Area Sport Fishing Reports
Mat-Su

Recent Emergency Orders & Press Releases for Mat-Su

Archived Sport Fishing Report

Emergency Orders and regulation reminders

Use of bait is currently prohibited by EO on the Little Susitna River.
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 by regulation to sport fishing for any species on Mondays and Tuesdays for the rest of this season.
By Emergency Order, beginning 6 a.m. Saturday, August 13, the bag and possession limit for coho (silver) salmon 16 inches or greater in length is increased to three fish in those waters of Fish Creek, Cottonwood Creek, and Wasilla Creek open to salmon fishing. Mondays are added to the weekend-only fisheries of Cottonwood and Wasilla Creeks, allowing fishing to occur on Saturdays, Sundays, and Mondays, and Fish Creek is 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 for coho on the Parks Highway streams remains sporadic, and the water levels have come up with recent rains.
Fishing for coho at the Eklutna Tailrace is fair. Most people are using bait, but lures and flies are also producing fish. Early morning fishing is best.
Little Su coho fishing is continues to be below average. Coho can be caught, but be prepared for slow fishing.
Coho fishing is expected to be fair in Wasilla Creek/Rabbit Slough, Cottonwood Creek and Fish Creek this weekend. Remember Wasilla and Cottonwood creeks are open 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays – Mondays and Fish Creek open 7 days per week beginning this Saturday, August 13 by EO.
The Yentna River is high, coho fishing is poor.

Trout, Dolly Varden, Grayling

Fishing for rainbow trout on the Parks Highway streams from Willow Creek north is expected to be challenging with recent rains raising water levels and mudding up waters.
Try fishing egg and flesh fly patterns as rainbow trout are now targeting king eggs and feeding on king carcasses.

Northern Pike

Pike can be taken using spears, bow-and-arrow (the arrow must be attached to the bow by a line) bait, spin, and fly-fishing. Try top-water weedless lures and flies in the heavily vegetated bays and sloughs. Herring suspended under a bobber is a sure-fire bet.
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 Horseshoe, Rainbow and Anderson lakes or the Nancy Lake Canoe System Lakes; specifically Frazier, Little Frazier, Tainiana, Ardaw, Milo, Lynx, and Nancy lakes.
Pike are also present in the lakes, ponds and sloughs of the Susitna River drainage. Boat-accessible locations for pike fishing include the Deshka River, Fish Creek, Flathorn Lake, Hewitt Lake, Fish Creek (Kroto Slough), Moose Creek (Yentna River), and Alexander Creek.
For fly-in fishing try Alexander, Trapper, Shell, Eight-mile and Sucker lakes.

Lake Fishing

In the Palmer/Wasilla area Lake fishing is your best option for success.
For big rainbows and plenty of them, try Lake Lucille. This lake is quite weedy, but locating the deeper reaches will provide excellent rainbow fishing. See our webpage for lake maps.
Other productive rainbow fisheries include: Slipper (Eska) Lake, Seymour, Knob, Long Lake (mile 86), Memory, Matanuska, and Knik Lakes.