Area Sport Fishing Reports
Mat-Su

Archived Sport Fishing Report

August 21, 2015

Northern Cook Inlet area

Week of August 19 to August 25
Issued August 20, 2015

Emergency Orders and regulation reminders

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 for the rest of this season.
In waters of the Little Susitna open to salmon fishing, the bag and possession limit for silver salmon was increased by emergency order from 2 to 3 fish. The coho salmon bag limit is in combination with the current limit for pinks, chum, and sockeye salmon; 3 per day and in possession.
By Emergency Order, the bag and possession limit for coho (silver) salmon 16 inches or greater in length was increased to three fish in those waters of Fish Creek, Cottonwood Creek, and Wasilla Creek open to salmon fishing. Mondays were added to the weekend-only fisheries of Cottonwood and Wasilla Creeks, allowing fishing to occur on Saturdays, Sundays, and Mondays, and Fish Creek was liberalized to 7 days per week. Anglers are reminded that sport fishing is only allowed in these waters from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and that the coho salmon limit is combined with the bag and possession limit of sockeye, chum, and pink salmon
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 chum and coho salmon on the Parks Highway streams is reported to be good to excellent try Willow, Montana, and Sunshine Creeks.
Jim Creek fishing is slow, the water is silty.
Fishing at the Eklutna Tailrace is mostly good. Most people are using bait, but lures and flies are also producing fish. Early morning fishing is best. Several anglers taking bag limits.
Little Su coho fishing is very good and above average. Anglers are taking bag limits daily.
Deshka River coho fishing is good.
Coho fishing should be excellent in Wasilla Creek/Rabbit Slough, Cottonwood Creek and Fish Creek this weekend. Remember Wasilla and Cottonwood creeks are now open 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays – Mondays and Fish Creek open 7 days per week by EO 6am-6pm.
Coho fishing on Yentna River tributaries and Lake Creek is fair.
Silvers are now being caught in the Talkeetna area, including Clear Creek.
On the west side of Cook Inlet, coho fishing is 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).