Alaska recreational fishing spans very different fisheries, from statewide license issuance to regional salmon, groundfish, shrimp, and shellfish harvests. The figures below cover 2023, 2024, and selected 2015–2024 measures, with geography and measurement type kept explicit.
Table of contents
- Licenses and salmon stamps
- Alaska Peninsula and Aleutian Islands effort
- Salmon harvest in the Alaska Peninsula area
- Groundfish, trout, and total catch
- Prince William Sound effort
- Prince William Sound salmon harvest
- Southeast Alaska shrimp and shellfish
Licenses and salmon stamps
The Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) issued 150,297 resident fishing licenses and 352,105 nonresident fishing licenses during calendar year 2024. Combined, the report recorded 502,402 resident and nonresident fishing licenses. These are license issuances, not a count of unique anglers or fishing trips.
ADF&G also issued 66,093 resident king salmon stamps and 122,998 nonresident king salmon stamps in 2024. The license and stamp figures come from 2024 Calendar Year Licenses and Tags Issued.
| 2024 issuance measure | Count |
|---|---|
| Resident fishing licenses | 150,297 |
| Nonresident fishing licenses | 352,105 |
| Resident and nonresident licenses combined | 502,402 |
| Resident king salmon stamps | 66,093 |
| Nonresident king salmon stamps | 122,998 |
The nonresident total was larger than the resident total in this calendar-year issuance report, while the two king salmon stamp categories also show more nonresident than resident stamps. The categories should not be treated as mutually exclusive people: a person may hold more than one license or stamp type.
Alaska Peninsula and Aleutian Islands effort
The Alaska Peninsula–Aleutian Islands Area recorded 14,679 total angler-days in 2015, consisting of 7,742 saltwater angler-days and 6,937 freshwater angler-days. In 2018, total effort was 19,031 angler-days: 8,243 saltwater and 10,788 freshwater. In 2024, the area recorded 6,554 total angler-days, including 2,091 saltwater and 4,463 freshwater angler-days.
The 2015–2024 average total effort was 13,401 angler-days per year. Angler-days measure days of fishing activity rather than individual anglers. The area’s annual effort figures and average are reported in Report on Selected Sport Fisheries of the Alaska Peninsula.
| Alaska Peninsula–Aleutian Islands effort | 2015 | 2018 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saltwater angler-days | 7,742 | 8,243 | 2,091 |
| Freshwater angler-days | 6,937 | 10,788 | 4,463 |
| Total angler-days | 14,679 | 19,031 | 6,554 |
The three reported years show different balances between saltwater and freshwater effort. Freshwater accounted for 6,937 of the area’s 14,679 angler-days in 2015, 10,788 of 19,031 in 2018, and 4,463 of 6,554 in 2024. The report’s 2015–2024 average is a period measure and does not replace the individual annual observations.
Salmon harvest in the Alaska Peninsula area
In 2024, the Alaska Peninsula–Aleutian Islands sport fishery harvested an estimated 34 pink salmon, 1,867 coho salmon, 464 sockeye salmon, 150 Chinook salmon, and 66 chum salmon. The same report estimated total sport-fish harvest across listed species at 7,490 fish.
The 2015–2024 average annual salmon harvest estimates were 4,142 coho, 1,268 sockeye, 830 pink, 399 Chinook, and 123 chum salmon. These are estimated harvest figures, and the period averages are not forecasts of a future season. All Alaska Peninsula salmon figures are from Report on Selected Sport Fisheries of the Alaska Peninsula.
| Salmon category | 2024 estimated harvest | 2015–2024 average annual harvest |
|---|---|---|
| Pink | 34 | 830 |
| Coho | 1,867 | 4,142 |
| Sockeye | 464 | 1,268 |
| Chinook | 150 | 399 |
| Chum | 66 | 123 |
Coho was the largest of the five named salmon harvest categories in both the 2024 estimate and the 2015–2024 average. The 2024 values describe that year’s estimated harvest; they should not be read as a statewide salmon total or as a count of all salmon encountered.
Groundfish, trout, and total catch
The 2024 estimated harvest in the Alaska Peninsula–Aleutian Islands Area included 1,163 halibut, 2,657 rockfish, 138 lingcod, 72 black cod, and 704 Pacific cod. The estimated harvest also included 175 Dolly Varden, while rainbow trout and steelhead were each listed at 0 estimated fish.
The report’s table estimated 7,490 total harvested fish across salmon, groundfish, trout, char, and other listed categories. That total is a harvest measure, while catch includes fish that were released.
