to spawn

Small runs of herring return in mid-April to locations throughout the Sound. Herring is used as both a food fish and a bait fish. Look for schools, then try dipping a herring rig - 15 or fewer small, unbaited hooks on a single line - into the saltwaters near your favorite harbor.

Salmon

"Winter" kings may be caught throughout the Sound, and in many near-shore salt waters of Alaska. Also called "feeder" kings, they are cruising the Sound, fattening up before returning to their home stream to spawn. Try using downriggers fishing 60 feet or deeper. Look for king salmon to begin returning to their streams in mid-May. That's also when the famous Copper River red salmon commercial fishery usually has its first openings

Shellfish

The shrimp season opens April 15, and anglers will need to pick up a free permit before going shrimping. Prince William Sound is closed year-round to sport, personal use, and subsistence crabbing.