Area Sport Fishing Reports
Mat-Su

Recent Emergency Orders & Press Releases for Mat-Su

Archived Sport Fishing Report

Bait is allowed in many – but not all – Susitna River tributaries. Check for exceptions to the general regulations before heading out.
Bodenburg Creek, including all waters of the Knik River within a 100-yd radius of the mouth of the creek is closed year–round to fishing for salmon.
Fish Creek opens to rod-and-reel sport fishing on Saturday, August 10th, and then it’s a weekend-only fishery (Saturdays and Sundays) from 6 a.m. – 6 p.m. each day. Wasilla and Cottonwood creeks are also 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.

Little Su coho fishing is good. Bait is now allowed. Use extreme caution boating on the Little Su as waters are very low, especially up-stream of the Little Susitna Public Use Facility.
Jim Creek coho fishing recently improved and should be good through this week; water is very high right now.
Fishing at the Eklutna Tailrace is fair to good. Most people are using bait, but lures are also producing fish.
Fishing has been fair at Cottonwood Creek and slow at Wasilla Creek. Peak fishing will occur over the next two weekends. Fishing should be good at Fish Creek this weekend.
Fishing at the mouth of Deshka has been good early in the day.
Fishing for pinks and chums on the Parks Highway streams is good with some limits of coho being taken. Willow and Montana creeks as well as Kashwitna River have been the most productive.
Coho fishing on Yentna River tributaries has been slow and is expected to be fair this week. Lake Creek is producing limits of coho but folks are working for them; be sure to try other Yentna tributaries and sloughs such as Moose and Indian Creeks.
On the west side of Cook Inlet, coho fishing should be fair to good.

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.
Try fishing egg and flesh fly patterns as rainbow trout are now targeting king eggs and beginning to feed on king carcasses; don’t forget the occasional leech or sculpin pattern.

Pike are present in the lakes, ponds, and sloughs of the Susitna River drainage. Boat-accessible locations include: side sloughs of Deshka, Alexander, Fish Creek (Kroto Slough), and Hewitt Lake.
Fishing off the road-system, try Big Lake near the islands, Nancy Lake in the shallows, Memory, and Prator Lakes.

With the recent cooler temperatures, lake fishing has been excellent.
Recently stocked lakes with Arctic char include: Irene, Carpenter, Matanuska, 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.