Ice fishing and Mat-Su salmon management tools

Last week I wrote about ice fishing and was advising people to check out ice conditions before venturing out on Mat-Su lakes very far from shore — and particularly in the Palmer - Wasilla core area. Since then I’ve talked with fishing guide, Corey Berg, who has been running a few ice fishing trips recently. He guided one trip out to Knik Lake and reported there was plenty of ice and some good rainbow trout and landlocked salmon that his group caught on small tube jigs. Corey also mentioned that he had been guiding in the Meadow Lakes area, and his guests were having good luck catching some nice rainbow trout. Finally Corey mentioned guiding trips for lake trout out of Lake Louise Lodge — he said the weather is cold up there — but they have been catching some really big lake trout. In passing Corey mentioned reading reports about ice conditions on Big Lake with varying depths from 8 - 12 inches —- but also about one spot with only about 6 inches of ice. So Corey has been conducting trips in the Palmer / Wasilla area by walking groups out on the ice, and has NOT taken anyone with a snowmobile or other vehicle. Be Cautious and Safe.

Two of my nephews also went fishing on a lake in the Kepler - Bradley system during the past week — and on that particular lake there was about 8 inches of ice. They had great luck at the first location they drilled holes. They did not move around the lake and only checked the ice depth at that one spot. Therefore, I still advise anglers to be careful and check ice depth / condition when venturing out at a new location, but hearing these reports has given me more confidence in suggesting NOW could be a prime time to get out and catch some fish. My nephews were using salmon eggs to catch their fish.

Christmas Deal - Price Incentives

In a couple of his outdoor columns Howard Delo mentioned potential Christmas gifts anglers, hunters / shooters, and riders may be delighted to get this year. I may be a bit late in mentioning this, but this time before and even immediately after Christmas is a time when I have often found some of the best sales of an entire year on not just fishing gear, but also outdoor clothing. This year I’ve already found very good buys on clothing for myself and footwear for my wife at Sportsman’s Warehouse in Wasilla. Alaska Industrial Hardware (AIH) in Wasilla is a place we regularly stock up with winter gear deals this time of year as well.

Mat-Su Salmon Management Tools

Last week I mentioned the December 7 meeting with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G)hosted by the Mat-Su Borough Fish and Wildlife Commission. The questions asked by commission members and the answers provided by ADF&G are now listed online on the Borough website and can be found on the Fish and Wildlife Commission meeting page under the PACKET for the Dec 7 meeting.

I found some statements by ADF&G to be quite interesting, one of which was in answer to what kind of research they would like to do. This below specific response was one I and others on the Commission would like to see occur:

Division of Commercial Fisheries: * Restoration of the Genetic Stock Identification (GSI) capture recapture of Susitna River sockeye salmon in conjunction with operation of the Judd, Larsen and Chelatna Lake weirs to estimate Susitna River run size and spawning escapement.

Note that Judd, Larson, and Chelatna Lake weirs are the measurements currently identified to monitor Susitna River sockeye salmon, however, with budget cuts Chelatna Lake weir has not been operated for the past 4 years, and last year the only Susitna sockeye weir operated was at Larsen Lake. Susitna River sockeye salmon is a significant and economically important Upper Cook Inlet salmon stock. It is the 3rd largest salmon sockeye salmon stock in Upper Cook Inlet, trailing only the Kenai River and Kasilof River sockeye. Between 2008 - 2020 it was listed by the Board of Fisheries as a Stock of Concern, and although the stock status has improved to the point it was delisted as a stock of concern in 2020 — it should continue to be monitored. This project ADF&G mentioned above would be the first to monitor a significant portion of the Susitna sockeye return in the past 5 years (all those Susitna River sockeye salmon that spawn in locations other than Judd, Chelatna, and Larson Lakes). Seeing that funding is provided for this particular project should be a priority for those interested in Mat-Su salmon fisheries.

Other research items identified by ADF&G included a couple dealing with king salmon monitoring:

Division of Sport Fish: *Yentna River king salmon is a priority, to gather data specific to that stock in order to bolster production modeling and future escapement goal adjustments for that stock.

*Transition Little Susitna king salmon counting from a weir to a sonar-based platform. The main expense would be the purchase of a sonar unit (approximately $100K).

Both of these Sport Fish research projects involve using a sonar for king salmon monitoring. High water flows on Little Susitna River has at times caused the loss of salmon escapement counts during portions of several salmon runs in recent years. If king salmon escapement on Little Susitna River were to be converted to a larger fish goal — as occurs on the Kenai and Kasilof Rivers and at locations in Southeast Alaska — then a sonar may be able to continue counting king salmon escapement, during these times of high water flows, while also differentiating larger king salmon from smaller sockeye salmon swimming upstream at the same time.

Here is hope for better management for Northern Cook Inlet/Mat-Su Salmon stocks!

Andy Couch is a Mat-Su charter fishing guide, who serves on the Mat-Su Borough Fish and Wildlife Commission. Opinions expressed in this column are his own.