Southcentral Alaska Fishing Booklet
The 2026 ADF&G Southcentral regulation documents: files, species headings, area headings and printed pages.
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Inside the 2026 Southcentral booklet
This page reads the 2026 Southcentral Alaska regulation documents from ADF&G; each says it holds until the 2027 summary is issued, and none for 2027 exists yet.
Check ADF&G emergency orders on the day you go; they override the Southcentral booklet.
Rules as printed in the 2026 ADF&G Sport Fishing Regulations Summary (booklet). Effective until the 2027 summary is issued; emergency orders supersede the booklet (ADF&G emergency orders). Read November 14, 2026.
Photo of Kasilof River: Luke Jones, CC BY 2.0
PDF by PDF: the Southcentral booklet files
| Document | Kind | PDF pages |
|---|---|---|
| Southcentral Alaska regional regulations | regional | 2 |
| West Cook Inlet | special | 3 |
| Cook Inlet and Kachemak Bay salt waters | special | 3 |
| North Gulf Coast | special | 4 |
| Personal use finfish fisheries (Southcentral) | personal_use | 4 |
| Southcentral guiding regulations | guiding | 1 |
| Southcentral stocked lakes and species stocked | stocked_waters | 2 |
| Licensing information | licensing | 2 |
| Definitions | definitions | 2 |
Rules as printed in the 2026 ADF&G Sport Fishing Regulations Summary (booklet). Effective until the 2027 summary is issued; emergency orders supersede the booklet (ADF&G emergency orders). Read November 14, 2026.
Species headings across the Southcentral documents
Each number is a section count per heading, and a fish name tends to recur for every area or water that gets its own entry.
| Heading as printed | Sections |
|---|---|
| RAINBOW/ STEELHEAD TROUT | 3 |
| ARCTIC CHAR/ DOLLY VARDEN | 3 |
| OTHER FINFISH | 3 |
| KING SALMON | 2 |
| ARCTIC GRAYLING | 2 |
| SPINY DOGFISH | 2 |
| LINGCOD | 2 |
| ROCKFISH | 2 |
| PACIFIC HALIBUT | 2 |
| SALMON | 2 |
| PINK, & SOCKEYE SALMON | 2 |
| * COHO, PINK, & SOCKEYE SALMON | 1 |
| LAKE TROUT | 1 |
| NORTHERN PIKE INVASIVE SPECIES | 1 |
| CHUM, COHO, PINK, & SOCKEYE SALMON | 1 |
| RAINBOW/STEELHEAD TROUT | 1 |
| DOLLY VARDEN | 1 |
| SHARKS | 1 |
| SUMMER KING SALMON FISHERY | 1 |
| WINTER KING SALMON FISHERY | 1 |
| SHARKS EXCEPT SPINY DOGFISH | 1 |
| FINFISH | 1 |
Rules as printed in the 2026 ADF&G Sport Fishing Regulations Summary, West Cook Inlet (booklet). Effective until the 2027 summary is issued; emergency orders supersede the booklet (ADF&G emergency orders). Read November 14, 2026.
Area and water headings in the Southcentral booklet
| Heading as printed | Area | First rule lines | Page |
|---|---|---|---|
| USE OF EXPLOSIVES OR TOXICANTS | Southcentral Alaska regional regulations | The use of any toxicants or explosives to catch any fish in the waters of Alaska is prohibited. However, a shaft tipped with an explosive charge (commonly known as a bangstick or powerhead) or a firearm may be used on bo | – |
| WASTE OF FISH | Southcentral Alaska regional regulations | The intentional waste or destruction of any sportcaught fish species is prohibited. | – |
| FRESH WATER SPORT FISHING | Southcentral Alaska regional regulations | Unless area regulations state otherwise: (a) waters within 300 feet of a fish weir or fish ladder are closed to sport fishing, unless marked differently by ADF&G markers, and (b) it is unlawful to cast, drift, or place a | – |
| FELT-SOLED BOOTS PROHIBITED | Southcentral Alaska regional regulations | – | – |
| GEAR FOR FLY-FISHING-ONLY WATERS | Southcentral Alaska regional regulations | – | – |
| CLOSED WATERS/ WATERS CLOSED TO SPORT FISHING | Southcentral Alaska regional regulations | The use of footgear with absorbent felt or similar fibrous materials on the soles is prohibited while sport or personal use fishing in fresh water. | – |
| GAFFS PROHIBITED | Southcentral Alaska regional regulations | A gaff may not be used to puncture any fish intended or required to be released. | – |
| MOLESTING OF FISH | Southcentral Alaska regional regulations | Molesting or impeding spawning or the natural movement of fish contrary to lawful methods and means of sport fishing is prohibited. | – |
| POSSESSION, TRANSPORT, OR MARKING OF LIVE FISH, EGGS, OR AQUATIC ORGANISMS | Southcentral Alaska regional regulations | It is unlawful for a person to collect, transport, possess, propagate, export, mark in any way, or release into the waters or the lands of the state, any live fish, fish eggs, or aquatic organism, except in accordance wi | – |
| SALE OF SPORT-CAUGHT FISH PROHIBITED | Southcentral Alaska regional regulations | It is unlawful for anyone to buy, sell, barter sportcaught fish or their parts. | – |
