Under the Ice, On the Line: Winter Fishing, Cabins & Coastal Shrimp

'Tis the season to get out and fish! In this issue, we look at how dissolved oxygen affects ice fishing success, share updates on sport shrimp fishing and burbot set lining, and introduce a new online system that makes reserving public use cabins easier than ever. Whether you're heading onto the ice, setting shrimp pots, or planning a winter getaway, you'll find helpful tips and timely information to make the most of the season.

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See you on the water.

Dissolved Oxygen and Why it is Important to Ice Fishing

By Donald Arthur and Katelyn Zonneville

Contrary to common belief, fish breathe oxygen and not water. They have well-adapted organs called gills that are designed to extract dissolved oxygen (O2) from water but can also release carbon dioxide (CO2). This process is called respiration and is nearly identical to the way that humans use their lungs to breathe oxygen that is available in the air. Gills are filamentous, meaning they are made of many tiny gill filaments, which increases surface area and allows fish to extract oxygen from the water more efficiently. This respiration process is critical to a fish's ability survive, grow, and spawn.

During open water (spring through fall), dissolved oxygen in lake water is at its highest. Aquatic plants and algae can receive enough sunlight during this time of year to photosynthesize. A by-product of photosynthesis is oxygen, which can increase the supply of oxygen in the lake water by aquatic vegetation. Additionally, oxygen can directly be exchanged into water when the lake is directly exposed to the air. For example, wind can churn lakes through wave action and directly force more oxygen into the water.

However, during the late fall when the temperatures drop and the sunlight hours and intensity dwindles, lakes lose these possible sources of oxygen. So, after the first ice forms, the exchange of oxygen between lake and the air is lost and the lake is essentially capped-off with whatever levels of dissolved oxygen it had in the late fall. As snow and ice forms, less and less sunlight reaches the water and aquatic plants; therefore, photosynthesis by plants ceases and plants start to use more oxygen than they produce. With the lack of sunlight, plants will start to die and decompose, further depleting the limited supply of oxygen in iced-over lakes. The further we get into winter; the lower the dissolved oxygen levels will get, particularly towards the lake bottom.

As an angler, you might experience these effects because as the oxygen gets lower and lower during late winter, fish will be higher in the water column, existing where oxygen levels are greater. In some lakes, the fish may become lethargic because of low oxygen (“hypoxic”) conditions, so they may not be feeding and in turn the bite slows down. This may be why you experience better ice fishing success in early winter (December) than late winter (February). This effect of low oxygen tends to impact smaller and shallower lakes like the stocked lakes of Anchorage and the Mat-Su Valley, and it isn't as much of an issue in larger, deeper lakes (i.e., Lake Louise, Big Lake) and lakes with flow from a creek or river. In the larger, deeper lakes, the lake's supply of dissolved oxygen is so high that it can overcome these winter effects and lakes with flow are often fed by an oxygen-rich stream.

In extreme cases, when oxygen drops to critical levels (less than 2-4 mg/L) throughout the whole lake, trout and salmon species will struggle to survive. If trout and salmon species are exposed to these hypoxic conditions for extended periods of time, it can lead to mass mortality events called “winter kills”. This can occur during long and harsh winters when the ice forms early and very thick. While winter kills are rare, even in Alaska, it is still a major possibility in small and shallow lakes. Winter kills have been documented on several lakes throughout Southcentral Alaska every few years. While most lakes do not winterkill, at least not every year, it is more common as an angler you will observe more lethargic fish and a slow bite during late winter in shallow lakes throughout Alaska. Staff from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game opportunistically check dissolved oxygen levels of local stocked lakes through the ice during the winter months.

If you are out ice fishing this winter, be sure to try jigging in different depths of the water column if you are not having luck on the bottom. The fish may have moved up to higher oxygen levels closer to the top of the ice. As the spring sun arrives and some of the snow melts away, sunlight can penetrate the ice and water, allowing plants to photosynthesis again. Once the lakes ice-off, they will finally be replenished with oxygen and kickstart some excellent spring fishing throughout the state.

New Online Reservation System Makes Booking Our Public Use Cabins Easier!

