Area Sport Fishing Reports
Mat-Su

Recent Emergency Orders & Press Releases for Mat-Su

Archived Sport Fishing Report

Emergency Orders and regulation reminders

On the Deshka River, the use of bait and multiple hooks (treble hooks or two single hooks) is allowed.
The annual limit has been restored to 5 king salmon over 20 inches in length on the Deshka River and Little Susitna River. King salmon harvested in the Deshka River or Little Susitna rivers apply to the combined Cook Inlet annual limit of five fish.
Sport fishing gear and time restrictions implemented on the Little Susitna River in advance of the season have now been repealed and regulations listed in the regulatory summary booklet on page 46 are in effect.
Parks Highway streams are catch-and-release only for king salmon this weekend July 2-4.
The remainder of the Susitna River drainage will continue to be managed conservatively during the king salmon season. All emergency restrictions currently in place for waters of the Susitna drainage open to king salmon fishing, with the exception of the Deshka River, remain through July 13.
Surveys conducted by the department early this week indicate no further changes to the current set of king salmon restrictions in place along Parks Highway streams from Willow north to and including the Talkeetna River and streams of the Westside Susitna such as Lake Creek and the Talachulitna. Weir counts to date on the Little Susitna and Deshka rivers indicate no further inseason changes to king salmon regulations beyond those already implemented at this time.
The Eklutna Tailrace is excluded from all king salmon emergency order restrictions.

Fresh waters

Salmon

King salmon fishing on the Deshka River should be fair this week. Weir counts have dropped off recently, but later season pulses of fish are not uncommon on this system. Water conditions are good for fishing. Be careful when navigating the shallow waters upstream of the mouth area.
King fishing at the Little Su is expected to be fair to good this weekend.
Deshka and Little Su weir counts are available online at: http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/sf/FishCounts/ .
Fishing has been fair to good at times at the Eklutna Tailrace. Bait fished under a slip bobber is a good technique for the Tailrace.
Lake Creek and some of the lower tributaries of the Yentna River are producing some good king salmon catches. Also try Eight-mile Creek off the Skwentna River this next weekend.
King fishing has been good at the mouths of Parks Hwy streams. Remember that Parks Highway streams are catch-and-release only for king salmon this weekend July 2-4.

Trout, Dolly Varden, Grayling

Fishing on Parks Highway streams is good for rainbow trout, Dolly Varden, and Arctic grayling. Rainbows are well distributed throughout area streams. Try a variety of flies, including egg patterns, egg sucking leaches, flesh flies, wooly buggers, leeches, and sculpins.

Northern Pike

Pike fishing is excellent in June as they aggressively feed at this time.
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.
For road-accessible pike fishing, try the Nancy Lake Recreation Area lakes, Big Lake, 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 Hewitt Lake.
For fly-in pike fishing try Alexander, Shell, Eightmile, Trapper, Flathorn and Sucker lakes.

Lake Fishing

If you would like a nice quiet fishery all to yourself, ADF&G stocks over 80 lakes in the Mat-Su Valley.
Lake fishing has been excellent. Several lakes recently stocked with rainbow trout include: Canoe, Coyote, Echo, Irene, Kepler/Bradley, Knob, Knik, and Lucile Lakes.
Grayling can be found in Finger, Florence, Ida, Kepler/Bradley, Knik, Meirs, Ravine, Reed, Long Lake (mile 86), and Lorraine Lakes.