Mat-Su silver salmon prime time

The second week of August is prime silver (coho) salmon harvest time in many Mat-Su Valley fisheries, so the week ahead could indeed provide some of the best silver salmon harvest opportunity of the entire year. During the first week of August, however, I’ve had the opportunity to visit several Mat-Su coho fisheries with mixed results.

No Bait Little SuLow silver salmon passage through Little Susitna River weir continues and on Tuesday August 4, 2020 the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) issued an Advisory Announcement prohibiting the use of bait while fishing in Little Susitna River from August 6, 2020 — September 30, 2020. Through August 3, 2020 only 1,047 coho salmon have passed the weir and according to the announcement, “ ADF&G will continue to monitor the Little Susitna River coho salmon run as it develops. If run strength improves to a level that can support a larger harvest, restrictions to the sport fishery may be rescinded. However, additional restrictions are possible if the run does not improve.”

Having fished and guided several salmon fishing trips on Little Susitna River below the weir ( including two trips on Tuesday August 4) I’ve seen silver salmon available in portions of the river, but not throughout the area below the weir in numbers I would normally expect during a good silver salmon year. Little Susitna River (and especially for boat anglers) is one of the most popular Mat-Su coho salmon fisheries. How can sport fishermen help Little Susitna River coho salmon escapement numbers improve?

If you enjoy fishing with bait, try alternative Mat-Su Valley locations where you can legally fish bait for silver salmon — some of those fisheries will be providing excellent silver salmon harvest opportunities this coming week.

Remember that an ADF&G study on coho salmon caught and released in the lower Little Susitna River documented a near 70 percent mortality of those fish. For catch and release fishing consider focusing on other salmon species or consider fishing other locations until the Little Susitna River coho salmon escapement improves.

Coho Salmon LimitsWhile fishing in Unit 2 of the Susitna River drainage along the Parks Highway between Willow and Talkeetna is limited at 2 coho salmon per fisherman daily, there are other locations where with a higher coho limit. A limit incentive of 3 coho salmon per person daily is available at Eklutna Tailrace, Deshka River, Lower Susitna River and tributaries, Talkeetna River drainage, Upper Susitna River and Chulitna River drainage. In addition you may want to watch for ADF&G Advisory Announcements or Emergency Orders that at times may liberalize coho salmon daily bag limits. I guided a morning trip to the Deshka River on Sunday August 2, 2020, however, even though the coho salmon limit was 3 per person, my group of 5 guests caught a total of 5 coho salmon, along with a very nice rainbow trout and two suckers. On Monday I guided two groups of guests to different Unit 2 streams where the limit was only 2 coho per person. On the Unit 2 trips I had a group of 2 people harvest limits of coho salmon and a group of 3 people harvest limits of silver salmon. During both of the Unit 2 trips we fished multiple steam locations to catch those two coho salmon limits. My groups fished with bait most of the time at both Deshka River and Unit 2 of the Susitna River drainage.

Fish Creek LiberalizedAn August 3, 2020 ADF&G Advisory Announcement allows fishing 7 days per week in the area near Knik Goose Bay Road open to salmon fishing starting Tuesday August 4, 2020 — December 31, 2020. In addition, the salmon bag limit for this area has been increased to 6 (only two of which may be coho salmon). For more information contact Area Management Biologist Sam Ivey at 746-6300. My nephew, Paul Warta fished at Fish Creek on Tuesday and caught one coho salmon on salmon roe, while his partner on the trip caught 5 sockeye salmon.

Larson Creek Closed To Salmon FishingAn August 4, 2020 ADF&G Advisory Announcement notified the public that this popular sockeye salmon fishery in the Talkeetna River drainage was closed to all salmon fishing from August 6, 2020 — December 31, 2020. The closed waters include the entire Larson Creek drainage and all waters within 1/4 mile of its confluence with the Talkeetna River. Todd Kingery with Fishbone Charters in Talkeetna had told me earlier that Larson Creek had extremely low water and he believed ADF&G might need to close the fishery in order to get adequate sockeye salmon escapement up the creek.

Eklutna Tailrace Youth Fishery — Saturday, August 15The youth area is located between the pedestrian bridge and the Tailrace confluence with the Knik River. In addition, I believe the hours may be 6 am — 6 pm in which only youth 15 years of age and under may fish in this area. I only put this out for people to consider as the plan for future August fishing. Read more about this fishery in the local fisheries regulation booklet.

I think this may be the first time I’ve written nearly an entire fishing column about fishing regulations — I hope you find this information useful.

Good luck and fish on!

Andy Couch is a local salmon fishing guide who provides Mat-Su Valley fishing reports throughout the season on his Fishtale River Guides website. See Fishing Reports at https.//www.fish4salmon.com