Area Sport Fishing Reports
Mat-Su

Archived Sport Fishing Report

June 29, 2022

ADF&G News

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Local Lakes

• If you are looking for a 4-wheel and fishing adventure, head out to Wishbone or Ruby lakes. Wishbone is a single-hook, no retention lake.
• Camping and fishing go hand in hand. Stocked lakes with camping include South Rolly, Matanuska, Finger, Lucile, Rocky, and Kepler-Bradley.
• Lucile, Matanuska, Finger, Memory, Anderson, and Knik lakes have been very good for catch rates recently and would be great places for kids to fish.

Freshwater Fishing

King Salmon

• The Eklutna Tailrace is the only area open to harvest for kings in the Northern Cook Inlet management area. This is a stocked fishery; you can use bait and multiple hooks. Fishing at this site is good and should remain productive through the end of June. Try side drifting with bait, bait under a bobber, or a variety of different colored spinners in sizes 3 to 5. This fishery is productive in the early morning hours.
• King salmon fishing in all Northern Cook Inlet waters, Units 1-6 and Knik Arm waters (Little Su), is closed (including jacks) and king salmon may not be targeted. Fishing gear is restricted to one-single, artificial lure and fishing for other species is only allowed in waters normally open to king salmon from 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. daily through July 13. See the emergency orders below for more info. If you have questions, please call us at (907) 746-6300.

Sockeye Salmon

• It is early for sockeye salmon in the Mat-Su. The Fish Creek weir will be installed next week; the first few sockeyes tend to cross the weir around July 8.
• Fish Creek is open to sport fishing until July 14, and only on Saturdays and Sundays between
  5 a.m. and 10 p.m. The sport fishery closes on July 15, and the personal use fishery is only opened by emergency order.
• Sockeye run timing for Jim Creek and Cottonwood creek is similar to Fish Creek. Cottonwood Creek is also open weekends only, Saturday and Sunday from 5 a.m. and 10 p.m.
• If you have wings and can fly to West Cook Inlet, Big River lakes sockeye fishing has been good and there should be some fish at Coal Creek.

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 and Susitna River drainage, anglers are not allowed to release live pike back into the water.
  • If you want a boat trip for pike try the side channel sloughs of the Deshka River, Fish Creek (Kroto Slough), or Moose and Indian creeks on the Yentna River.
  • For fly-in pike fishing try Alexander, Shell, Eightmile, Trapper, Flathorn, and Sucker lakes.

Rainbow Trout, Dolly Varden, Arctic Grayling

• Fishing has been good on the Parks Highway streams. The hydro forecast for the next few days is favorable for bank fishing. Water clarity is good.
• Places to camp and rainbow fish include Willow Creek, Kashwitna River (Susitna Landing), and Montana Creek.
• If you want a good float trip, try Willow, Montana, Little Willow, or the Little Su.
• For the fly-out float trip adventurer, head out to the Talachulitna or Lake Creek for world class rainbow trout and Arctic grayling fishing.
• Popular flies this time of year include white, purple, or black egg-sucking leeches, any kind of wooly buggers with a beaded head, leech patterns, sculpins, and cotton-candy.

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-KS-2-34-22 closes the Susitna River drainage to sport fishing for king salmon, continuing the king salmon closure on the Deshka River and continues to limit sport fishing gear for other species to one unbaited, single-hook, artificial lure through 11:59 p.m. Wednesday, July 13, 2022.
• Emergency Order 2-KS-2-33-22 closes the Little Susitna to sport fishing for king salmon and continues to limit sport fishing gear for other species to one unbaited, single-hook, artificial lure through 11:59 p.m. Wednesday, July 13, 2022.
• Emergency Order 2-R-2-19-22 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. This emergency order is effective for the 2022 season.
• Emergency Order 2-DV-2-13-22 prohibits the retention of Arctic char/Dolly Varden in the Fish Creek (Big Lake) drainage. This emergency order is in effect through 11:59 p.m. Saturday, December 31, 2022.

Don’t forget to purchase your 2022 sport fishing license and king stamp! Purchase your 2022 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, advisory announcements, and the 2022 Southcentral Alaska Sport Fishing Regulations Summary booklet for the area you are fishing in before you head out.

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