| SNAGGING IN FRESH WATER PROHIBITED | Southcentral Alaska regional regulations | It is unlawful to intentionally snag or attempt to snag fish in fresh water. “Snag” means hooking a fish elsewhere than in its mouth. Any fish unintentionally hooked elsewhere than its mouth must be released immediately. | – |
| ICE FISHING GEAR | Southcentral Alaska regional regulations | Ice fishing is allowed with two closely attended lines, provided only one hook or artificial lure is used on each line. Additional gear may be used for northern pike and burbot as specified in statewide or area regulatio | – |
| SNAGGING IN SALT WATER | Southcentral Alaska regional regulations | Snagging is allowed in saltwater, unless prohibited under area regulations. Snagging is prohibited year-round in all salt water north of a line from Bluff Point. See the map on page 68. | – |
| SPORT FISHING GEAR | Southcentral Alaska regional regulations | Unless area regulations state otherwise, sport fishing may only be done using: A closely attended single line, held in hand or attached to a fishing pole or rod, attached to no more than one plug; one spoon; one spinner | – |
| SPORT FISHING GEAR (SET LINES) FOR BURBOT | Southcentral Alaska regional regulations | Unless area regulations state otherwise, burbot may be taken using more than one line and hook in freshwaters where set lines are allowed for burbot provided: The total number of hooks does not exceed 15 or the daily bur | – |
| SPORT FISHING GEAR FOR HERRING AND SMELT | Southcentral Alaska regional regulations | In saltwater, herring and smelt may be taken using up to 15 or less unbaited, single or multiple hooks attached to a single line. | – |
| SPORT FISHING GEAR FOR NORTHERN PIKE | Southcentral Alaska regional regulations | Northern pike may be taken by spear, unless prohibited under area regulations. | – |
| SPORT FISHING GEAR FOR SQUID | Southcentral Alaska regional regulations | Squid may be taken using no more than two squid jigs attached to a single line. See page 95 for definition of a squid jig. Standard sport fishing gear can also be used to target squid, see page 6. | – |
| USE OF ATTRACTOR (BEAD) | Southcentral Alaska regional regulations | An attractor, including a bead, when used with an artificial fly, artificial lure, or bare hook, must be: Either fixed within 2 inches of the bare hook, fly, or lure, | – |
| USE OF UNDERWATER SPEAR (SALTWATER) | Southcentral Alaska regional regulations | In saltwater, a person may use a spear or speargun (not tipped with an explosive charge) to take fish while completely submerged or swimming on the surface, subject to applicable seasons, bag limits, and possession limit | – |
| EVIDENCE OF SPECIES AND SIZE | Southcentral Alaska regional regulations | Possession of sport-caught halibut Statewide retention requirements for rockfish, lingcod, and king salmon in all waters: You may fillet your catch, but all skin must remain attached to the fillets. | – |
| SPECIES | West Cook Inlet | – | – |
| OPEN SEASON | West Cook Inlet | – | – |
| DAILY BAG LIMITS | West Cook Inlet | October 1December 31: 16 inches or longer: 3 per day, 6 in possession. Less than 16 inches: 10 per day, 10 in possession. Closed to all salmon fishing. * A coho (silver) salmon 16 inches or longer that is removed from th | – |
| SPECIES | West Cook Inlet | – | page 13 |
Rules as printed in the 2026 ADF&G Sport Fishing Regulations Summary, Southcentral Alaska regional regulations (booklet). Effective until the 2027 summary is issued; emergency orders supersede the booklet (ADF&G emergency orders). Read November 14, 2026.
Areas named in the Southcentral documents
- Cook Inlet and Kachemak Bay salt waters
- North Gulf Coast
- West Cook Inlet
Rules as printed in the 2026 ADF&G Sport Fishing Regulations Summary, West Cook Inlet (booklet). Effective until the 2027 summary is issued; emergency orders supersede the booklet (ADF&G emergency orders). Read November 14, 2026.
Southcentral booklet, answered
What is inside the Southcentral booklet?
It holds 9 files, 36 species-headed sections and 81 area or water sections for 2026.
Does Southcentral name an ADF&G sport fish region?
Booklet names are ADF&G's own filing system; the three sport fish regions are Southeast, Southcentral and Interior.
What year is this booklet?
ADF&G's 2026 Southcentral documents stand until a 2027 summary appears, and any emergency order comes first.
Has ADF&G published a 2027 summary?
Not yet. The 2026 booklets hold until ADF&G issues the next summary.
Can an order change a Southcentral rule?
An order can open, close or alter a fishery and wins over the booklet line.
Can I read the source files?
Yes, the documents table links every file to its ADF&G address.
Does every section list a bag limit?
No. Rows carry limits, seasons, gear rules or map references, so read the water’s own section.
Where are the other booklets?
See the Southeast booklet, Southwest booklet and Northern booklet pages.