Area Sport Fishing Reports
Mat-Su

Recent Emergency Orders & Press Releases for Mat-Su

Archived Sport Fishing Report

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.

Some chums and pinks have been sighted at the mouths of Willow and Little Willow and will provide opportunity for anglers eager to wet a line and perhaps an early coho.
Sockeye salmon should begin to show up at Jim Creek in small numbers this week.
As of July 16th 100 pink salmon and 28 coho salmon have been counted through the Deshka Weir.
The Little Su has a good variety of fish in-river, primarily chum. As of July 16, 1,260 chum have been counted, 198 sockeye, 68 coho and 24 pinks. It is still early for silvers.
A few sockeye are now being caught at the mouth of Larson Creek, it is still early for coho.
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.

Fishing for rainbow trout on the Parks Highway streams from Willow Creek north remains good. Fishing for Dolly Varden and Arctic grayling should be good. Parks Highway streams are normal level and clear.

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.

Lakes with catchable trout include: Lucille, Loberg, Kepler/Bradley, Mile 180, Tanaina, Kashwitna, Weiner, Ravine, Knob, North Knob, and Bruce Lakes.
Try sinking flies such as dragon and damsel nymphs, or leech patterns.
Lakes stocked with catchable grayling include: Canoe, Finger, Florence, Ida, Kepler/Bradley, Knik, Long Lake (Glenn HWY), Lorraine, Meirs, and Reed