Area Sport Fishing Reports
Mat-Su

Archived Sport Fishing Report

July 26, 2013

Emergency Orders and regulation reminders

  • Bait is allowed starting July 14 in many – but not all – Susitna River tributaries. Check for exceptions to the general regulations before heading out.
  • Fish Creek does not open to rod-and-reel sport fishing until Saturday, August 10th, and then it’s a weekend-only fishery from 6 a.m. – 6 p.m. each open day. A youth-only fishery for ages 15 and under will occur Saturday and Sunday, August 3-4.
  • 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

  • Pinks and Chum are in excellent numbers right now, as well as the occasional coho at the mouths of the Eastside Susitna streams. Anglers are reporting good catches of chums and pinks at the mouth of Willow especially; fishing is consistent on other streams north to Montana Creek.
  • Chum fishing at Little Su is excellent right now with the coho catch rates building daily. Anglers fishing only a few river miles downstream of the Little Su Public Use facility are taking limits of coho.
  • Jim Creek sockeye and coho fishing is slow but should pick up by the end of the month.
  • Fishing at the Eklutna Tailrace has been slow with only a few coho caught.
  • On the west side of Cook Inlet, coho are entering the Chuit and Theodore rivers, also try Polly Creek or the Kustatan River 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. Parks Highway streams are low and clear. This is a great time of year for float trips.

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 remains hot the hatchery truck has been working overtime stocking some really nice fish.
  • Recently stocked lakes with Arctic char include: Lynne, Prator, Long Lake (mile 86), Finger, and Marion.
  • More rainbow catchables were recently stocked in Knik, Rocky, Weiner, Long Lake (mile 86) and Seventeenmile Lakes.

 

Archives

Mat-Su Area Archives for:
Dec 17, 2013 Dec 05, 2013 Oct 21, 2013 Sep 04, 2013 Aug 28, 2013 Aug 21, 2013 Aug 14, 2013 Aug 07, 2013
Jul 31, 2013 Jul 26, 2013 Jul 17, 2013 Jul 10, 2013 Jul 03, 2013 Jul 01, 2013 Jun 19, 2013 Jun 12, 2013
Jun 05, 2013 May 29, 2013 May 22, 2013 May 14, 2013 May 08, 2013