Area Sport Fishing Reports
Mat-Su

July 30, 2026

Palmer Management Area

Freshwater Fishing

Sockeye, pinks, and chums

• Fish Creek sport fishing is currently closed and will open for everyone on August 3rd. The youth only fishery will be August 1-2 this year. See personal use for current reports. An Emergency Order was issued starting the sport fishery up to all anglers starting august 3rd as well as increasing the bag limit to six per day six in possession of which only two may be coho.
• Chums and pinks are starting to make their way up the Susitna. Try the mouth of Deshka for pinks and coho salmon are starting to show up.
• Parks Highway streams may produce a few pinks, chum, and some coho. Try the mouth of Willow, Caswell, Sheep or Montana Creeks as the water level continues to drop.
• Chum and pinks are being caught steadily at the Little Su with average catches of coho downstream of the launch. Fishing will improve as the water continues to clear.
• Try the weekend only fishery at the mouth of Cottonwood Creek for some bright sockeye salmon. It’s open to fishing 5 a.m.-10 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. Sockeye are starting to be caught in good numbers.
• Jim Creek is open to salmon fishing and sockeye catches are starting to improve. It is now the time to start targeting coho there too with a few reports of catches.

Personal Use – Alaska Resident only fisheries

• The Fish creek personal use fishery is now open by emergency order. This fishery runs daily from 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. until July 31st. Try fishing the incoming tides and please be considerate of private property postings. Please be safe and take heed of the 30-foot tides, strong tidal currents, and the mud has been moderately strong depending on the tides. Reports of a few coho are also being caught as well.
  • These fisheries are part of the Upper Cook Inlet Personal Use permit. An Upper Cook Inlet Personal Use permit is required in addition to a sport fishing license. Only Alaska residents may participate in this fishery. Upper Cook Inlet Personal Use permit harvest and participation must be reported online no later than August 31 through the ADF&G harvest reporting webpage.

Rainbow Trout, grayling, and Dolly Varden

• Fishing for rainbows on the Parks Highway streams will improve as the water continues to drop and clear up.
• You could try Willow, Montana, Kashwitna, Little Willow and Goose creeks. Fish wet flies like wooly buggers, leeches, sculpins and egg sucking leeches, soon beads will be the ticket. Grayling fishing has been good too. They like gold or yellow flies and lures, stick to small sizes. Try bead head nymphs, Elk Hair Caddis, Mayflies, or a good old stone fly.

Northern Pike:

• For road-accessible pike fishing, try the Nancy Lake Recreation Area lakes, Big Lake, Long Lake near Willow. Lalen and Visnaw also have pike in them.
• Boat-accessible pike fishing can be found in the side sloughs of the Deshka River, Alexander Creek, Fish Creek (Kroto Slough), and Hewitt Lake.
• For fly-in pike fishing try Alexander Lake, Shell Lake, Eightmile Lake, Trapper Lake, Flathorn Lake, and Sucker Lake.

Local Lakes

• Reports of big rainbows being caught in Lucille Lake have continued to come in all summer.
• Bonnie lakes have reports of good grayling catch.
• Memory and Knik have had good catch rates since it was restocked this spring.
• Summit lake up in Hatchers Pass is now fully open.
• Highly popular lakes with good access include Kepler/Bradley, Loberg, Lucile, Finger, and Matanuska.
• See the Alaska Lake Database for driving directions and stocking information on our webpage.

Emergency Orders

Please review emergency orders and advisory announcements before heading out on your next fishing trip:

Don't forget to purchase your 2026 sport fishing license and king stamp! You can purchase and display your fishing license and king stamp, record your annual harvest (i.e. king salmon), access sport fishing regulations and locations, and so much more on your mobile device. Download the ADF&G Mobile App today. You can also purchase licenses through the ADF&G online store and print it off from the comfort of your own home.

Make sure to review emergency orders, advisory announcements, and the 2026 Southcentral Alaska 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.