Area Sport Fishing Reports
Mat-Su

Archived Sport Fishing Report

August 04, 2017

Week of August 2 to August 8

Emergency Orders and Regulation Reminders

• Per Emergency Order No. 2-SS-2-35-17, the use of bait will be prohibited in the Little Susitna River from its mouth upstream to the Parks Highway effective 12:01 a.m. Sunday, August 6, 2017, through 11:59 p.m. Saturday, September 30, 2017. Only unbaited, artificial lures may be used. The daily bag and possession limit for coho salmon is two fish.
• A Youth-Only Fishery on Fish Creek will open on Saturday and Sunday, August 5 - 6 from 5:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. each day. The fishery allows anglers age 15 years and younger to fish for all species, except king salmon, in waters between ADF&G markers at the mouth of Fish Creek and markers ¼-mile upstream of Knik-Goose Bay Road. The daily bag limit is three salmon; only two per day may be coho salmon. The weekend-only fishery for anglers of all ages will commence on August 12.
• Beginning August 1, Jim Creek closes to sport fishing for all species on Mondays and Tuesdays, fishing is allowed only between the hours of 5 a.m. and 10 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays.
• Bait is now allowed in many - but not all - Susitna River tributaries. Check for exceptions to the general regulations before heading out.
• Wasilla Creek and Cottonwood Creek are weekend-only fisheries, from 5 a.m. through 10 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 greater than 3 HP may not be used on Wasilla Creek on Saturday and Sundays, July 15 - August 15.
• 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.

Freshwaters

Salmon

• Anglers have reported catches of coho and pink salmon at the mouth of the Deshka River; water levels are extremely low and anglers should use caution attempting to navigate upstream. A bump of water is expected this weekend; fishing improves dramatically on the Deshka when that happens.
• Fishing is expected to be good this next weekend for sockeye salmon on Cottonwood Creek with cohos expected as well. The mouth of Jim Creek should provide some opportunity for sockeye harvest.
• Fishing for chum and pink salmon is good along Parks Highway stream from Willow north to Talkeetna. Coho fishing is slow in this area, but has recently picked up and expected to improve through this week. Using bait where allowed is helpful in sorting out the cohos from the pinks and chums. If you have a boat, launch from either Deshka or Susitna Landings and try fishing the mouth of Little Willow Creek and nearby Bull Frog slough.
• Coho fishing is starting to pick up on the Little Susitna, and if you like chum salmon this is the place for you as this system is experiencing a very large run of chums.
• Eklutna Tailrace could potentially produce a few cohos by the weekend, with the occasional sockeye.
• Take a child fishing at the Youth-Only Fishery on Fish Creek this Saturday and Sunday, 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. each day. Only youth 15 years and under are allowed to fish, which includes hooking the fish; however, adults may assist youth in casting and landing fish. Expect opportunity to catch both sockeye and coho salmon.

Trout, Dolly Varden, Grayling

• Fishing for rainbow trout on Parks Highway streams from Willow Creek north is good. Stream conditions are clear and low, although expected to rise a little early in this week. This is a good time of year for a float trip down Willow, lower Sheep, and Montana creeks. Fishing for Dolly Varden and Arctic grayling should be fair.
• Deception Creek is productive right now for rainbow trout.

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, leaches, and flies in the heavily vegetated bays and sloughs. It is also fun fishing for pike with herring suspended under a bobber.
• 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, Tanaina, 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

• Kid friendly locations include Kepler/Bradley, Finger, Matanuska, South Rolly, and Lucille Lakes.
• Excellent fishing has been reported at Matanuska, Kepler/Bradley, Loberg, Eska (Slipper), and Long Lake (mile 86).
• Lakes with camping include Kepler/Bradley, Finger, Matanuska, South Rolly, Lucille, Nancy, Rocky, Knob and North Knob (undeveloped), Long Lake (mile 86) has a few undeveloped sites.