By Kali Hulquist, Assistant Statewide Communications Coordinator

The Alaska Department of Fish & Game, Boating and Angler Access Program (Access Program) is launching a new online reservation system for our public use cabins, making it easier than ever to get out and explore the Delta Junction area. As of December 8, 2025, you can reserve cabins online and receive instant confirmation, eliminating the need for phone or in-person reservations during office hours.

With the new online system, you can browse cabin information and photos, check availability, and reserve stays of up to five consecutive nights, up to six months in advance, 24/7. This makes planning your trip easier than ever and you are no longer limited to making cabin reservations solely during business hours.

The Access Program currently manages six public use cabins in the Delta Junction area: Coal Mine #5, Donna Lake, George Lake, Ken's Pond, Lisa Lake, and Little Donna Lake. Each cabin offers a unique setting and access to remote landscapes for year-round outdoor fun. Cabin accessibility varies, some are easily reached by road, while others require travel by boat, ATV, or snowmachine. Check the weather and conditions before you go.

These rustic cabins provide essentials such as plywood bunks, chairs or benches, a table, wood stove, broom and dustpan, shovel, smoke/carbon monoxide detector, fire extinguisher, outdoor fire ring, picnic table, and a nearby outhouse. Visitors should bring their own food, water, cooking supplies, bedding, firewood, and any seasonal gear needed for their stay. For more information about what the cabins include and what you'll need to bring, check out our General Information PDF for additional details and helpful planning tips.

Don't forget your sport fishing rod - five cabins are located on stocked lakes and one is on a remote wild lake, offering opportunities for both open water and hardwater fishing. For more information about fishing opportunities at each cabin, check out the ADF&G Stocking webpage or the ADF&G Lake Database for additional lake details and stocking history.

As always, pack out what you pack in, help protect these beautiful places and leave no trace behind.

How to reserve a cabin online:

Reserving a cabin is easy! Follow these steps:

• Visit the reservation website.
• Choose your dates and review each cabin descriptions, access details, and more.
• Enter your contact information. Create an account or log in (this is the same system used for our Boating and Angler Access Campgrounds; if you have an account, you're all set.)
• Pay a small non-refundable reservation fee of $3.90 to hold the cabin. This small fee helps keep the Firefly reservation site running smoothly. ADF&G does not receive any of the funds.
• Reservations can be modified or canceled online up to 72 hours before your check-in date.
• Receive your confirmation email, which includes your reservation receipt and follow-up instructions. Bring your cabin permit with you.
• Questions? Please email us at dfg.dsf.cabins@alaska.gov or call the ADF&G Delta Junction office at (907) 895-4632 or the ADF&G Fairbanks office at (907) 459-7207.

Book online, sleep under the stars in one of our public use cabins, and make memories exploring and relaxing in the wild. Your Delta Junction adventure starts with just a single click!

Sport Fishing for Shrimp in Southeast Alaska

By Daniel Teske, Division of Sport Fish Area Management Biologist, Juneau/Glacier Bay Area

Southeast Alaska is home to several species of shrimp, including coonstripe (Pandalus hypsinotus), sidestripe (Pandalopsis dispar), northern (Pandalus eous), and the prized spot shrimp (Pandalus platyceros). Sport anglers in Southeast Alaska often target the larger spot shrimp, and while fishing for shrimp can be challenging, the reward is well worth the effort. Ask anyone who has harvested shrimp and they'll tell you: even though these creatures are small, their flavor is extraordinary. Shrimp are also an incredibly versatile and flavorful ingredient in the kitchen (think Forrest Gump's famous shrimp scene), and you'll quickly see the variety of ways that shrimp can be cooked and how many delicious dishes are possible.

When targeting shrimp in Southeast Alaska, sport anglers typically set single baited pots attached to a line and buoy in deep waters near steep rocky slopes—usually between 300 and 500 feet. The challenge comes from locating these underwater slopes and keeping pots at the preferred depth. Pots can easily slide off ledges, especially in areas with strong currents. For those just starting out, look for areas with a defined shelf along the rocky slope. This helps ensure your pot has a stable landing spot on the rocky seafloor. Also make sure you have enough line so that your buoys stay afloat as the pot sinks; this will help ensure you can retrieve your gear when it's time to haul.

