Coho salmon and trout

Little Susitna River achieves coho goal, bait and bag limit restored

Over this past weekend enough coho salmon swan past the Little Susitna River weir to meet the coho salmon escapement goal of 9,100 to 17,700 fish. With enough fish to meet the escapement goal the Alaska Department of Fish and Game opened the fishery to bait and restored the coho bag limit to two per day. On Monday August 24 another 1,084 swam past the weir raising the total number past the weir through Monday to 10,065 fish. Since I did not have any charters scheduled for Tuesday, my wife, Chuck Ashmun, and I took boat trip from Little Susitna River Public Use Facility in search or ocean-fresh coho salmon. We each caught a limit of coho salmon on salmon roe fished under bobbers, however, we only caught two coho salmon that could be considered chrome in color. Most of the fish were getting dark and some were downright red in color. Still it is good to see decent numbers of coho salmon finally migrating upstream past the Little Susitna River weir.

People where out fishing from the bank and from boats on Tuesday (which was also the opening day of moose season) at this location. After a mostly slow season it was good to see solid numbers of people out using this recreation site.

Jim CreekMike Hudson with 3 Rivers Fly and Tackle told me on Monday that anglers were having good success in the Knik River drainage around the mouth of Jim Creek. Mike said the pictures people had been showing him where of good quality salmon. Remember there are special regulations for this location. The fishery is only open between the hours of 5 a.m. and 10 p.m. and fishing is only allowed on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday each week. There was a large number of silver salmon available a this fishery at the start of the week.

Eklutna Tailrace and Fish CreekSilver salmon area usually available a Eklutna Tailrace every day now through early October. I’ve seen a rare chrome-bright silver salmon taken from the tailrace in early October. Best late-season catches are often made near the tailrace confluence with the Knik River, and early morning hours often produce the most action.

This is one of a few locations near the Mat-Su core area where anglers are allowed a bag limit of three silver salmon per day. The other location is Fish Creek near Knik-Goose Bay Road where ADF&G increased the bag limit to three per day in response to coho salmon escapement in excess of the escapement goal.

The Fish Creek fishery was also liberalized to allow seven-day-per-week fishing. Both locations allow the use of bait through Dec. 31.

Parks Highway salmon and trout: Last weekend of bait fishingWhen I talked with Steve at Susitna Landing on Tuesday he had been out catching some salmon from the bank. He reported catching some nice chrome coho salmon, and mentioned that people had also been catching some trout. Steve mentioned that while their electrical campsites were selling out they had quite a few nonelectrical campsites available for this weekend.

Farley Dean with Willow Creek Resort told me the pink salmon were being washed downstream by run off from the recent rain and he expected trout fishing to pick up through freeze up.

With pink salmon carcasses and spawn so readily available the trout had plenty to eat, but would likely become more aggressive feeders once again since the glut of food was being washed away. Farley also mentioned that silver salmon were starting to show up in better numbers following a slow start to the season. He mentioned they have plenty of campsites available this weekend.

Bait fishing is set to close for the season on the Susitna River drainage starting Sept. 1.

Fishing pressure will likely be light over the last weekend in August as hunting seasons and school have already started people drawing people away from their summer fishing activity. After bait fishing closes on Tuesday Sept. 1, fishing will become an even lonelier activity at some of the best Parks Highway streams and confluence areas with the Susitna River.

PikeFor those looking to catch fish other than salmon and trout, Mike Hudson mentioned that the Nancy Lake system has been producing some good pike fishing lately. Remember, you may harvest pike without limit. Infact regulations require that these nonnative fish may not be returned to the water alive. Despite this regulation, pike populations continue to provide significant opportunity in a number of Mat-Su Valley lakes. Some of the largest pike of the season are taken in either the spring or fall.

Good luck and Fish on!

Andy Couch is a local salmon fishing guide who provides Mat-Su Valley fishing reports throughout the season on his Fishtale River Guides website. See Fishing Reports at https.//www.fish4salmon.com