Mat-Su sockeye!

For Mat-Su salmon anglers the big news this week is the transition from what was traditionally the first half of the summer fishing for king (Chinook) salmon to the catching of the 4 more plentiful salmon species. Last week I mentioned installation of the Fish Creek weir and the first sockeye salmon counted through the weir on the same dat (June 30). Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) fisheries biologist, Samantha Oslund told that additional sockeye were seen staging below the weir, however anglers who may have watched weir counts posted on the department’s website before the 4th of July holiday only saw zero salmon recorded for both July 1 and 2. Starting July 3 and through the Independence Day weekend no counts were posted, but I drove past Fish Creek on July 4, and 5 and saw anglers prospecting for July sockeye. A. J. Hoffman with 3 Rivers Fly and Tackle told me they had anglers in the shop reporting they were catching Fish Creek sockeye salmon. Best catches usually occur at this location around the daily high tides when new batches of sockeye typically migrate into the legal fishing area.

Although I did not travel to nearby Cottonwood Creek, I suspect sockeye anglers were fishing and likely harvesting a few sockeye at that weekend only fishery as well. Like Fish Creek, newly arriving sockeye are often most abundance in the lower Cottonwood Creek area open to salmon fishing during and around high tide timing. On Sunday July 6 I stopped by the Knik River Access off of the Glenn Highway and talked to a salmon fishing guide who mentioned having guests catch a couple sockeye salmon from the Knik River side channel below Eklutna Tailrace, while fishing for king salmon. Continuing on to Eklutna Tailrace I saw a chrome sockeye an angler had caught near the tailrace / Knik River confluence, and another angler told me that a few “identical-looking salmon” had been taken before I arrived. While at the tailrace I observed several salmon surfacing that looked to me to be sockeye, as well as a few larger king salmon breaking water. I did not see anyone hook or catch a salmon in the time I was there. During the past few years a significant percentage of the sockeye caught at Eklutna Tailrace are being taken by anglers drifting small jigs tipped with a piece of shrimp meat and drifted under bobbers. Sockeye bites can be subtle — causing the bobber to wiggle and dance, rather than dunking it completely underwater. A quick decisive hook set -- at bobber wigglers -- is frequently used by the most successful tailrace sockeye catchers. While well past its peak, the Eklutna Tailrace / Knik River side channel fishery remains open to king salmon harvest. A 2025 king salmon stamp is required for most anglers to legally harvest a king salmon.

While guiding a salmon fishing charter at Little Susitna River on July 5, I had two guests each harvest a sockeye salmon on small diving plugs rigged with the required single hook with hook gap not greater than 1/2 inch. These were the first sockeye my guests had harvested during 2025. In addition, two days earlier another two guests each caught ocean-fresh chum salmon from the same location on the same lures. Those were the first chum salmon of 2025 harvested by my charter guests. It took patience, plenty of fishing time, and fishing multiple locations to harvest each of those Little Su salmon, but as salmon runs continue to build in abundance, so will the harvest of Mat-Su sockeye, chum, and likely pink and coho salmon over the 2nd weekend in July and into the coming week. Note: A. J. Hoffman mentioned that a school of pink salmon had arrived at the Willow Creek / Susitna River confluence recently.

Note: Anglers planning on traveling to the Little Susitna River Public Use Facility boat launch / campground should know that the first few miles of pavement on Point MacKenzie Road have been tore up leaving rough dusty gravel. Road maintenance /construction / repaving does not appear to be progressing with any urgency at this location.

Mat-Su Sockeye Fisheries

In addition to the locations already mentioned I would expect anglers may harvest sockeye further up the Knik River drainage near the Jim Creek confluence (posted weir counts to start in later July), in clear water confluences with the glacial Talkeetna River drainage, and at Lake Creek up the Yentna River drainage. Note: Through Monday July 13 most waters of the Susitna River drainage and Little Susitna River drainage open to salmon fishing remain restricted to one single hook artificial lure with a hook gap not exceeding 1/2 inch between he point and shank. In addition, all waters of both drainages remain closed to king salmon fishing, and any king salmon inadvertently caught, while fishing for other species, must be released immediately, without removing it from the water.

July 14 Mat-Su Fishing Regulation Changes

Susitna River drainage and Little Susitna River fishing gear restrictions will change back to standard gear regulations listed in the ADF&G provided sport fishing regulation booklets starting Tuesday July 14. In addition, bait fishing will be allowed at many Susitna River drainage locations (check specific regulation booklet locations) starting July 14. Following standard sport fishing regulations, Little Susitna River will remain restricted to artificial lures through August 5 (no bait). Anglers Be Advised: Samantha Oslund mentioned that 2025 king salmon abundance as measured at Deshka River Weir has been the lowest on record — so ADF&G may decide additional restrictions may be necessary to protect Susitna River drainage king and / or coho salmon. Therefore, before fishing bait in the Susitna River drainage commencing July 14 —- anglers should check the ADF&G website to see if any new emergency regulations have been issued.

Fish Creek Salmon Fishing Closure July 15

In the small portion of Fish Creek (near Knik Goose Bay Road) currently open to salmon fishing, all sport fishing will close starting July 15, as the sockeye salmon escapement builds in advance of the Fish Creek Personal Use Dip Net Fishery. This personal use fishery only opens by emergency order, and only when ADF&G determines adequate sockeye are projected to migrate upstream of the Fish Creek Weir. Historically, the personal use fishery has usually opened around July 20 — or later.

Additional Personal Use Dip Net Fisheries

Lower Susitna River Personal Use (PU) dipnet fishery is scheduled to open on Saturdays July 12, 19, 26 and on Wednesdays July 16, 23, and 30. Fishing hours are from 6 a.m. — 11 p.m. each day the fishery is open. An Upper Cook Inlet Personal Use household permit is required and only Alaska residents may participate in the fishery. Permits may be obtained through the ADF&G website. This is the first of two Mat-Su personal use opportunities to open, and eager Mat-Su salmon harvesters will likely be prospecting various spots in the fishing area located a few miles below the Susitna / Yentna River confluence. The legal fishing area is marked by large orange signs on both sides of the river and on an island as well.

Kasilof River PU Fishery located on the Kenai Peninsula will likely remain the best and most consistent Upper Cook Inlet personal use fishery through this weekend. The Kasilof River sockeye salmon spawning escapement goal has already been exceeded, and salmon abundances passing through the dip net area have been exceeding 20,000 fish per day since June 28.

Copper River (Chitina) PU Fishery

I much prefer the drive and considerably lower amount of highway traffic traveling to this fishery than going south to the Kenai Peninsula. Fishing days are managed at this time through weekly ADF&G emergency orders, however the Chitina personal use fishery season runs all the way through September. Over the past week I’ve heard some good harvest reports from Chitina, but salmon harvests from this fishery can be affected by Copper River water levels. See the ADF&G website and Hem Charters’ posts for recent fishing reports: https://www.facebook.com/HemriverCharters

Kenai River PU Fishery

The Kenai River fishery is open from July 10 - 31 and annually provides the largest personal use dip net fishery salmon harvests in the State of Alaska. Because late-run sockeye salmon abundances are usually only starting to build before July 15, I would expect both Kasilof and Copper River to provide better harvests during this second weekend in July. Harvest opportunities on the Kenai River will get better during the last half of July.

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