Area Sport Fishing Reports
Mat-Su

Archived Sport Fishing Report

August 11, 2017

Week of August 9 to August 15

Emergency Orders and Regulation Reminders

• Per Emergency Order No. 2-SS-2-35-17, the use of bait is 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.
• At Fish Creek, the weekend-only fishery for anglers of all ages will commence this Saturday, August 12. Fishing is allowed from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. each Saturday and Sunday.
• Jim Creek is now closed to sport fishing for all species on Mondays and Tuesdays and fishing is allowed only between the hours of 5 a.m. and 10 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays.
• Wasilla Creek and Cottonwood Creek are weekend-only fisheries, from 5 a.m. to 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

• Cohos have been late arriving to Northern Cook Inlet streams. Fishing success has improved over this past week.
• Coho fishing is fair to good on the Little Susitna River. Anglers have recently reported average harvest rates for cohos at a little over one fish per angler. Experienced anglers are generally catching limits. Chum salmon are in record abundance, with over 77,000 counted through the weir. The Little Susitna remains closed to the use of bait.
• Coho fishing on the Deshka River is mostly good. Try fishing early in the day when water temperature is cooler and remember that rainy days mean good fishing on the Deshka. About 7,500 cohos have passed the weir as of August 9 and more fish have been recently reported at the mouth. The Deshka is very shallow upstream of the mouth area.
• Waters of the Yentna River have subsided from recent high conditions and just in time for some silvers to finally make a showing. Yentna River sloughs and tributaries, such as Lake Creek, are now producing some bag limits of cohos.
• On the west side of Cook Inlet, coho fishing on the Chuit, Kustatan, and Theodore Rivers should be good this week.
• Fishing for chum and pink salmon is good along Parks Highway stream from Willow North to Talkeetna. Coho fishing is fair to good in this area. Try floating and fishing lower Willow Creek or Little Willow Creek and taking out at the mouth of Willow Creek.
• Coho salmon fishing is expected to be good at Cottonwood, Wasilla, and Fish Creeks this weekend. Anglers please keep the banks and access sites clean and pack out what you pack in.
• The cohos are now coming in at the Eklutna Tailrace; numbers should increase daily.

Trout, Dolly Varden, Grayling

• Water conditions are good for rainbow trout fishing on Parks Highway streams. While king salmon continue to spawn and die off, try egg and flesh fly patterns. Don’t forget about Byers, Honolulu, or the East Fork Chulitna. An Alaska Railroad whistle stop trip to Indian Creek could be just the ticket for you this week.
• Deception Creek is productive right now for rainbow trout. Bring bear protection.

Northern Pike

• Pike fishing has been good in the Nancy Lake canoe system lakes, specifically Frazier, Little Frazier, Tanaina, Ardaw, Milo, Lynx, and Nancy 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.

Lake Fishing

• Kid friendly locations include Kepler/Bradley, Finger, Matanuska, South Rolly, and Lucille Lakes.
• For rainbow trout, try Kepler, Irene, Knik, Echo, Long, Big Beaver, and Ravine Lakes.
• For Arctic char, try Benka, Irene, Marion, Matanuska, and Seventeenmile Lakes.
• For landlocked salmon, try Diamond, Christiansen, Kalmbach, Knik, Matanuska, and Victor Lakes.
• 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.