Mat-Su Lakes, Eklutna Tailrace, Fish Creek updates

On Tuesday I spoke with Dan Suprak, owner and guide with Alaska Chinook Charters, and he told me about guiding a group with a young man who was enthusiastic about catching his first few northern pike. The Chinook (king) salmon fishing had slowed at in the Knik River side-channel below Eklutna Tailrace, so Dan suggested a trip on a Mat-Su lake to provide more fish-catching action, and that is exactly how it turned out with his group catching nine nice-sized pike. Several Mat-Su guides have been focussing on lake fishing for northern pike or stocked trout/landlocked salmon/arctic char. With considerably cooler than normal temperatures during June, lake waters have remained cool and productive. With warm weather forecasted around the 4th of July Holiday, the coming week may provide an opportunity to enjoy some good weather and good fishing on many Mat-Su Valley lakes. This longer holiday weekend is also popular with people wanting to camp or enjoy a longer stay at a lakeside cabin or vacation rental. Fishing the lakes where considerably more fish may be caught is a great option for keeping young anglers' interest, and provides a good family outing, especially for those who own a boat or may have access to a rental boat or canoe.

Eklutna Tailrace King Salmon

The vast majority of king salmon migrating up the Knik River to Eklutna Tailrace have likely reached the tailrace at this point in the season. Bank anglers trying their luck at the tailrace or just below the tailrace/Knik River confluence are likely seeing considerably more salmon surfacing and splashing around than anglers fishing from boats further down in the Knik River side-channel at this point. With few salmon, other than king salmon, available during the first couple weeks of July, and with the tailrace being the only location open to fishing for ocean-run king salmon, it should remain one of the better opportunities for anglers to land a large ocean-run fish during that time period.

Early Sockeye Salmon/Fish Creek Weir Installed

Paul Warta called me last week after I had submitted the weekly fishing column, and reported the he had been fishing for sockeye salmon below Knik-Goose Bay Road and had seen a school of sockeye salmon and had briefly managed to hook one of them. As of last weekend the fishing was still spotty, as I tried Fish Creek on Sunday afternoon, watching two sockeye salmon surface, hearing another one surface, and also seeing one angler who had managed to land a sockeye before I arrived. There were 6 other anglers and myself, who were unable to hook a salmon as the tide came in, then started falling. The sockeye salmon numbers in the creek will continue to increase and Fish Creek sockeye fishing could be decent by the holiday weekend, if not before. Fishing below the road is usually best at or within a couple hours of high tide. Note: The Fish Creek salmon fishery is open on a daily basis between the hours of 5 a.m. — 10 p.m. through June 14. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game installed their Fish Creek salmon counting weir on Monday June 30, and counted the first sockeye salmon of the season passing the weir on that same day. The most recent Fish Creek sockeye salmon numbers passing the weir can be seen on the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G).website.

Additional Mat-Su Sockeye Salmon Locations

Although not usually available in significant numbers during the first couple weeks of July, sockeye salmon can be the first ocean-run salmon (after king salmon) arriving at some select Mat-Su streams including: Another Fish Creek and Larson Creek in the Talkeetna River drainage, Lake Creek in the Susitna / Yentna River drainage, Cottonwood Creek near Wasilla, Jim Creek, Eklutna Tailrace, and the Knik River side-channel below the tailrace in the Knik River drainage, and Little Susitna River While I have not yet heard any reports of sockeye arriving at these locations I would expect some will likely be available during the first couple weeks of July.

Little Susitna River Weir Update

While in the ADF&G Palmer office this week I asked about the timeline for installation of the Little Susitna River salmon counting weir, and a fisheries biologist told me the Little Susitna River water level was too high for installation at this time, but the department was monitoring the water level closely. Unfortunately in this biologist’s opinion, the warm weather forecasted for the holiday week would likely raise the Little Susitna River water level even further, before it would go down to a reasonable level for weir installation.

Mat-Su anglers may also find the several years of fishing reports posted on my charter business website useful in the coming weeks: https://fish4salmon.com/alaska-fishing-reports/

Salmon Road Trip Options

With low first week of July salmon numbers throughout the Mat-Su Valley many Mat-Su anglers serious about catching salmon will likely be traveling to other locations with much better salmon abundances river the holiday. Kasilof River on the Kenai Peninsula is experiencing a banner inriver return of sockeye salmon with 255,854 passing the Kasilof River sonar counter from June 15 — 30. This is the largest inriver Kasilof River salmon return through June 30 of all 43 years of Kasilof River sonar counts listed on ADF&G’s website. By emergency order the Kasilof River sockeye salmon sport bag limit has been increased to six per day and the area open to person use dip netting was expanded up to the Sterling Highway bridge.

Russian River Sockeye Salmon

With a weir count of 23,843 sockeye through June 30, the early run Russian River sockeye salmon spawning escapement goal of 22,000—44,000 fish has already been attained. This is a solid sockeye return for anglers to fish on in a beautiful trout-sized stream, and may provide a spawning escapement above the goal’s mid-range. Daily weir counts were still in the 1,000 fish range through the end of June.

Kenai River Sockeye Salmon

The sport fishery for late-run sockeye is just getting started. The Kenai River Personal Use Dip Net Fishery will open on July 10. Check the ADF&G website for current sonar counts.

Copper River Personal Use Fishery

This fishery can be impacted by high or rising water levels, which are entirely possible with the forecast for warm weather over the holiday week. The fishery at Chitina is extremely popular with Mat-Su Valley residents — remember a permit is required and king salmon harvest in this fishery has been closed by emergency order through the end f the season. Upriver sockeye salmon migration numbers have been good, resulting in expanded fishing time.

Lower Susitna River Personal Use Fishery Alaska Residents only

Upper Cook Inlet Personal Use permit required. This fishery will be open on Wednesdays and Saturdays only for a total of 6 days: July 12, 16, 19, 23, 26, 29.

Fish Creek Personal Use Fishery

Opens by ADF&G emergency order — only after adequate sockeye salmon are projected to pass the Fish Creek Weir.

Drive Safely, enjoy the Independence Day weekend, and Fish On!

Andy Couch is a member of the Matanuska - Susitna Borough Fish and Wildlife Commission and the Matanuska Valley Fish and Game Advisory Committee, however, statements / opinions expressed in this column are his own, unless noted otherwise.