Area Sport Fishing Reports
Mat-Su

May 25, 2023

Local Lakes

• Lakes recently stocked with catchable rainbow trout include Anderson, Canoe, Echo, Kepler/Bradley, Lucile, and Memory. Try small pieces of shrimp under a bobber or small flies. These fish will hit aggressively on small spoons or spinners as well.
• Stay tuned to our webpage for more information as additional Mat-Su lakes are stocked throughout this week.

Freshwater Fishing

• The Eklutna Tailrace is open for those eager to wet a line for king salmon. It is early; typically, the first kings are caught near the end of May/early June.
• The Little Susitna Public Use Facility boat launch and campground are open. Some early kings could be caught this weekend and as a reminder, only catch-and-release fishing for king salmon (any size) is allowed on the Little Su (see below emergency orders for additional king restrictions and closures in the Matsu area).

Northern Pike

• Try Big Lake, Memory, or Prator lakes. Stick to the grassy areas where these fish spawn. This is a great time of year to try bowfishing. Try top-water lures or weedless leeches.
• If you want a boat trip for pike try the side channel sloughs of the Deshka River, Fish Creek (Kroto Slough), or Moose and Indian creeks on the Yentna River.

Rainbow Trout

• Rainbow fishing will pick up along Parks Highway streams from Willow Creek north to Montana Creek once the water clears up. Currently the waters are running high and muddy. Try smolt patterns, leaches, wooly buggers, apricot beads, and sculpins. Note that many flowing waters along the Parks Highway are catch-and-release only for rainbow trout until June 15.
• Anglers are reminded that flowing waters in the Palmer-Wasilla Zone are CLOSED to all fishing until June 15. This includes Cottonwood Creek off Seward Meridian.
• Deception Creek is closed to all fishing until June 15.

Hooligan

• Dipnetting for hooligan in the lower Susitna River should continue to be good through this weekend but will dry up soon. Boat down from Deshka Landing and look for gulls as they give away the location hooligan can be found along sandbars where they spawn. Most hooligan are found downstream from the mouth of the Deshka River down to below the Yentna confluence. Also try fishing in the lower Yentna River itself. This is primarily a boat fishery. Dipping from the road system has limited success; try fishing the Susitna just downstream of the mouth of Willow Creek.
• You must hold an Alaskan resident sport fishing license to use a dipnet to catch hooligan. You may take as many hooligan as you will use.

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.