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Bristol Bay Fishing Report: Sockeye Surge, Trout Staging for Spring
Artificial Lure here with your Bristol Bay fishing report for Sunday, April 20, 2025.
We’re in for a classic Alaska spring day out on the Bay. Sunrise rolled in at 7:27 AM, and you’ve got good light all the way to sunset at 9:56 PM, so there’s plenty of time to wet a line and chase some chrome. The weather’s mild and fair for this time of year—expect a chilly breeze off the water, but don’t look for much in the way of rain. That means it’s pretty comfortable for anglers working the banks, boat launches, or drifting out on the channels.
The tides today in Port Moller are moving big water and stirring up the fish. We had a solid high tide early at 4:13 AM peaking at 10.26 feet, a low at 10:07 AM at 5.62 feet, then another push to high at 1:55 PM sitting at 7.09 feet before a sharp drop to an evening low at 9:12 PM, nearly scraping bottom at just 0.12 feet. Those big swings have the fish active, especially right around the tide changes, so time those casts for the slack and outgoing flows if you want to get on the bite[2][4].
The big story this spring is sockeye—just like we’ve been hoping for. The Department of Fish & Game is predicting a strong run, with about 51.3 million sockeye expected in the system and a harvestable surplus north of 36 million fish. That’s well above the long-term average and means anglers (and nets) are seeing real action out there. Early catches have been topping a million fish a day in districts like Nushagak and Naknek-Kvichak, so there’s no shortage of targets right now[1][2][4][5].
If you’re looking to fill the cooler, focus on sockeye, but there are still some decent rainbows and char hanging around in the lower rivers and sloughs, especially early and late in the day. Fish are already feeling the push with the tides, so they’re moving into staging areas as we approach peak migration.
Best lures have been bright spinners and spoons—think reds, chartreuse, and silver flash for sockeye to match their aggression in these clear cold waters. Flies in flashy pinks and oranges are taking fish for the fly crowd. Traditionalists still doing well with cured roe and fresh shrimp, especially around muddy seams and drop-offs near the mouths. For rainbows and char, drift beads and small jigs matched to the smolt are producing steady bites.
Hot spots right now include the Naknek River mouth for fresh sockeye and the upper Nushagak for a mixed bag of salmon and trout. If you’re chasing numbers, look for the inside bends and channel edges near Dillingham as fish move in with the tide.
That’s the word on the water today from Artificial Lure. Tight lines and enjoy the long Alaskan spring!
We’re in for a classic Alaska spring day out on the Bay. Sunrise rolled in at 7:27 AM, and you’ve got good light all the way to sunset at 9:56 PM, so there’s plenty of time to wet a line and chase some chrome. The weather’s mild and fair for this time of year—expect a chilly breeze off the water, but don’t look for much in the way of rain. That means it’s pretty comfortable for anglers working the banks, boat launches, or drifting out on the channels.
The tides today in Port Moller are moving big water and stirring up the fish. We had a solid high tide early at 4:13 AM peaking at 10.26 feet, a low at 10:07 AM at 5.62 feet, then another push to high at 1:55 PM sitting at 7.09 feet before a sharp drop to an evening low at 9:12 PM, nearly scraping bottom at just 0.12 feet. Those big swings have the fish active, especially right around the tide changes, so time those casts for the slack and outgoing flows if you want to get on the bite[2][4].
The big story this spring is sockeye—just like we’ve been hoping for. The Department of Fish & Game is predicting a strong run, with about 51.3 million sockeye expected in the system and a harvestable surplus north of 36 million fish. That’s well above the long-term average and means anglers (and nets) are seeing real action out there. Early catches have been topping a million fish a day in districts like Nushagak and Naknek-Kvichak, so there’s no shortage of targets right now[1][2][4][5].
If you’re looking to fill the cooler, focus on sockeye, but there are still some decent rainbows and char hanging around in the lower rivers and sloughs, especially early and late in the day. Fish are already feeling the push with the tides, so they’re moving into staging areas as we approach peak migration.
Best lures have been bright spinners and spoons—think reds, chartreuse, and silver flash for sockeye to match their aggression in these clear cold waters. Flies in flashy pinks and oranges are taking fish for the fly crowd. Traditionalists still doing well with cured roe and fresh shrimp, especially around muddy seams and drop-offs near the mouths. For rainbows and char, drift beads and small jigs matched to the smolt are producing steady bites.
Hot spots right now include the Naknek River mouth for fresh sockeye and the upper Nushagak for a mixed bag of salmon and trout. If you’re chasing numbers, look for the inside bends and channel edges near Dillingham as fish move in with the tide.
That’s the word on the water today from Artificial Lure. Tight lines and enjoy the long Alaskan spring!
