Area Sport Fishing Reports
Mat-Su

Archived Sport Fishing Report

July 21, 2021

* Just a reminder to all our anglers, please do your part to help slow the spread of Covid-19 by practicing social distancing while sport and personal use fishing, and wearing a face covering when social distancing is not possible and if you are needing fishing supplies from your local store.

Local Lakes

• Lake fishing continues to be excellent. With rain in the forecast, if rivers blow out, head to one of our many stocked lakes. You can view them online on our Lake Fishing or Alaska Lake Database webpages.

Freshwater Fishing

Salmon

• The new Susitna Personal Use fishery will be open Wednesday July 21 and Saturday July 24 from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. this week. This fishery runs 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Saturdays and Wednesdays from July 10 through July 31. The designated area for fishing is between regulatory markers posted approximately one mile downstream of Susitna Station (just below the Yentna River mouth) down to markers posted just below the Alexander Creek cut-off/northern tip of Bell Island. This fishery is part of the Upper Cook Inlet Personal Use permit. Boaters new to the Susitna are urged to use caution when navigating to this fishery, which is only accessible by boat or planes landing on gravel bars. Dipping success should only improve with each new opener until the end of July.
• The Fish Creek dipnet fishery will open Saturday, July 24 through Saturday July 31, 2021, each day from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. each day. Try fishing the incoming tides and please be considerate of private property postings. Please take heed of the 30-foot tides, strong tidal currents, and the mud. See the emergency order below for more info.
• Eklutna coho salmon fishing has been slow. Coho will start to show in larger numbers towards late July.
• A few early season coho and pink salmon have been caught at the Deshka.
• Pinks are arriving in Montana Creek, expect to see more of them on the Parks Highway Streams this month.
• Sockeye salmon are beginning to show in the Knik Arm. Fishing opportunities for sockeye are limited. Cottonwood and Wasilla creeks are weekend-only fisheries and are open on Saturdays and Sundays from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. You could also try Jim Creek, which is open to fishing for salmon of all species except king salmon seven days a week until August 1.
• West Cook Inlet coho fishing should improve into the end of July. Once you take your limit of coho you must stop fishing for the day.
• Anglers are reminded that bait is not allowed on the Little Susitna River until August 6, and the daily bag and possession limit for coho salmon is two fish. Fishing for Coho, Chum and pink has been slow.

Rainbow Trout

• This is the time to fish for rainbows. Parks Highway stream fishing has remained good. As the kings start to spawn, beads will work great as well as flesh flies and egg sucking leeches.
• Deception Creek remains good for rainbow fishing.
• Summer is fading fast; this is the time of year to take off on a remote float trip. There are so many good places to fish. The more popular float trips include the Talachulitna River, Lake Creek, and Clear Creek near Talkeetna.

Northern Pike

• Anglers may retain as many pike as they catch – there is no bag or possession limit. In the freshwaters of West Cook Inlet, Knik, and Susitna River drainage, anglers are not allowed to release live pike back into the water.
• Roadside, try Nancy, Big, Horseshoe, and Rainbow Lakes. Fly-in to Trapper, Shell, Alexander, or Sucker Lakes.

Emergency Orders

Please review the Emergency Orders and Advisory Announcements below in their entirety before heading out on your next fishing trip.

• Emergency Order 2-RS-2-49-21 opens Fish Creek to dipnetting on Saturday, July 24 at 6:00am through Saturday July 31, 2021, at 11:00pm. Dipnetting for salmon, except king salmon, will be allowed only between the hours of 6:00 a.m. and 11:00 p.m. each day. Dipnetters may harvest salmon off the shore or a boat from the ADF&G markers located on both sides of the terminus of Fish Creek, upstream to ADF&G regulatory markers located approximately one-quarter mile upstream from Knik-Goose Bay Road.
• Emergency Order 2-RS-2-38-21 closes dipnetting in the vicinity of Anderson Creek as designated by markers posted approximately 300 feet downstream and 50 feet upstream of the mouth through 11:00 p.m. Saturday, July 31, 2021.
• Emergency Order 2-R-2-03-21 adds Leech, Summit, Zero, Kings, and Anderson Lakes to the list of lakes stocked with hatchery fish. The bag and possession limit for rainbow trout in these lakes is five fish, of which only one may be 20 inches or greater in length. The bag and possession limit for Arctic grayling is five fish, no size limit.

Don’t forget to purchase your 2021 sport fishing license and king stamp! Help maximize social distancing and purchase your 2021 sport fishing license and king stamp through the ADF&G online store and print it off from the comfort of your own home. Also, make sure to review Emergency Orders and the 2021 Southcentral Sport Fishing Regulations Summary booklet for the area you are fishing before you head out.

For additional information, please contact the ADF&G Palmer Area Office at (907) 746-6300.