Area Sport Fishing Reports
Mat-Su

Recent Emergency Orders & Press Releases for Mat-Su

Archived Sport Fishing Report

Bait is now allowed in many – but not all – Susitna River tributaries. Review the 2017 Southcentral Sport Fishing Regulations Summary booklet for exceptions to the general regulations before heading out.
Wasilla and Cottonwood creeks are weekend-only fisheries, from 5:00 a.m. through 10:00 p.m., Saturday and Sunday. Wasilla Creek is open to fishing for salmon, other than king salmon, from its mouth upstream to the Alaska Railroad bridge; and Cottonwood Creek from its mouth upstream one mile.
Motorized watercraft capable of producing more than 42 pounds of thrust or 3 horsepower may not be used on Wasilla Creek on Saturdays and Sundays, July 15 - August 15.
Anglers are reminded that bait is not allowed on the Little Susitna River until August 6, and the daily bag and possession limit for silver salmon is two fish.
Anglers are reminded that a regulation passed by the Board in 2014 impacting boat motor use on the Little Susitna River is in effect this season. On the Little Susitna River, a person may not sport fish from a boat that is powered by use of a motor, unless the motor is a 4-stroke motor or direct fuel injection 2-stroke motor. Anglers may use a boat powered by a non-direct fuel injected 2-stroke motor to access areas to sport fish from the bank, but may not sport fish from the boat.

Chum salmon numbers have picked up recently on the Little Susitna River. Coho fishing is expected to pick up by the end of this week.
The Deshka River and Willow Creek and some of the lower sloughs of the Susitna and Yentna are good places to try for early season coho.
Fishing is expected to be good this next weekend for sockeye salmon at Cottonwood Creek. Also try Jim Creek for some sockeye action.
On the west side of Cook Inlet, silvers are entering the Chuit and Theodore rivers. Once you take your limit of silver salmon in this area, you must stop fishing for the day.

Fishing for rainbow trout on Parks Highway streams from Willow Creek north is good. Stream conditions are clear and low. Fishing for Dolly Varden and Arctic grayling should be fair.

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 is reported as excellent!
Nancy Lakes Recreation Area is reporting good pike fishing on Red Shirt Lake early in the morning and excellent catch rates for rainbows on South Rolly Lake. If you are up for an over-night adventure; South Rolly has 96 camp sites, Nancy Lake State Recreation Site on the northeast shore has 30 sites.
Lakes with catchable trout include: Matanuska, Lucille, Rocky, Loberg, South Rolly, Kink, Memory, Meirs, Kepler/Bradley, Canoe, Knob, North Knob, Weiner, Kashwitna, Willow, Coyote, Slipper (Eska), Gate, Mile 180, Tanaina, Walby, Long (mile 86), Reflections, and Ravine Lakes.
Try sinking flies such as dragon and damsel nymphs, or leech patterns.
Lakes stocked with catchable char include: Echo, Lynne, Memory, and Carpenter.