Area Sport Fishing Reports
Mat-Su

Archived Sport Fishing Report

August 27, 2014

Northern Cook Inlet area

Week of August 27 to September 2
Issued August 27, 2014

Emergency Orders and regulation reminders

• Starting September 1, the Parks Highway streams and many other Mat-Su and West Cook Inlet waters go to no bait and single-hook only. So check your regulations before fishing.
• 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.
• By emergency order Fish Creek has been liberalized to fishing 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 only allowed in all of these waters 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.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 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 remains consistently good for coho.
• Parks Highway streams have slowed some for coho fishing Fishing further north up the parks highway, at Montana, Sunshine, and Rabiduex creeks has been good.
• Coho fishing in the Talkeetna River drainage is good.
• Coho fishing on the Little Susitna is good throughout the river downstream of the Parks Highway bridge. Now is a nice time of year for a float trip. 
• Deshka river fishing is fair; recent rains should improve fishing.
• Wasilla, Fish, and Cottonwood creeks should be fair to good.
• In early September, fair to good coho fishing can be found in the tributaries and sloughs of the Yentna and Skwentna rivers. Try fishing at Moose, Indian, Eightmile, Bottle, or Hewitt creeks. Fair to good coho fishing should continue through mid-September in West Cook Inlet streams such as the Kustatan, Theodore and the Chuit.rivers.Trout, Dolly Varden, Grayling
• Recent rains may have Parks Highway streams a bit cloudy, fishing remains good for trout and grayling.
• 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

• If recent rains muddy the streams try lake fishing. Early morning and late evening have been producing catches of large rainbow trout.
• The Mat-Su has a very large area with over 80 lakes to fish that have recently been stocked. Visit our web page to view the recent stocking records and plan your next adventure.