Area Sport Fishing Reports
Mat-Su

July 17, 2025

Freshwater Fishing

• Coho are just starting to move up the Little Su as well as chum and sockeye salmon.
• Parks highway streams fishing for pinks, chums, and coho will improve as we move later into July, you may get lucky fishing the confluences of the highway streams and the Susitna.
• Try the weekend only fishery at the mouth of Cottonwood Creek for sockeye this weekend. It’s open to fishing 5 a.m.-10 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.
• Jim Creek is open to salmon fishing (other than kings) and should start producing catches now. Now is the time to hit it for sockeye.
• A few coho have been caught just down from the Eklutna Tailrace in the waters of the Knik, it won’t be long and catches from shore will improve.

Rainbow Trout

• Fishing for rainbows on the Parks Highway streams is good. 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, Griffith Gnats, Elk Hair Caddis, Mayflies, or Stimulators.
• Willow Creek has multiple access points off Willow Fishhook Road. Montana Creek may be accessed at several locations off the Talkeetna Spur Road; single day float trips are popular on Willow and Montana creeks.
• Further north, tributaries of the Chulitna, such as Honolulu Creek and Byers Creek should also provide good rainbow trout opportunity.

Personal Use – Alaska Resident only fisheries

• The Susitna personal use dipnet fishery is now open on the lower Susitna River. This fishery runs 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. on Saturdays and Wednesdays only from July 10 to 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. Access is by boat or plane only.
• Fish Creek sockeye are starting to come through and counts are posted online. This personal use dipnet fishery opens by emergency order when the run projection is in excess of 35,000 sockeye. Stay tuned and see our Emergency Order web page, you can subscribe to announcements.

Northern Pike

• For road-accessible pike fishing, try the Nancy Lake Recreation Area lakes, Big Lake, Long Lake near Willow, Memory, and Prator Lakes.
• 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

Lake fishing has been consistently excellent. There are almost 90 stocked lakes in the Mat-Su. Visit the Alaska Lake Database to find a wild or stocked lake near you.

Sport Fishing Angler Access Sites:

• Sheep Creek Slough: walk in angler access and camping are OPEN.
• Susitna Landing (Kashwitna): Boat Launch & Campground are OPEN.
  • Campground reservations are only available online: Alaska Department of Fish and Game
  • Boat Launch & Day Use Parking payment via T2 kiosk (Credit Card Only)
  • Season Boat Launch passes can only be purchased in person at the Palmer ADFG office.
• Bonnie Lake: Boat Launch OPEN, Day Use Only.
• Caswell Creek: Walk in angler access and camping are OPEN.
• Eklutna Tailrace, Facility is OPEN, Day Use Only.
• Little Susitna Public Use Facility (LSPUF): Boat Launch & Campground are OPEN.
  • Campground reservations are only available online: Alaska Department of Fish and Game
  • Boat Launch & Day Use Parking payment via T2 kiosk (Credit Card Only)

Don't forget to purchase your 2025 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 2025 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.