How good was Mat-Su Valley’s sport salmon fishery in 2022?

In late August, near the end of my Mat-Su charter season for ocean-run salmon, a guest asked, “How was your 2022 fishing season?”

“We had a good August, ” was my assessment.

And that is also how I would assess the mid-May to mid-September season for the entire Mat-Su Valley, “We had a good August.”

King Salmon Highlights

On January 26, 2022 the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) issued emergency orders restricting king salmon fishing in the Little Susitna River drainage and the Susitna River drainage to Catch and Release Only with gear restricted to single-hook artificial lures only in all flowing waters of the Little Susitna River and Susitna River Drainage from May 1 to July 13, 2022. Many may wonder why I list these emergency orders as a season highlight. For all those hoping to participate in the Mat-Su king salmon fishery it stated that there would be a season, and defined how at least the first half of the season would likely be regulated. For ADF&G license and king salmon stamp sales it likely spurred some burst of money coming into the state to help fund some of the Department’s king salmon management projects. For charter and lodging businesses it signaled they could take reservations with assurance for at least the early portion of the king salmon season that a fishery would be available. The earlier Mat-Su king salmon regulations can bee announced the better for all those who would like to plan their vacations, purchases, and what business services they hope to provide.

Eklutna Tailrace/Knik River king salmon fishery, open 24 hours per day, with bait and multiple hooks, for the entire season, with king salmon harvest allowed. Since this is a fishery for stocked king salmon, with no salmon returning to this location needed for egg takes there was assurance that king salmon harvest would be allowed at this location, and that some level of harvest would likely occur.

May 11 — Little Susitna River Weir installed.

May 17 — Ryan Judd caught the first known ocean-run Mat-Su Valley king salmon of the season.

June 1 — Deshka Weir Installed — Installation was delayed by high water level from snowmelt, but only 17 king salmon counted in the first week after weir installation. Final king salmon tally past weir 5,436 on August 8. Escapement Goal of 9,000 — 18,000 not attained by 3,564 fish.

June 16 — ADF&G announces Little Susitna River and Deshka River will close to all king salmon fishing (king salmon may not be targeted) on June 20. Final king salmon count past Little Susitna River Weir 2,237 on August 8. Escapement Goal of 2,100 — 4,300 attained by 138 fish.

June 20 — ADF&G announces entire Susitna River drainage closes to king salmon fishing on July 23.

Other Salmon Highlights 2022

June 20 — although closed to king salmon fishing, Little Susitna River and Deshka River remain open to other species with single-hook artificial lure restriction through July 13.

July 5 — Fish Creek Weir Installed

July 10 — first salmon (other than a king) caught from my guide boat — Little Su coho.

July 15 — first pink salmon caught from my guide boat.

July 21 — first Deshka coho caught from my guide boat.

July 21 —31 Fish Creek Personal Use Dipnet Fishery opened.

July 25 — first charter where my guests caught a chum salmon.

July 29 —Fish Creek Weir removed after morning count. Weir totals 58,351 sockeye (15,000—45,000 Goal). 36 coho (1,200—4,400 Goal)

August 1 — 13 — ADF&G Emergency order opens Fish Creek and liberalizes limit for salmon other than king and coho.

August 2 — Morning — first charter where all my guests caught a limit of coho salmon.

August 6 — Little Susitna River opened to bait fishing as scheduled.

August 8 — Little Susitna River weir flooded by end of day / Final annual coho total 3,162. (9,200 — 17,700 Goal Range)

August 8—Deshka Weir Project Ended after AM count / Final annual coho total 3,168. (10,200 —24,100 Goal Range)

Friday August 12 — guided a morning and afternoon group of 4 guests — all of whom limited on coho at Deshka River.

Saturday August 13 —guided a group of 4 only 3 coho caught —all by the same guest. Deshka coho fishery dropped off dramatically starting this Saturday — 5 days after removal of the weir.

Final Thoughts

With weirs operating during the king salmon season Little Susitna River king salmon escapement was achieved without any king salmon harvest allowed for the sport fishery for the entire season. Deshka River king salmon escapement was far below the goal — even without any sport harvest allowed for the entire season. In the past ADF&G considered the Susitna River drainage to have a king salmon run of 100,00 — 200,000 king salmon annually. This year less than 6,000 king salmon escaped to spawn at Deshka River (with no sport harvest allowed). ADF&G considers Deshka River to get approximately 20% of the entire Susitna River king salmon return annually. If the same scenario were true for 2022, then less the entire Susitna River inriver king salmon return for 2022 may have been less than 30,000 fish. This of course raises the questions — Will there be any sport king salmon fishery at all on the Susitna River drainage in 2023? There appears to be some hope for Little Su — but what kind of king salmon fishery may be allowed there in 2023 —if opportunity is greatly reduced on the Susitna drainage?

Lack of revenue in sport fishing license and king salmon stamp sales gutted the sport fishery budget over the past 3 years. How can these funds be regained for management of important Mat-Su Valley sport fisheries for king salmon and coho salmon?

Yes there was 12 days of dip netting opportunity at Fish Creek, and yes there was also some additional sport opportunity to harvest surplus sockeye salmon there in 2022, however how can sport fishing revenues normally derived from a full summer of Mat-Su salmon fishing harvest opportunities be achieved if there is only about one month of realistic harvest opportunity in most Mat-Su salmon sport fisheries as we saw in 2022?

To be continued next week.

Andy Couch is a Mat-Su Valley fishing guide who primarily targets ocean-run salmon during summer months.