Area Sport Fishing Reports
Mat-Su

Archived Sport Fishing Report

July 11, 2012

Emergency Orders and regulation reminders

• King salmon fishing remains closed by emergency order on the Little Susitna River and the entire Susitna Drainage (all Units 1-6) through July 13. The closure prohibits sport fishing for king salmon, including catch-and-release fishing. King salmon may not be retained or possessed; king salmon caught while fishing for other species may not be removed from the water and must be released immediately.
• The Eklutna Tailrace is the only place open to king salmon fishing in the Matanuska-Susitna Valleys.
• Bait is allowed starting July 14 in many – but not all – Susitna River tributaries. Check for exceptions to the general regulations before heading out.
• Anglers are reminded that bait is not allowed on the Little Susitna River until August 6, and the daily bag and possession limit for silver (or “coho”) salmon is two fish.
• Wasilla and Cottonwood creeks are weekend-only fisheries, from 6:00 a.m. through 6:00 p.m., Saturday and Sunday. Wasilla Creek is open to fishing for salmon, other than king salmon, from its mouth upstream to the Alaska Railroad bridge; and Cottonwood Creek from its mouth upstream one mile. Motorized watercraft capable of producing more than 42 pounds of thrust or 3 horsepower may not be used on Wasilla Creek on Saturdays and Sundays, July 15 - August 15.
• Coho salmon 16 inches or longer once removed from fresh water must be retained and become part of the bag limit of the person who originally hooked the fish. A person may not remove a coho salmon 16 inches or longer from the water before releasing it. 

Fresh waters

Salmon

• Fishing at the Eklutna Tailrace remains slow, but may provide some late-season opportunity for king salmon; king fishing at the tailrace remains open until December 31, and bait and multiple hooks are allowed for kings and silvers.
• Chum salmon are expected to begin showing later this week in the Little Susitna River; it is still a little early for silvers.
• Sockeye salmon will begin to show up at Jim Creek in small numbers this week.
• As of July 10, six chum, 62 pink salmon, and no coho have been counted through the Deshka Weir.
• On the west side of Cook Inlet, coho should begin entering the Chuit and Theodore rivers. Once limits of coho salmon are taken in these waters, anglers must stop fishing for the day.

Trout, Dolly Varden, Grayling

• Fishing for rainbow trout on the Parks Highway streams from Willow Creek north is excellent. Fishing for Dolly Varden and Arctic grayling should be good.

Northern Pike

• Pike can be taken using spears, bow-and-arrow (the arrow must be attached to the bow by a line) bait, spinning tackle, and fly-fishing gear. Try top-water, weedless lures and flies in heavily vegetated bays and sloughs. Herring suspended under a bobber is a surefire bet.
• Anglers may retain as many pike as they catch — there is no bag or possession limit.
• For road-accessible pike fishing, try Nancy Lake and other lakes of the Nancy Lake Recreation Area, Long Lake near Willow, Memory and Prator lakes.
• Boat-accessible pike fishing can be found in the side sloughs of the Deshka River, Alexander Creek, Fish Creek (Kroto Slough) and in Hewitt Lake.
• For fly-in pike fishing try Alexander, Eightmile, Trapper, Flathorn and Sucker lakes.

Lake Fishing

• Lake fishing is reported as excellent!
• Nancy Lakes Recreation Area is reporting good pike fishing on Red Shirt Lake early in the morning and excellent catch rates for rainbows on South Rolly Lake. If you are up for an over-night adventure; South Rolly has 96 camp sites, Nancy Lake State Recreation Site on the northeast shore has 30 sites.
• Lakes with catchable trout include: Matanuska, Lucille, Rocky, Loberg, South Rolly, Kink, Memory, Meirs, Kepler/Bradley, Canoe, Knob, North Knob, Weiner, Kashwitna, Willow, Coyote, Slipper (Eska), Gate, Mile 180, Tanaina, Walby, Long (mile 86), Ravine Lakes. Bruce, Irene, and Reflections are the most recently stocked.
• Try sinking flies such as dragon and damsel nymphs, or leech patterns.
• Lakes stocked with catchable char include: Echo, Lynne, Memory, and Carpenter.

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