Area Sport Fishing Reports
Mat-Su

Archived Sport Fishing Report

July 06, 2023

Local Lakes

This is a good time of year to fish alpine lakes. Enjoy the mountain views and get in some good fishing. Lakes with a view include Knob, and North Knob, Ruby and Wishbone, Weiner, Ravine, Summit, and Long Lake (mile 86 Glenn Highway).

Freshwater Fishing

King Salmon

• The Eklutna Tailrace is the only area open to king harvest in the Northern Cook Inlet management area. This is a stocked fishery where you can use bait and multiple hooks. Fishing has been good at the mouth of the Tailrace. Try drifting bait under a bobber or a variety of lures in sizes 3-5. Kodiak customs, Vibrax, and pixies work well.
• Lake Creek catch and release fishing for king salmon continues to be fair to slow, this fishery is tailing off.

Sockeye Salmon

• It is still a little early for sockeye fishing in the Mat-Su but below are a few places open to try out this week.
• Fish Creek is open this Saturday and Sunday from 5am-10pm, July 8-9 and will close after the 9^th to sport fishing until the first week in August in the event enough sockeye are counted to open the personal use dip net fishery (see below). The weir was recently installed, and counts are available online.
• Cottonwood Creek is also a weekend-only fishery on Saturday and Sundays from 5am-10pm.
• Jim Creek is open to fishing for all species except king salmon through July 31. Restrictions on time and days does not start on Jim Creek until coho season – August 1.

Northern Pike

• Anglers may retain as many pike as they catch - there is no bag or possession limit. In the freshwaters of West Cook Inlet the Knik Arm, and Susitna River drainage, anglers are not allowed to release live pike back into the water.
• For road-accessible pike fishing, try the Nancy Lake Recreation Area lakes, Big Lake, Long Lake near Willow, Memory and Prator lakes.
  • For boat accessible pike fishing, try the side channel sloughs of the Deshka River, Fish Creek (Kroto Slough), or Moose and Indian creeks on the Yentna River.
• For fly-in pike fishing try Alexander, Shell, Eightmile, Trapper, Flathorn, and Sucker lakes.

Personal Use (Alaska Residents only):

• The Fish Creek weir was recently installed, and no sockeye have been counted yet. Personal use dipnet fishery will open by Emergency Order only and remains closed at this time. Typically, this fishery opens the last week in July.
• The Susitna personal use dipnet fishery will start next Wednesday, July 12 on the lower Susitna River. This fishery runs 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. on Saturdays and Wednesdays by regulation 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. Boaters new to the Susitna are urged to use caution when navigating to this fishery, which is only accessible by boat.
  • This fishery is 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 15 through the ADF&G harvest reporting webpage.

See page 15 of the 2023 Southcentral Alaska Sport Fishing Regulations Summary booklet for more info on this personal use fishery.

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 the infamous egg sucking leech.
• 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.

Emergency Orders

Please review the emergency orders and advisory announcements below in their entirety before heading out on your next fishing trip.

• Emergency Order 2-KS-2-07-23 restricts fishing for king salmon in the Little Susitna River to catch-and-release only and sport fishing gear is restricted to one unbaited, single-hook, artificial lure. This emergency order is effective through 11:59 p.m. Thursday, July 13, 2023.
• Emergency Order 2-KS-2-05-23 closes sport fishing for king salmon in the Susitna River drainage, except for the Yentna River. Fishing for king salmon (any size) is closed in units 1,2,3,5, and 6 of the Susitna River. Unit 4 (Yentna River drainage) of the Susitna River is open to catch-and-release fishing only. Sport fishing gear is limited to one unbaited, single-hook, artificial lure in all flowing waters of the Susitna River drainage. This emergency order is in effect through 11:59 p.m. Thursday, July 13, 2023.
• Emergency Order 2-KS-2-06-23 closes all waters of the West Cook Inlet Management Area to sport fishing for king salmon, including catch and release fishing. The area affected by this Emergency Order includes all freshwater drainages flowing into Cook Inlet from Cape Douglas north to the Susitna River. This emergency order is in effect through 11:50 p.m. Friday, June 30, 2023.
• Emergency Order 2-R-2-02-23 adds Leech, Summit, Zero, Kings, and Anderson lakes to the list of lakes stocked with hatchery fish. The bag and possession limit for rainbow trout in these lakes is five fish, of which only one maybe 20 inches or greater in length. The bag and possession limit for Arctic grayling is five fish, with no size limit. This emergency order is effective for the 2023 season.
• Emergency Order 2-DV-2-01-23 prohibits the retention of Arctic char/Dolly Varden in the Fish Creek (Big Lake) drainage. This emergency order is in effect through 11:59 p.m. Sunday, December 31, 2023.

Don’t forget to purchase your 2023 sport fishing license and king stamp! These can be purchased through the ADF&G online store and printed off from the comfort of your own home. Also, make sure to review emergency orders, advisory announcements, and the 2023 Southcentral Alaska Sport Fishing Regulations Summary booklet for the area you are fishing in before you head out.

For additional information, please contact the ADF&G Palmer Area Office at (907) 746-6300.