Dip netting and sockeye salmon fisheries provide harvest

When I talked with Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) Fishery Biologist, Samantha Oslund on Monday it sounded like Upper Cook Inlet dip net fisheries and sport fishing opportunities focussed on sockeye salmon may provide some of the better opportunities for Mat-Su angler to harvest salmon. Oslund mentioned that up to this point silver (coho) salmon harvests in ADF&G test net fisheries and in Upper Cook Inlet commercial fisheries had yet to show any significant abundance of the Mat-Su Valley’s most popular sport fish.

Fish Creek Personal Use Dip Net Fishery

When this article appears in the Friday newspaper there will be 3 days remaining (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday) for this popular fishery located near mile 16 off of Knik Goose Bay Road. Many Fish Creek dip netters like to focus their effort within two hours before to two hours after high tide — or right after the fishery opens at 6 a.m. each day. Fish Creek sockeye salmon escapements have continued at solid numbers since the dip net fishery opened on July 21, so solid numbers of salmon have been available for harvest and should continue through the last day of the fishery on July 31. While high water levels may have negatively affected other Mat-Su fisheries during the past week, the additional water may have encouraged sockeye migration up this small stream and thereby increased harvest opportunity.

Lower Susitna River Personal Use Dip Net Fishery

As reported in the July 22 fishing column, high water has provided additional challenges to this fishery, but with drier weather forecasted through the weekend, Susitna River drainage water levels may be closer to normal for the last day of the fishery on July 30. This fishery is normally accessed by boat from Deshka Landing or airplanes which land on exposed gravel bars along the Susitna River. The high water had previously covered most of the gravel bars where the airplane-access dip netters normally land and fish. It appears likely some of these gravel bars will once again be accessible by Saturday, however, pilots may want to make an additional pass or two to check landing areas and proceed with caution. Sockeye salmon, coho salmon, pink salmon, and chum salmon will all be available in harvestable numbers on the final day of the fishery — July 30.

Mat-Su personal use fisheries are open from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. and an Upper Cook Inlet Personal Use Permit is required to participate.

Kenai River Personal Use Fishery

By Emergency Order this fishery is now open 24 hours per day, with the highest number of sockeye salmon available for harvest in the entire Upper Cook Inlet area. Kenai River is also known for having the largest sockeye salmon in the area, and Samantha Oslund told me people had been sending her photos of large Kenai River Sockeye they had harvested recently. The fishery runs through July 31.

Kasilof River Personal Use Fishery

Run timing is usually earlier for this fishery than other Upper Cook Inlet sockeye fisheries, however, there has been a very robust sockeye return to the Kasilof River this year and the dip netting opportunity remains open through August 7.

Sockeye Salmon Sport Fishing Hotspots

In the Mat-Su anglers may want to try lower Cottonwood Creek (weekends only), Jim Creek, Eklutna Tailrace, Larson Creek (Talkeetna River drainage), and Lake Creek (Yentna River drainage). On the Kenai Peninsula Kasilof and Kenai River have large numbers of sockeye with liberalized bag limits.

August is Coho Month in the Mat-Su Valley

While Valley coho salmon sport fisheries are off to a slow start better catches will occur in the coming week as coho migration numbers increase. High water levels have flooded both Deshka River and Little Susitna River weirs, and weir-measured coho salmon escapements show zeros on dates when some coho salmon and other salmon passage likely occurred. ADF&G is working to get these weirs operational as soon as possible and counts should start showing positive numbers within 24 hours of the weirs being fish-tight once again. In the coming week expect the best coho salmon harvests to occur in areas closer to saltwater, but as high waters recede also expect some coho to start showing up in the Parks Highway tributary streams to the Susitna river. Confluence waters are often some of the most productive areas — and especially during the first week of August. August 6 has double significance this year, as it is the opening day bait fishing on Little Susitna River downstream of the Parks Highway AND August 6 /7 are youth fishery days on Fish Creek off Knik Goose Bay Road — on these two days the fishery will be for youth anglers under 16 years of age only. A few coho salmon have already been counted past the Fish Creek weir, so I would expect high numbers of sockeye and decent numbers of coho to be available for the Fish Creek youth fishery.

Good Luck and Fish On!

Andy Couch is a Mat-Su Valley fishing guide who primarily targets ocean-run salmon during summer months. You can read daily fishing reports on his Fishtale River Guides website: https://www.fish4salmon.com