Area Sport Fishing Reports
Mat-Su

Archived Sport Fishing Report

August 19, 2014

Northern Cook Inlet area

Week of August 20 to August 26
Issued August 19, 2014

Emergency Orders and regulation reminders

• The bag and possession limit for coho salmon 16 inches or greater in length was increased from two to three fish per day and in possession in the Little Susitna River from its mouth upstream to the Parks Highways bridge. The coho salmon bag limit is in combination with current limits for pink, chum and sockeye salmon; three salmon, other than king salmon, 16 inches or greater in length, can be taken per day and in possession.
• Sport fishing on Fish Creek is open 7 days per week. Sport fishing in Cottonwood and Wasilla creeks remains open only on Saturdays, Sundays, and Mondays. Anglers are reminded that sport fishing is allowed in all of these waters only from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. each day.
• The bag and possession limit for salmon, other than king salmon, 16 inches or greater in length remains at three per day and in possession, of which all three may be coho salmon, in the waters of Fish Creek, Cottonwood Creek, and Wasilla Creek. Anglers are also reminded that after taking a bag limit of salmon in these waters, a person may not sport fish that same day in any water open to salmon fishing.
• Jim Creek, including all waters downstream to the Knik River and continuing downstream on the Knik River to within 100 yards of its confluence with Bodenburg Creek is closed to sport fishing for any species on Mondays and Tuesdays. Mud and Leaf lakes are closed to all salmon fishing.
• 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 is good. Early morning fishing has been the most productive.
• Parks Highway streams have slowed some for coho fishing. Try fishing further north up the parks highway, such as Montana, Sunshine, and Rabiduex creeks.
• Coho fishing in the Talkeetna River drainage is good.
• Little Su coho fishing remains good. Anglers are filling daily bag limits.
• Coho fishing has picked up and is good at the Deshka River.
• Coho fishing should be good to excellent in Wasilla Creek/Rabbit Slough, Cottonwood Creek and Fish Creek this weekend.
• Coho fishing on Yentna River tributaries and Lake Creek is fair. Anglers are reporting slow fishing.
• On the west side of Cook Inlet, coho fishing should be good.

Trout, Dolly Varden, Grayling

• Fishing for rainbow trout on Parks Highway streams from Willow Creek north to and including Talkeetna is excellent. Stream levels 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.

Northern Pike

• Pike fishing has been good in the Nancy Lake canoe system lakes; try using a weedless mouse or frog lure through the weedy areas. Fishing is best when water temperatures are lowest, such as early in the morning or late in the day. For road-accessible pike fishing, try just about any lake in the Nancy Lake canoe system, plus Memory and Prator lakes.
• Fly-in fishing for pike can be excellent. Try Alexander, Trapper, Hewitt, Whiskey, Vern, and Donkey lakes.
• Anglers may retain as many pike as they catch — there is no bag or possession limit. In the freshwaters of West Cook Inlet and Susitna River drainage, anglers are not allowed to release live pike back into the water.

Lake Fishing

• It’s a beautiful time of year for Lake fishing. Cooler temperatures have fish coming in shallow early in the morning and late in the evening.
• Combine blueberry picking and rainbow trout fishing with some of our alpine lakes up the Glenn Hwy: Knob and North Knob lakes, Ravine, Weiner, and Long Lake (mile 86).