Area Sport Fishing Reports
Mat-Su

August 16, 2022

ADF&G News

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Local Lakes

• Matanuska Lake is a good place to troll deep for char and pick up some nice rainbow trout.
• Try Seymour for a chance at big rainbows, but do not expect to catch many. The patient angler is rewarded on this lake.
• Lucile and Finger lakes are good places to catch many rainbows, and good-sized fish.
• Canoe Lake is a good place to target grayling and some nice rainbows.
• Long Lake in the Matanuska Lakes system is a catch and release, single-hook lake with good rainbow fishing.
• If you want a 4-wheel adventure, grab the rods, and try Wishbone Lake (catch and release, single-hook), or Ruby Lake.

Freshwater Fishing

Salmon

• Fish Creek, Wasilla Creek, and Cottonwood Creek coho fishing has been good. These fisheries are weekend – only from 5:00a.m.-10:00p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
• Jim Creek is now closed Mondays and Tuesdays, and fishing is only allowed between 5am-10pm on Wednesdays through Sundays through the remainder of the season.
• Little Su waters are coming back down and anglers’ success rates are climbing.
• Parks Highway streams are also clearing up as waters recede. Fishing for coho has been fair to good. Try the mouths and lower sections of Willow, Little Willow, Kashwitna, Sheep, Caswell, Montana, Sunshine, and the Talkeetna River.
• Deshka coho fishing has been good, anglers are catching fish at the mouth and in all the usual holes up river as the fish progress to the spawning grounds.
• Try the lower sloughs of the Yentna, such and Moose and Indian creeks, and also at Lake Creek. Coho fishing is expected to pick up in these areas this weekend and into next week.
• Coho fishing out of Big Su landing (Kashwitna mouth) has been good and getting better each day.
• Its time to start fishing the Talkeetna area for coho. Try Clear Creek mouth by boat out of the Talkeetna boat launch, but don’t forget about Sunshine Creek off the Parks Highway.

Northern Pike

• Anglers may retain as many northern pike as they catch - there is no bag or possession limit. In freshwaters of West Cook Inlet, Knik, the Susitna River drainage, anglers are not allowed to release live pike back into the water.
• Roadside, try Nancy, Big, Horseshoe, and Rainbow lakes. Fly-in to Trapper, Shell, Alexander, or Sucker lakes.

Rainbow Trout, Dolly Varden, Grayling

• Parks Highway streams fishing is improving as the waters clear up for rainbow trout. Try floating upper Willow Creek or Montana. If you are on foot, most Parks Highway streams are accessible at the bridge and water levels are dropping.
• With salmon of various species actively spawning, now is a good time to drift glo bug patterns or eggs for aggressive rainbow trout action behind spawning salmon. Check with the local bait and tackle shops for various colors and sizes of bead or egg patterns. With the abundance of eggs in-river right now rainbows can be picky.
• Flesh flies, and cotton candy will be good as fall fast approaches and rainbows search for flesh. Don’t rule out a strike indicator, they can be very helpful with hook sets.

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-R-2-19-22 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 may be 20 inches or greater in length. The bag and possession limit for Arctic grayling is five fish, no size limit. This emergency order is effective for the 2022 season.
• Emergency Order 2-DV-2-13-22 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. Saturday, December 31, 2022.

Don’t forget to purchase your 2022 sport fishing license and king stamp! Purchase your 2022 sport fishing license and king stamp through the ADF&G online store and print it off from the comfort of your own home. Also, make sure to review emergency order, advisory announcements, and the 2022 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.