Before heading out, it's important to know the shrimp fishing gear requirements and buoy-marking regulations for Southeast Alaska. These can be found here. Sport shrimp fishing is open January through February and May through December, with a bag limit of three pounds or three quarts per day, either whole or deheaded. The March-April closure protects egg-bearing shrimp during a vulnerable period. For more information regarding Southeast Alaska shellfish regulations, please check the regulations online.

For sport anglers who enjoy both a challenge and a tasty reward, shrimp fishing is a great activity to try. Please remember that a valid sport fishing license and a free shrimp permit are required before fishing. Both can be obtained online or in person at your local ADF&G office. Each permit holder must record their effort and harvest before leaving the fishing site where the pot was retrieved. At the end of the season, all permit holders must submit a harvest report, this requirement applies even if you did not fish.

There are multiple convenient methods available to fulfill the reporting requirements for the Southeast Alaska Sport Shrimp Permit, as outlined below.

To finalize your permit, please do one of the following:

• Report Online
• Call or email Carly Lemieux at (907) 465-4270 / carly.lemieux@alaska.gov
• Mail your permit/harvest report to Carly Lemieux at: Southeast Sport Shrimp Permits, P.O. Box 110024, Juneau, AK 99811-0024

When reporting online, please select "I am done fishing this permit," or email your harvest details to Carly Lemieux using the information requested in the reporting table.

Thank you for your cooperation in providing this important information to ADF&G Sport Fish managers.

Southeast Alaska Sport Shrimp Permit History and Importance

Effective June 25, 2018, the Board of Fisheries requires a shrimp permit for sport users wishing to harvest shrimp in Southeast Alaska.

The purpose of the permit is to estimate fishing effort (pot pulls) and the harvest of whole shrimp biomass in the Southeast Alaska sport shrimp fishery. Permit holders may report harvest in either quarts or pounds, and as either tailed or whole weight.

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game is responsible for the sustainable management of shrimp resources in Southeast Alaska. The permit and reporting requirement allow fisheries managers to estimate total harvest and district-level harvest throughout the Southeast region. By collecting this data over multiple years, trends in effort, harvest, and harvest per unit effort (HPUE) can be tracked. These results, combined with commercial, subsistence, and personal use harvest estimates, are used to estimate total removals and ensure that harvest does not exceed the harvestable surplus, helping to maintain a sustainable shrimp resource.

Permit holders are encouraged to use the ADF&G online harvest reporting system, which allows users to enter daily fishing activity through an easy-to-use web interface. Reporting may be completed periodically throughout the season or all at once after fishing has concluded. Alternatively, completed harvest reporting forms may be mailed or hand-delivered to an ADF&G office.

The department thanks all permit holders who have submitted their reports and encourage those who have not yet reported for 2025 to do so as soon as possible.

For more information on Southeast Alaska sport shrimp effort and harvest please see the most recently published report here.

For any other questions regarding the Southeast Alaska Sport Shrimp Permit, please contact the Region 1 Division of Sport Fish Office in Douglas at (907) 465-4270.

How to Hook Your Favorite Angler Up This Holiday Season

Still searching for a great gift idea for the holidays for your favorite angler? Go online and purchase them a 2026 sport fishing license. Purchasing a sport fishing license as a gift is easy and serves as the gift that truly keeps on giving.

As a reminder, 2025 sport fishing licenses will expire at the end of the day on December 31.

It's set lining season for burbot

Now that rivers and lakes are freezing up, many anglers will turn to set lining for burbot. Deploying set lines is a productive way to fish for burbot because you can leave them in place overnight.

Set lining is similar to trapping. An angler sets bait on a fixed line and leaves it to fish overnight. Set lines must be marked with an angler's name and address and must be checked every 24 hours.

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game has an informative video titled “How to Set Line for Burbot” on its website. The video teaches anglers everything they need to know to set lines for burbot.

ADF&G also has a video titled “How to Clean and Fillet Your Catch” that instructs anglers on an easy way to clean and fillet burbot.

Recipe of the month: Alaska Salmon Mini Yule Logs

Enjoy your next meal with this recipe for Alaska Salmon Mini Yule Logs from the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute.

Enjoy!

If you have any questions about the Reel Times newsletter, please contact Ryan Ragan at ryan.ragan@alaska.gov