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By Quiet. PleaseArtificial Lure here with your Bristol Bay fishing report for Sunday, April 20, 2025.
We’re in for a classic Alaska spring day out on the Bay. Sunrise rolled in at 7:27 AM, and you’ve got good light all the way to sunset at 9:56 PM, so there’s plenty of time to wet a line and chase some chrome. The weather’s mild and fair for this time of year—expect a chilly breeze off the water, but don’t look for much in the way of rain. That means it’s pretty comfortable for anglers working the banks, boat launches, or drifting out on the channels.
The tides today in Port Moller are moving big water and stirring up the fish. We had a solid high tide early at 4:13 AM peaking at 10.26 feet, a low at 10:07 AM at 5.62 feet, then another push to high at 1:55 PM sitting at 7.09 feet before a sharp drop to an evening low at 9:12 PM, nearly scraping bottom at just 0.12 feet. Those big swings have the fish active, especially right around the tide changes, so time those casts for the slack and outgoing flows if you want to get on the bite[2][4].
The big story this spring is sockeye—just like we’ve been hoping for. The Department of Fish & Game is predicting a strong run, with about 51.3 million sockeye expected in the system and a harvestable surplus north of 36 million fish. That’s well above the long-term average and means anglers (and nets) are seeing real action out there. Early catches have been topping a million fish a day in districts like Nushagak and Naknek-Kvichak, so there’s no shortage of targets right now[1][2][4][5].
If you’re looking to fill the cooler, focus on sockeye, but there are still some decent rainbows and char hanging around in the lower rivers and sloughs, especially early and late in the day. Fish are already feeling the push with the tides, so they’re moving into staging areas as we approach peak migration.
Best lures have been bright spinners and spoons—think reds, chartreuse, and silver flash for sockeye to match their aggression in these clear cold waters. Flies in flashy pinks and oranges are taking fish for the fly crowd. Traditionalists still doing well with cured roe and fresh shrimp, especially around muddy seams and drop-offs near the mouths. For rainbows and char, drift beads and small jigs matched to the smolt are producing steady bites.
Hot spots right now include the Naknek River mouth for fresh sockeye and the upper Nushagak for a mixed bag of salmon and trout. If you’re chasing numbers, look for the inside bends and channel edges near Dillingham as fish move in with the tide.
That’s the word on the water today from Artificial Lure. Tight lines and enjoy the long Alaskan spring!
We’re in for a classic Alaska spring day out on the Bay. Sunrise rolled in at 7:27 AM, and you’ve got good light all the way to sunset at 9:56 PM, so there’s plenty of time to wet a line and chase some chrome. The weather’s mild and fair for this time of year—expect a chilly breeze off the water, but don’t look for much in the way of rain. That means it’s pretty comfortable for anglers working the banks, boat launches, or drifting out on the channels.
The tides today in Port Moller are moving big water and stirring up the fish. We had a solid high tide early at 4:13 AM peaking at 10.26 feet, a low at 10:07 AM at 5.62 feet, then another push to high at 1:55 PM sitting at 7.09 feet before a sharp drop to an evening low at 9:12 PM, nearly scraping bottom at just 0.12 feet. Those big swings have the fish active, especially right around the tide changes, so time those casts for the slack and outgoing flows if you want to get on the bite[2][4].
The big story this spring is sockeye—just like we’ve been hoping for. The Department of Fish & Game is predicting a strong run, with about 51.3 million sockeye expected in the system and a harvestable surplus north of 36 million fish. That’s well above the long-term average and means anglers (and nets) are seeing real action out there. Early catches have been topping a million fish a day in districts like Nushagak and Naknek-Kvichak, so there’s no shortage of targets right now[1][2][4][5].
If you’re looking to fill the cooler, focus on sockeye, but there are still some decent rainbows and char hanging around in the lower rivers and sloughs, especially early and late in the day. Fish are already feeling the push with the tides, so they’re moving into staging areas as we approach peak migration.
Best lures have been bright spinners and spoons—think reds, chartreuse, and silver flash for sockeye to match their aggression in these clear cold waters. Flies in flashy pinks and oranges are taking fish for the fly crowd. Traditionalists still doing well with cured roe and fresh shrimp, especially around muddy seams and drop-offs near the mouths. For rainbows and char, drift beads and small jigs matched to the smolt are producing steady bites.
Hot spots right now include the Naknek River mouth for fresh sockeye and the upper Nushagak for a mixed bag of salmon and trout. If you’re chasing numbers, look for the inside bends and channel edges near Dillingham as fish move in with the tide.
That’s the word on the water today from Artificial Lure. Tight lines and enjoy the long Alaskan spring!