Area Sport Fishing Reports
Upper Copper/Upper Susitna
Archived Sport Fishing Report
July 24, 2019
Personal Use
Copper River Chitina Subdistrict is currently open and will remain open through at least Sunday August 4th. Dipnetters may retain a king salmon during the fishery although they are looking old. Parking remains extremely limited at O’Brien Creek and there is no boat launching there. The Copper River water levels are fluctuating several feet up and down but fishing has remained good in the Canyon.
ADF&G encourages and advises all dipnetters to exercise caution and safety when accessing the Copper River and to wear life jackets whether fishing from a boat or shore.
Sport Fishing
Lake trout fishing continues to be productive in area lakes, but higher temperatures are still forcing these fish into deeper, colder waters.
King salmon fishing is closed above the Alyeska Pipeline Bridge on the Tonsina River, above 19.2 mile on the Klutina River, and all waters upstream of the confluence of the Klutina and Copper rivers. King salmon fishing on the Klutina remains slow but reports of good to excellent fishing are coming in from anglers fishing the Tonsina River.
Sockeye fishing on the Klutina River has improved with lower flows but is still on the slower side of average. The bag and possession limit for sockeye salmon in the Copper River drainage is now 6 fish. Sockeye counts are improving at our Gulkana River counting tower so the late run of sockeye salmon on that river is building.
The Copper Basin weather is finally clouding and cooling. Expect glacial rivers to drop while some of our clear streams may have increased flows from rain. Fish behavior will change as water temperatures begin to drop. There should still be plenty of opportunity to catch fish of all species throughout the area.
Check our roadside guide for fishing in the Upper Copper Upper Susitna Management Area. It lists nearly every sport fishery in the area, species present and milepost location.
Stocked Lakes
The second stocking of the season is coming soon.