Mat-Su salmon fisheries counting down

With sport coho salmon harvest opportunities closed at the Deshka and Little Susitna Rivers, I still have a few salmon charter reservations to run through this coming weekend, but Mat-Su locations to run a quality boat charter for coho salmon have dwindled significantly. Last week my wife and I made an afternoon trip up the Parks Highway to check out coho fishing opportunity from Susitna Landing. We fished an area where I had found good numbers of coho in the past, with very limited results this year. It was, therefore, easy for me to make the decision to continue guiding my remaining charters to the Knik River below Eklutna Tailrace — even if I had been hoping to find a better coho salmon catching and harvest opportunity.

My charter guests have been catching a few fresh-run coho and perhaps a dark sockeye salmon on most trips recently, however the number of salmon we see surfacing or striking the baits is getting low enough that I have a feeling any trip now could possibly provide plenty of fishing opportunity with little or no catching. It is time for me to close out my guided salmon fishing trips, and start putting my salmon fishing gear away for another year.

I did hear a good Mat-Su salmon fishing report recently, however, at a location far enough away that I would not want to travel there on a daily basis. In the Susitna River drainage bait fishing is scheduled to close in flowing waters drainage-wide on waters where bait fishing is currently allowed. Some anglers are already focussed on trout in Susitna River drainage waters, but after the bait closure the trout fishers may soon outnumber the remaining salmon anglers.

When talking with Saul from 3 Rivers Fly and Tackle in Wasilla this week, he mentioned that anglers had still been coming into the shop and spending money on a regular basis, despite the bait restrictions and coho salmon harvest closures at Little Susitna River and Deshka River. He mentioned hearing mixed reports with some anglers getting salmon at locations along the Parks Highway and other anglers having little luck. Certain anglers more knowledgeable about specific fisheries usually have a decided fish finding and catching advantage, as tMat-Su salmon fisheries start slowing down. Warmer and drier August weather has certainly helped to bolster Mat-Su angler effort a bit later during August in 2025, but wet weather and less fish may dampen effort before long.

It will be interesting to see if forecasted rainy weather and rising water levels may bring higher coho salmon weir counts for a few additional days in the coming week. Cumulative coho weir counts posted through August 25 are: Little Susitna River — 3,603. Sustainable Escapement Goal (SEG) 9,200 - 17,700; Deshka River — 1,755. SEG 10,200 - 24,100; Fish Creek — 2,403. SEG 1,200 - 6,000; Jim Creek — 1,537. No ADF&G established weir based SEG.

Prospects for finding some harvestable still-chrome coho salmon for bank anglers in the Mat-Su Valley over the coming weekend should include: Jim Creek, Rabbit Slough / Wasilla Creek, Cottonwood Creek, Eklutna Tailrace, and Fish Creek near the Palmer- Wasilla core area, as well as the Willow Creek, Sheep Creek, Montana Creek and Sunshine Creek confluence areas with the Susitna River up the Parks Highway.

Good luck, and Fish On!

Andy Couch guides Mat-Su salmon fishing charters https://fish4salmon.com/ , is a member of the Matanuska Valley Fish & Game Advisory Committee, and the Matanuska-Susitna Borough Fish and Wildlife Commission, however, statements / opinions in this column are his own, unless expressed otherwise.