For 2024, total catch was estimated at 381 pink salmon, 10,238 coho salmon, 1,132 sockeye salmon, 3,884 Chinook salmon, and 885 chum salmon. Total catch also included an estimated 1,423 halibut, 4,070 rockfish, 413 lingcod, and 982 Pacific cod. Across listed species, total catch was estimated at 26,076 fish.
| 2024 species or group | Estimated harvest | Estimated total catch |
|---|---|---|
| Pink salmon | 34 | 381 |
| Coho salmon | 1,867 | 10,238 |
| Sockeye salmon | 464 | 1,132 |
| Chinook salmon | 150 | 3,884 |
| Chum salmon | 66 | 885 |
| Halibut | 1,163 | 1,423 |
| Rockfish | 2,657 | 4,070 |
| Lingcod | 138 | 413 |
| Pacific cod | 704 | 982 |
The report specifically defines the pink salmon catch figure as including harvested and released fish. The same distinction matters for the other catch figures: total catch is not interchangeable with retained harvest. These 2024 estimates are from Report on Selected Sport Fisheries of the Alaska Peninsula.
Prince William Sound effort
Prince William Sound recorded 123,778 sport-fishing angler-days in 2023. The same table reported 1,775,094 angler-days statewide. Within Prince William Sound, the Copper River Delta accounted for 18,876 angler-days, Eastern Prince William Sound for 49,666, and Western Prince William Sound for 55,185.
The 2023 Prince William Sound total included 19,585 guided angler-days and 104,193 nonguided angler-days. Charter logbooks recorded 60 businesses and 110 vessels operating in the area, along with 24,192 charter-logbook angler-days.
These measures describe different views of effort: regional angler-days identify activity by subarea, guided and nonguided figures classify participation, and charter logbook angler-days record reported charter activity. The figures are from Sport Fisheries in the Prince William Sound Management Area in 2023 to Inform the Alaska Board of Fisheries in 2024.
| Prince William Sound 2023 measure | Angler-days or count |
|---|---|
| Total Prince William Sound sport-fishing effort | 123,778 |
| Statewide sport-fishing effort | 1,775,094 |
| Copper River Delta | 18,876 |
| Eastern Prince William Sound | 49,666 |
| Western Prince William Sound | 55,185 |
| Guided anglers | 19,585 |
| Nonguided anglers | 104,193 |
| Charter logbook angler-days | 24,192 |
| Charter businesses | 60 |
| Charter vessels | 110 |
Prince William Sound salmon harvest
The Prince William Sound sport fishery harvested 71,497 salmon in 2023. This is a regional sport-fishery harvest figure for Prince William Sound, not a statewide salmon harvest total. It is reported alongside the area’s 123,778 sport-fishing angler-days in the same Prince William Sound management-area report.
Keeping the effort and harvest measures together gives the clearest context for the region. The report records 104,193 nonguided angler-days and 19,585 guided angler-days, while charter logbooks record 24,192 angler-days. Those categories describe participation or reporting channels; they are not additional salmon-harvest totals.
The Prince William Sound geography is also divided into three reported effort areas: Copper River Delta with 18,876 angler-days, Eastern Prince William Sound with 49,666, and Western Prince William Sound with 55,185 in 2023. Together, those listed area figures correspond to the reported 123,778 Prince William Sound angler-days.
Southeast Alaska shrimp and shellfish
In Southeast Alaska during 2023, an estimated 27% of resident sport-shrimp permits were fished. Resident sport-shrimp effort was estimated at 127 pots, harvest at 317 pounds, and harvest per unit effort at 2.51 pounds per pot.
For nonresident permit holders, an estimated 50% of Southeast Alaska sport-shrimp permits were fished. Nonresident effort was estimated at 6,716 pots, harvest at 15,256 pounds, and harvest per unit effort at 2.27 pounds per pot.
The resident and nonresident shrimp figures are reported separately, and the percentages refer to permits fished rather than a percentage of shrimp harvest. The shrimp measures are from Overview of the Sport Fisheries for Groundfish and Shellfish in Southeast Alaska through 2023.
| Southeast Alaska sport-shrimp measure, 2023 | Resident | Nonresident |
|---|---|---|
| Estimated share of permits fished | 27% | 50% |
| Estimated effort | 127 pots | 6,716 pots |
| Estimated harvest | 317 pounds | 15,256 pounds |
| Harvest per unit effort | 2.51 lb per pot | 2.27 lb per pot |
The same Southeast Alaska report estimated mixed personal-use and sport-fishery harvest of hardshell clams at 2,856 in 2023 and Tanner crab at 682. Those shellfish figures are not shrimp harvest and use a mixed personal-use and sport-fishery category, so they should be kept separate from the resident and nonresident sport-shrimp estimates.
Together, the Southeast Alaska figures show why a recreational fishing statistic needs its unit and fishery definition attached. Shrimp effort is expressed in pots, shrimp harvest in pounds, permit participation as a percentage, and the hardshell clam and Tanner crab measures as estimated counts. All Southeast Alaska figures in this section are from Overview of the Sport Fisheries for Groundfish and Shellfish in Southeast Alaska through 2023.