Coho opportunities still available

Although angler participation has dropped off considerably, and artificial lures are now required while fishing Units 1-6 of the Susitna River drainage, prospecting anglers may still strike chrome-colored silver (coho) salmon in Mat-Su Valley fisheries. This year is certainly offering one of the better opportunities I’ve seen for late season coho salmon catching.

Talkeetna River drainage

Margo Nealis of Phantom Tri River Charters reported on Thursday that there were still good numbers of silver salmon available, but the season is winding down and people have to pick through darker fish to find the good ones. Margo mentioned that the Talkeetna Boat Launch is still usable, but the river has been dropping quickly. Charter guests have not yet caught many fall rainbow trout, but that could change quickly.

Margo mentioned they were not planning to wind their season down by late September for trout charters. From more information you may give Phantom Tri River Charters in Talkeetna a call at 733-2400.

Susitna Landing

Joe and Marilynn Rouswell at Susitna Landing reported a fair number of anglers bank fishing from the landing this weekend. People were catching silver salmon, but less of them now that artificial lures are required. Joe thought they had maybe had only one angler out fishing since the weekend. Joe also mentioned that the water level is extremely low at this time making it somewhat difficult to launch a boat, he also mentioned that one boater (returning after dark) poked a hole in his boat last weekend.

For up to date conditions you may call Susitna Landing at (907) 495-7700.

Deshka River

Although the total coho escapement past Deshka River weir now stands at 36,869 through Tuesday, with coho continuing to pass through the weir on a daily basis, Weir removal was in progress when I talked with a department spokesperson on Sept. 7. The spawning escapement goal range of 10,200 to 24,100 coho salmon has been exceeded and the limit was earlier increased by emergency order to four coho salmon daily.

Little Susitna River

On Labor Day I guided a trip with four guests looking for chrome-colored silver salmon in the tide zone. My four guests caught a total of three silver salmon while drifting Fire Cured salmon roe under ESB Bobbers. They hooked and lost a few other fish and had a very few additional bites, but fishing was scratchy at best, and we covered lots of prime holes to catch the three fish.

The following day I guided two groups of guests and fished upstream of the Little Susitna River Public Use Facility. We caught more salmon on both trips, with some chrome fish with sea-lice taken on each trip, however, most of the fish upstream of the launch have already developed darker spawning colors and we released several dark fish.

Little Susitna River coho salmon counts of fish passing through the Alaska Department of Fish and Game weir have remained strong for this time in the season. The most recent daily count at the writing of this article was 340 coho salmon passing on Wednesday.

The season total coho count is 16,777 fish through Wednesday with weir removal scheduled for Sept. 11. The spawning escapement goal of 10,100 to 17,700 coho salmon has already been met, and may possibly even be exceeded before the weir is removed for the season.

The coho salmon limit remains at two fish per person in this fishery.

Fish Creek

ADF&G’s Fish Creek weir has seen a surge of coho salmon this week with passage of 926 coho salmon on Tuesday and passage of another 205 on Wednesday.

The season coho total for this weir is now 7,525 salmon with a goal range of 1,200 to 4,400 coho salmon. By earlier emergency order this fishery is now open seven days per week with a four coho salmon daily limit. Bait use is allowed. According to an ADF&G spokesperson the Fish Creek weir will likely be removed some time next week.

Jim Creek

The Jim Creek fishery remains open on Wednesdays through Sundays each week, with daily fishing hours of 5 a.m. to 10 p.m.

The coho salmon limit remains at two fish daily and bait is allowed.

The largest coho salmon daily weir count of the season occurred on Sept. 6 with passage of 754 fish. The season total coho salmon count for ADF&G’s Jim Creek weir is 4,756 fish, and at this time the department has no weir-based escapement goal for Jim Creek coho salmon.

As mentioned in last week’s column Jim Creek often provides one of the better later season opportunities to harvest chrome-colored coho salmon in the Mat-Su Valley. The Jim Creek weir was removed on Aug. 21 and Aug. 22 the past couple years and will likely be removed at a similar time in 2017 according to an ADF&G spokesperson.

This column may be the last time I’ll discuss current salmon fishing condition in the Mat-Su Valley. Next week I hope to provide a season perspective of the 2017 Mat-Su Valley salmon fisheries.

Andy Couch is a Mat-Su Valley salmon fishing guide, and is also a member of the Matanuska Susitna Borough Fish and Wildlife Commission and the Matanuska Valley Fish and Game Advisory Committee.