Area Sport Fishing Reports
Anchorage

September 08, 2017

Week of September 8 to September 15

General Area Description: All waters draining into the east side of Knik arm south of, and including, the Eklutna River drainage, and all waters draining into the north and west sides of Turnagain Arm, and all waters draining into the south side of Turnagain Arm east of, and including, Ingram Creek.

Regulation Reminders and Emergency Orders

• Before you go fishing ALWAYS review the 2017 Sport Fishing Regulations and have a current 2017 sport fishing license - available for purchase at the ADF&G Online Store. Your valid sport fishing license is required to be carried on you while you are sport fishing.
• Ship Creek is only open to salmon fishing (except king salmon) from the mouth to a cable 100 feet below the Chugach Power Plant Dam. The remainder of the creek up to 300 feet above the Elmendorf Power Plant Dam, near the William Jack Hernandez Sport Fish Hatchery, is CLOSED YEAR ROUND to ALL fishing. Per Emergency Order No. 2-SS-2-40-17: effective 5:00 p.m. Friday August 25, 2017, the bag limit for coho (silver) salmon in Ship Creek has been increased to six fish per day.
• Campbell Creek is open to fishing for coho salmon from the Dimond Boulevard Bridge up to Shelikof Street and also from Lake Otis Parkway Bridge to ADF&G markers near Piper Street. The area between Shelikof Street and Lake Otis Parkway Bridge is always CLOSED to ALL fishing. Above Piper Street, there is no salmon fishing allowed and there is no retention of rainbow trout or steelhead trout allowed. Besides coho salmon in select areas, no other salmon species may be targeted or retained anywhere on Campbell Creek. Check the 2017 Southcentral Sport Fishing Regulations Summary booklet for specific details and a map of the open areas.
• Chester Creek is currently open to fishing for rainbow trout and Dolly Varden. SALMON FISHING IS NOT ALLOWED ON CHESTER CREEK.
• Bird Creek is currently open to salmon fishing, except king salmon, from the mouth to a regulatory marker about 500 yards upstream. Salmon limits (except king salmon) are three per day, three in possession, if 16 inches or greater. The bag limit for salmon less than 16 inches in length is 10 per day, 10 in possession. Bird Creek is CLOSED to ALL salmon fishing above the regulation markers, located approximately 500 yards upstream from the mouth. Please obey regulation and private property signs.
• Symphony Lake is currently open to fishing. Arctic Grayling limits are five per day, five in possession; only one fish may be greater than 12 inches in length.
• Stocked lakes in the Anchorage area are open year around to fishing.

Bag and possession limits by species for STOCKED LAKES in the Anchorage Management Area
Arctic Char/ Dolly  Varden	five per day and five in possession
Chinook	five per day and five in possession
Rainbow Trout	five per day and five in possession, only one fish may be 20 inches or  longer

• It is always a good idea to refresh your fish identification skills prior to heading out. In stocked lakes an angler is only allowed one rainbow trout over 20 inches you may want to keep a measuring tape and pen in you tackle box. A rainbow trout that is 20 inches or greater in length must be immediately recorded on the back of your sport fishing license or on your harvest record card, if applicable, prior to leaving the site.

Stream Fishing

Salmon

• All waters in the Anchorage Management Area are currently CLOSED to king salmon fishing.
• Ship Creek: Coho salmon fishing continues to be steady but more and more fish are blush in color. Less fresh fish are entering the fishery although every once in while anglers are still picking up a nice chrome. Anglers fishing roe under a slip bobber have been having better luck filling their stringers on the incoming and outgoing tides. Spinners have been producing well when the tide is high and the water is slack. The current coho bag limit from the mouth to the cable 100 feet below the Chugach Power Plant dam has been increased to six fish per day by Emergency Order. Possession limit remains at six per day.
• Bird Creek: Fishing is still good for coho salmon although it is starting to taper off and more blush fish are being caught. Anglers drifting roe during the rising and falling tide, and then casting spinners during high tide, have reported being successful. The numbers of chum and pink salmon continue to decline; however, they are still present in the fishery.
• Campbell Creek: Coho salmon fishing success continues to be variable and highly dependent on precipitation. Coho are distributed throughout the system but anglers are having to work to find the more chrome fish. Coho can be found holding in deep pools and slow bends. Drifting roe under a float or slip bobber has been the technique of choice. Be aware that habitat restoration work has been conducted on Campbell Creek. Please obey all signs and stay on designated trails in these areas to reduce damaging the freshly restored areas. This restoration work is going to help improve fish habitat on the creek. Two new fishing platforms have been installed on the creek. One is located at the Dimond Street Bridge and one is at Arctic Boulevard, two places known to hold coho.

Trout/Dolly Varden

• Trout fishing should be good on Chester and Campbell creeks.Try fishing egg patterns behind holding or spawning salmon. Small bright flies in silver and orange have also been working well for trout species.

Lake Fishing

• The William Jack Hernandez Sport Fish Hatchery has recently stocked Anchorage area lakes with catchable rainbow trout. Lakes to check out include: Cheney, Jewel, and Delong. Freshly stocked rainbow trout tend to stay in large schools and are not very picky when it comes to food. This is an excellent opportunity to get young kids out to fish as catching can be steady at times.
• Anchorage area lakes have begun to shift into fall fishing mode. Stocked trout become more active as the lakes start to slowly cool and Arctic char begin to move into shallower water. Black leeches and bead-head nymphs have been top producers for fly fishers. Small spinners work especially well during the fall.
• Symphony Lake has been reported as excellent fishing. Stripping small streamers and nymphs will be the most productive method for catching fish, as grayling will be looking to feed subsurface as water temperatures begin to drop. Try fishing the lake inlet for larger sized fish, just remember only one fish over 12 inches may be retained.

Fishing Tip: To improve your success in local stocked lakes review the lake bathymetric (bottom depth profile) map online. These maps can reveal structure and other locations where fish may likely be. Often a little walk or getting away from the crowd will provide rewards to the adventuring fishermen.

Northern Pike

• There are very few opportunities for Northern Pike in Anchorage as they are not native to the region. ADF&G has taken steps to keep pike out of Anchorage lakes. Lower Fire Lake is the closest place to find Northern pike in the Anchorage Area. Try a mouse pattern for some fun action. If you catch a Northern Pike in the Anchorage area, please contact the ADF&G Sport Fish Division immediately at 267-2218.

If you are successful and would like to report a catch, please contact the Sport Fish Information Center at 267-2218.