King fishing closed

MAT-SU — Anglers who hoped to spend the holiday weekend working to pull a king out of either the Little Susitna River or one of the Parks Highways streams will have to change their plans.

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game has issued an emergency order that closes the fishing of king salmon on the Little Su and all fishing on the lower sections of the Unit 2 Parks Highway waters as of tonight at 11 p.m.

The decision, issued publicly on Wednesday, includes the lower sections of Kashwitna River, and Willow, Little Willow, Greys, Caswell, Sheep, Montana, Goose, Sunshine, Birch, Trapper and Rabideux creeks. It marks the second consecutive year Fish and Game has closed these fisheries for the July 4 weekend.

The Deshka and Talkeenta rivers and Eklutna Tailrace, outside of Palmer, remain open to king fishing.

Fish were seen caught last weekend at popular Parks Highway fishing spots such as Willow Creek. And that’s encouraging, assistant area management biologist Sam Ivey said. But it’s what biologists didn’t see that led to the closure.

“We like to see a number of fishing holding in the lower river — by this time of year, hundreds of fish,” Ivey said. “We didn’t see that in the boat survey or aerial survey to substantiate that.”

Ivey said biologists were on the ground surveying the territory and interviewing anglers. There was also an aerial survey. Water conditions allowed for a clear view, but Ivey said biologists simply did not see enough fish.

“We had to take action,” Ivey said. “Despite closing it last year, we missed the escapement goal for the third consecutive year.”

Ivey said Fish and Game is trying to do what it takes to break that streak.

“If (the escapement goal) is missed here or there, it doesn’t raise too many eyebrows,” Ivey said. “Start missing three in a row, and it’s not good. Hit four in a row and it’s pretty bad. We’re trying to be as cautious as we can.”

The closure of the fisheries hasn’t seemed to have come as a shock.

“It’s kind of what we had expected all along,” said Farley Dean, owner of the Willow Creek Resort, a campground, raft rental and guide service that sits where Willow Creek flows under a Parks Highway bridge. “It’s what happened last year.”

Dean, like many other business owners in the Willow area who depend on the business generated by fishing, is frustrated by the news.

“It’s already cost us a lot of money,” Dean said.

Dean said it helps that his business also attracts folks who are not interested in fishing.

“For us, we do have a lot of people who come and camp,” Dean said. “It won’t be as devastating for us as it will (be) for some of the other people.”

Dean said he would like Fish and Game to take another approach, such as designating the fisheries as catch and release only.

“Less than 5 percent caught have a mortality rate,” said Dean, who has operated the Willow Creek Resort for about 20 years. “You could have gone catch and release. That’d be the first option.”

Dean also suggested closing fishing to just the mouths of the Parks Highway waters where these streams meet the Big Susitna River.

The closure of the Little Su and Parks Highway streams is expected to send many more anglers north to the Talkeetna River

“It’ll be a very busy place,” said Terri Studnicka of Fisherman’s Choice Charters, a guide service that takes customers to the Deshka and Talkeetna.

With the expected rush of anglers in mind, Fish and Game also issued an order to reduce the annual limit to one king after tonight at 11 p.m.

“We reduced the annual limit on the Talkeetna to offset the anticipated increased pressure, especially over the Fourth of July weekend,” Ivey said.

Ivey said the catch of any king recorded on a sport fishing license or harvest record before that time does not count against the new limit that goes into effect late tonight.

That simply means an angler who has already recorded a catch on the Talkeetna prior to tonight at 11 still has the opportunity to grab one more catch.

Studnicka said she’s happy with the order issued for the Talkeetna.

“It’s a good thing. Talkeetna will be hit so hard with all of the other rivers shut down,” Studnicka said. “It’ll ease up a little bit of the pressure on that river.”

Guides don’t generally take customers in search of kings to most of the closing Parks Highway streams, but Fisherman’s Choice does fish the Little Su. Despite that, Studnicka said the closure of the Little Su will not impact Fisherman’s Choice.

“After the first week of June we don’t fish the Little Su anyway,” Studnicka said.

Studnicka said business has been good on the Talkeetna and the Deshka.

“Most guides are staying busy,” Studnicka said. “If we’re able to fish the Deshka and Talkeetna, we’ll all stay in business,” Studnicka said.

Contact Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.