Personal use fisheries last days

Although last week’s fishing column focussed exclusively on salmon personal use dip net fisheries most used by Mat-Su Valley residents, with seasons winding down at four of these locations I wanted to provide a personal use update this week as well.

Lower Susitna River

The last day for personal use salmon dip netting on the lower Susitna River will be July 31. There were seven days of dip netting opportunity at this fishery this year, and the first three days provided lackluster results at best. I personally took friends down river to participate on July 21, and would describe that experience as slow for catching any species of salmon other than pink salmon. From what Kris Ogonowski told me the first three periods were even slower. There was a healthy supply of small pink salmon on July 21 along with some sockeye, a few chum salmon, and even less coho salmon. I am planning to boat friends down to participate in this fishery again on July 28 and July 31. I suspect those two days of dipping may provide the some of the best opportunity for Alaskans to harvest prime Mat-Su salmon between now and when the next fishing column is published.

Fish Creek

July 31 is also the final day of dip netting at Fish Creek down Knik Goose Bay Road. This is the only road accessible personal use fishery available in the Mat-Su — although from what I’ve been told a small car top boat or canoe greatly increases the chance of harvesting a significant number of salmon at this very popular location.

Kenai River

One of my niece’s traveled down with her family and had a very successful trip dip netting sockeye from the Kenai River this past week. With the set net fishery currently closed down over king salmon conservation concerns, solid numbers of sockeye have been swimming up the Kenai River and fueling both robust personal use and sport fisheries for some of the largest-sized sockeye salmon in Upper Cook Inlet. Like Lower Susitna River and Fish Creek, there will only be one final day of fishing provided at Kenai River after the paper version of this article publishes on July 30. Better Hurry — Last Chance. This location may likely provide the best harvest opportunity of the ones I’ve mentioned this week, but it also requires considerable travel time to the fishery.

Kasilof River

There is another full week available after the other mentioned Upper Cook Inlet personal use fisheries close. The season at Kasilof River runs through Aug. 7 with dip netting allowed 24 hours per day and the expanded dip netting area allowing harvest all the way to the Sterling Highway Bridge.

Mat-Su’s Improving Sport Salmon Fisheries

As mentioned in last week’s column the season for salmon species other than king salmon started slowly this year, but people are going fishing and participating in spite of that. Mat-Su’s sport fishing charter industry has been having solid numbers of visiting anglers participating this summer, but up to this point most have been doing considerably more fishing than catching. Sport coho (silver) salmon catch numbers are stating to increase at both Little Susitna River and Deshka River. Jared, with 3 Rivers Fly and Tackle in Wasilla told me that Willow Creek is the lone producer of coho salmon they knew about along the Parks Highway during the past week. I expect that to change with a few silvers showing up at additional Parks Highway tributary streams to the Susitna River by this weekend. While coho have not yet arrived in significant numbers, a staff member at Susitna Landing told me large numbers of pink salmon had been producing action for anglers at that location this past weekend. I have not seen or heard of many chum salmon at any Mat-Su locations this year, however, larger numbers are starting to become available at the Little Susitna River and many Susitna River tributary stream locations. I’ve found that fresh-run chum and coho salmon often bite salmon roe drifted under a bobber quite well. Take the time, however, to read regulations and be sure the location you intend to fish is open to bait fishing before trying this option.

Low Salmon Numbers at Many Mat-Su Locations

Weir generated escapement counts at Little Susitna River and Deshka River were disappointing through Monday July 26 with only 128 coho salmon, 1,149 sockeye salmon, 452 pink salmon and 1.939 chum salmon passing the weir at Little Susitna River and only 25 coho, 13 sockeye, 1,866 pink salmon and 0 chum salmon passing at Deshka River weir. Low inriver coho salmon numbers have already sparked concern that this popular silver salmon fishery may not open to bait fishing on August 6, as printed in the Southcentral Alaska sport fishing regulation book.

Low water flow levels and warm water temperatures may be retarding the entry pattern of salmon into Deshka River in particular, but may also be occurring at Little Susitna River. For that reason many Mat-Su salmon anglers would welcome a significant rainfall event, that could draw salmon into both of these locations. A few in-the-know fishermen even schedule their fishing trips to follow rainfall events —- but this, of course, requires job flexibility.

Good Luck this weekend and Fish On!