Area Sport Fishing Reports
Mat-Su

Archived Sport Fishing Report

August 09, 2018

Regulation Reminders and Emergency Orders

Emergency Orders

  • Per Emergency Order No. 2-SS-2-55-18, effective August 10, 2018, the bag and possession limits for coho salmon, 16 inches or greater in length, was increased to four per day and four in possession in all waters of Cottonwood and Wasilla creeks open to salmon fishing. In addition, fishing will be allowed on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and Mondays at Cottonwood and Wasilla creeks from 5:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. each day.
  • Per Emergency Order No. 2-SS-2-54-18, effective August 9, 2018, the bag and possession limits for coho salmon, 16 inches or greater in length, was increased to four per day and four in possession in all waters of Fish Creek open to salmon fishing. The bag limit for salmon, other than king salmon, remains at six per day and six in possession, which of those six salmon only four per day and in possession may be coho salmon. In addition, sport fishing on Fish Creek will be allowed seven days per week from 5:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. each day.
  • Per Emergency Order No. 2-SS-2-51-18, effective August 8, 2018, the bag and possession limits for coho salmon was increased to three per day and three in possession in the Little Susitna River in all waters open to salmon fishing downstream of the Parks Highway bridge. 
  • Per Emergency Order No. 2-RS-2-48-18, effective August 1, 2018, the sockeye salmon limit was increased on Larson Creek to six fish per day and in possession. Of the bag limit of six fish per day, no more than three fish per day and in possession may be pink, chum, and coho salmon in combination.

Regulation Reminders

  • 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.
  • Jim Creek is now closed to sport fishing for all species on Mondays and Tuesdays and fishing is only allowed between the hours of 5:00 a.m. and 10:00 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.
  • 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.
  • Many waters are catch-and-release only for rainbow trout and Arctic grayling, and some waters are closed to fishing for salmon. Please carefully read the 2018 Southcentral Alaska Sport Fishing Regulations Summary booklet.

Freshwater Fishing

Salmon

  • Coho salmon are now widely distributed throughout the Susitna drainage and fishing is very good in most locations.
  • Along the Parks Highway, try the mouths and lower sections of Willow, Little Willow, Bull Frog Slough, Kashwitna, Sheep, Caswell, and Montana creeks and the Talkeetna River. Water levels are high but predicted to come down by this weekend.
  • Coho salmon fishing at the Deshka River is expected to be excellent this week. Water levels are expected to gradually rise, which usually spurs fish to want to move and bite.
  • Coho salmon fishing has been excellent on the lower Little Susitna River. Muddy waters due to recent rains should start to clear going into the weekend.
  • Coho fishing is excellent at Fish Creek off Knik-Goose Bay Road.
  • Fishing is expected to be good this next 4-day weekend for coho salmon on Cottonwood and Wasilla creeks.
  • Sockeye and coho salmon are now being caught at Jim Creek.
  • Coho salmon fishing at the Eklutna Tailrace has been fair to good. Fishing at the mouth has been best.
  • On the Yentna River, fish the mouths of Lake Creek, Fish Lakes Creek, and Indian and Moose creeks.
  • On the west side of Cook Inlet, coho salmon fishing on the Chuit, Kustatan, and Theodore rivers should be good this week.
  • The Little Susitna, Deshka, Fish, and Jim Creek weirs are in operation; fish counts are available online.

Trout, Dolly Varden, Grayling

  • Fishing for rainbow trout on Parks Highway streams from Willow Creek north, including the Talkeetna River is excellent. Fishing for Dolly Varden and Arctic grayling should be good.
  • Try fishing egg and flesh fly patterns as rainbow trout are now targeting king eggs and feeding on king carcasses; don’t forget the occasional leech or sculpin pattern.
  • Deception Creek is productive right now for rainbow trout. Don’t forget bear protection.

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, 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

  • With the cooler temperatures of fall approaching, Mat-Su Valley lakes provide excellent fishing as fish become much more active, and feed in shallower water.
  • In the Palmer/Wasilla area, Lorraine, Carpenter, Knik, Lucille, Kepler, Rocky, and Echo lakes are stocked with rainbow trout.
  • Lakes stocked with landlocked salmon are Matanuska, Finger, Beverly, Loberg, and Klaire.
  • Arctic char were stocked in Benka, Finger, Irene, Long, Lynne, Marion, Matanuska, Prator, and Seventeenmile lakes.
  • Along the Glenn Highway northeast of Palmer, Seventeenmile, Slipper, Long, Ravine, Weiner, Knob, and North Knob lakes all have rainbow trout.
  • If it's Arctic grayling you're looking for, try Bruce, Canoe, Reed, Finger, Florence, Knik, Meirs, Lorraine, and Kepler/Bradley lakes.

Archives

Mat-Su Area Archives for:
Nov 20, 2018 Aug 30, 2018 Aug 23, 2018 Aug 15, 2018 Aug 09, 2018 Aug 01, 2018 Jul 30, 2018 Jul 20, 2018
Jul 12, 2018 Jul 05, 2018 Jun 27, 2018 Jun 21, 2018 Jun 14, 2018 Jun 06, 2018 May 31, 2018 May 24, 2018
May 18, 2018 May 10, 2018