Area Sport Fishing Reports
Mat-Su

Archived Sport Fishing Report

July 25, 2012

Emergency Orders and regulation reminders

• Fish Creek does not open to rod-and-reel sport fishing until Saturday, August 11, and then it is a weekend-only fishery from 6 a.m.-6 p.m. each day. A youth-only fishery for ages 15 and under will occur Saturday and Sunday, August 4-5.
• 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, open from 6:00 a.m. to 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

• Coho salmon are arriving slowly to Northern Cook Inlet streams.
• Fishing at the Eklutna Tailrace is slow for coho with some sockeye salmon being taken.
• Chum salmon fishing is very good on the Little Susitna River near the Little Susitna Public Use Facility with some coho and pink salmon being caught as well.
• Fishing is expected to be good this next weekend for sockeye on Cottonwood Creek. Some coho will also be caught.
• Sockeye fishing should be good at the mouth of Jim Creek with the occasional coho being caught.
• Expect fair to good coho fishing at the mouths of Deshka River and Alexander Creek this week.
• Coho, chum, and pink salmon are being caught along the Parks Highway streams. Try Willow, Little Willow, and Caswell creeks. Fishing at Kashwitna, Sheep, Goose, and Montana creeks typically picks up beginning next week.
• Sockeye and some chums are being caught at the mouths of Clear and Larson creeks of the Talkeetna drainage; it is still a little early for coho.
• Coho fishing is expected to be fair to good on Yentna River tributaries. Lake Creek is producing a few coho; be sure to try other Yentna tributaries and sloughs such as Moose and Indian Creeks.
• Coho fishing should start improving this weekend in Wasilla Creek / Rabbit Slough.
• On the west side of Cook Inlet, coho are entering the Chuit and Theodore rivers. Also try Polly Creek and the Kustatan River. Once you take your limit of coho salmon in this area you must stop fishing for the day.

Trout, Dolly Varden, Grayling

• Fishing for rainbow trout on the Parks Highway streams from Willow Creek north remains good and water conditions are favorable. Fishing for Dolly Varden and Arctic grayling should be good.
• This is a good time of year for a float trip for trout; for a remote float trip, try Deshka from Oilwell Road down to the mouth (vehicle drop-off and boat pick-up) or the Talachulitna from Judd Lake to mouth (air drop-off and pick-up). For one day floats closer to town, try Montana Creek from Yoder Bridge down to Michelle Rd or Sheep Creek from the Parks Highway down to the mouth.

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

• 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.
• Lakes stocked with catchable char include: Echo, Lynne, Memory, and Carpenter.

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