Sport Fish Area Fishing Report
Mat-Su

Current Report

Current Sport Fish Area Fishing Report

July 23, 2014

Northern Cook Inlet area

Week of July 23 to July 29
Issued July 23, 2014

Emergency Orders and regulation reminders

• King salmon fishing closed on July 13 for all northern and western Cook Inlet area waters, except for the Eklutna Tailrace.
• Fish Creek is open to dipnetting for salmon (except kings) beginning Friday July 25 until 11:00 p.m., Thursday, July 31. Dipnetting is only allowed between 6:00 a.m. and 11:00 p.m. Remember to carry your dip net permit, clip your fish’s fins, and mark them on your permit before concealing from view or transporting them from your fishing site. Plan on packing your fish out, respect private property, and please don’t use 4-wheelers on the stream bank, or to cross Fish Creek.
• 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 2014 Alaska Sport Fishing Regulations.
• Bait is now allowed in many – but not all – Susitna River tributaries. Check for exceptions to the general regulations before heading out.
• Anglers are reminded that bait is not allowed on the Little Susitna River until August 6, and the daily bag and possession limit for silver salmon is two fish.
• Wasilla Creek and Cottonwood Creek are weekend-only fisheries, from 6:00 a.m. through 6:00 p.m., Saturday and Sunday. Wasilla Creek is open to fishing for salmon, other than king salmon, from its mouth upstream to the Alaska Railroad bridge; and Cottonwood Creek from its mouth upstream one mile. Motorized watercraft may not be used on Wasilla Creek on Saturday and Sundays, July 15 - August 15.

Fresh waters

Salmon

• Pink and chum salmon are now well distributed throughout Susitna and Little Susitna drainage streams. A large run of pinks is expected as it is an even year, which means this is a good year to introduce a kid to salmon fishing. Over 40,000 pinks have now passed through the Deshka weir. Pinks and chums are also strong in numbers along Parks Highway streams north to Talkeetna, with the occasional silver salmon mixed in. Try the mouths and lower sections of Willow, Little Willow, Kashwitna, Sheep, Caswell, and Montana creeks. For those with a boat, salmon fishing at Clear Creek of the Talkeetna River has been good.
• Fishing is expected to be good this next weekend for red salmon on Cottonwood Creek. Also try Jim Creek. For those with a boat, Larson Creek on the Talkeetna and Lake Creek of the Yentna River are both good places to fish for reds this week.
• Expect some silvers at the mouths of Deshka River and Alexander Creek. To date, about 500 silvers have crossed the Deshka weir.
• Silver fishing is picking up at the Little Susitna and are becoming more regular at the Eklutna Tailrace.
• Silvers should start showing soon in Wasilla Creek / Rabbit Slough.
• On the west side of Cook Inlet, silvers are entering the Chuit and Theodore rivers. Once you take your limit of silver salmon in this area you must stop fishing for the day.

Trout, Dolly Varden, Grayling

• Fishing for rainbow trout on Parks Highway streams from Willow Creek north is good. Fishing for Dolly Varden and Arctic grayling should be fair.

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, Tainiana, 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

• Over 80 lakes are stocked in the Mat-Su. To view the recent stocking records, please visit our website at: http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=SportStockingHatcheriesSearch.main .
• Rainbow trout fishing has been excellent, try Slipper (Eska), Ravine, Long Lake (mile 86 Glenn HWY), Matanuska, South Friend, Knik, Lorraine, Lalen, and South Rolly Lakes.