(Palmer) - The Board of Fisheries (BOF) adopted several proposals establishing new sport fish and personal use regulations for the Northern and Western Cook Inlet fisheries at its Anchorage February 2020 meeting. Regulatory changes are summarized below as a service to anglers, and not as a complete digest of all sport fishing and personal use regulations. The new regulations will take effect with the release of the 2020 Southcentral Alaska Sport Fishing Regulations Summary booklet when it is issued the first week of April 2020. Please see the 2020 booklet for a complete summary of the Northern and Western Cook Inlet sport and personal use fisheries regulations.

Susitna River Personal Use Dip Net Fishery - Alaska Residents Only

• Salmon may be taken by dip net in the Susitna River, only as follows:
  • From July 10 through July 31, on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 6:00 a.m. through 11:00 p.m.
  • Between ADF&G regulatory markers approximately one mile downstream from the Susitna Station downstream to ADF&G markers near the northern tip of Bell Island/Alexander Creek cutoff.
  • Annual limit of 25 for head of household and 10 for each additional household member. King salmon may not be retained, and any king caught may not be removed from the water and must be returned to the water immediately. Any northern pike caught may not be released back into the water alive and may be retained. The household limits are a combination from all five fisheries covered by this permit
  • This fishery is part of the Upper Cook Inlet Personal Use Permit.

Parks Highway Streams within Unit 2 of the Susitna River drainage

• Sport fish anglers may fish for rainbow trout and other resident species seven days per week on the lower sections of these streams that were historically closed to all fishing on days closed to king salmon fishing.

Fish Creek Sport Fishery

• Fish Creek is now open to sport fishing every Saturday and Sunday from 5:00 a.m. through 10:00 p.m. June 15 through July 14 from the mouth of Fish Creek upstream to ADF&G markers located one-quarter mile upstream from the Knik Goose Bay Road.

Northern Pike Fishery

• The following lakes now allow the use of five lines when targeting northern pike through the ice: Stephan Like (Knik Arm), Parker, Whitsol, Ladyslipper, and Amber Lakes (lower Susitna River), Shirley Lake (Willow Creek drainage lake), and Threemile Creek drainage (West Cook Inlet).
• The live release of northern pike is now prohibited in all waters of the Knik Arm.

Big River Lakes (West Cook Inlet)

• Sport fishing is closed on the South Fork upstream of an island located about 1.25 miles of the South Fork confluence with Big River Lake to protect spawning sockeye salmon.

Threemile Lake (West Cook Inlet)

• Sport fishing for fish other than salmon, is now allowed in the entire lake.

For additional information, please contact Area Management Biologist Sam Ivey or Assistant Area Management Biologist Samantha Oslund at (907) 746-6300.

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