Fishing in the Mat-Su Valley

WASILLA— Fishing in the Mat-Su Valley offers a variety of opportunities with numerous accessible areas that are just a short drive away for both core and outer region residents.

Alaska Department of Fish and Game area management biologist, Samuel Ivey gave a virtual presentation covering a variety of fishing topics pertaining to the Valley Wednesday, July 14 during a Meadow Lakes Community Council meeting.

“Some people like salmon fishing and some people like fishing for everything. We’re in kind of that lull between king salmon and other salmon right now. Here in just about a week, it will slowly start to pick up,” Ivey said.

Ivey oversees the North and West Cook Inlet Management Areas. He said the Fish and Game stocks over 85 lakes across the Valley, noting that this is the largest stocking program in the state.

“We just have an enormous amount of lakes out here and so we’ve got a lot of opportunities to get those stocked,” Ivey said.

Ivey said there’s a new opportunity for anglers on the lower Susitna River, a dipnet fishery that’s only accessible by boat or airplane that was implemented by the Alaska Board of Fisheries in 2020. He said the Fish and Game manages the fishery. Harvesting is only allowed Wednesdays and Saturdays at this fishery through July since it’s a new program.

“This is a new opportunity for Alaska residents to partake in a local fishery,” Ivey said.

Ivey noted that the Fish Creek personal use fishery is very popular and easily accessible for those living around the core Valley area.

“The folks that participate in it really love it. You don’t have to go to Kenai, you can stay right here,” Ivey said.

King or Chinook salmon are the largest Pacific salmon and a popular prize for residents and non-residents alike, even if it’s just for a photo for catch and release. Kings typically start appearing early to mid-June with thousands of anglers looking to catch one for their summer to-do list.

Ivey said the Fish and Game usually count kings at the Little Susitna River sometime next week.

“We’re flying over kings and we’re counting them… If you see a little red, R-44 helicopter, that would be us,” Ivey said.

According to Ivey, reports of chum and coho are starting to show up. He said to expect more by the end of the month. Coho or silver salmon tend to swim in larger groups than Kings and offer exciting fishing action with their tenacity. He said that August is the primary time to fish for silvers, and they’re the second most popular salmon to fish for in the Valley.

“Cohos are next on the agenda for people who want to go out and sport fish with a rod and a reel,” Ivey said. “If you get in good silver fishing, it seems to be something everyone always remembers.”

The Fish and Game monitors salmon and other fish populations throughout the year and adjusts their guidelines accordingly, putting out emergency orders to liberalize or restrict limits.

“We just went through a king season where we started the season with catch and release everywhere and then we ended up, because of counts, allowing harvests on the Deshka River partway through the season and a little bit later, allowing some king harvests on the lower Susitna River,” Ivey said.

Ivey said that Sockeye salmon are on their way. He said to stay tuned for more updates.

“The sockeyes are just running,” Ivey said.

Ivey said the Little Susitna River is a very popular fishing area that’s really really productive for chum and silvers, and moderately productive for kings.

“Hopefully, we’ll see a good run this year,” Ivey said.

Ivey addressed a recent uptake in illegally stocked fish across various regions, particularly northern pike in stocked and wild systems.

“We try to keep our stocked fisheries pike-free… Just pass the word. If anybody ever thinks about stocking a pike in a lake, they should be aware that it’s a Class A Misdemeanor, a $10,000 fine, and up to a year in jail,” Ivey said. “It’s troubling but it takes place.”

Ivey recommended utilizing the Fish and Game’s online sources, particularly the interactive maps and hatchery pages to check current conditions and stock numbers.

For more information, including a full list of stocked and wild waters in the Valley, visit adfg.alaska.gov.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman reporter Jacob Mann at jacob.mann@frontiersman.com