Planning ahead for open water fishing

Long April daylight hours typically find me scrambling to prepare for the open water fishing season ahead. The snow covering our yard, indicates the open water fishing season may start later this year, but changes start happening quicker when you have 15 + daylight hours per day, and we passed that point earlier this week. Driving past local lakes, I still see folks out ice fishing. While warmer weather and longer daylight hours are conditions I prefer for ice fishing, they also mean a person should check ice conditions before venturing too far from shore. Ice anglers should be especially careful on lakes near inlet or outlet streams where ice is often thinner or less stable. Snow and ice along the north side of lakes gets more sunlight and tends to melt or get rotten sooner. Dark-colored ice is another warning sign anglers should pay attention. If ice is wet when an angler is cutting a hole or cuts much easier than normal, it may be time to call it quits for the season. Is catching a fish or two really worth the risk of falling through the ice?

Most Mat-Su anglers have already heard about king salmon fishing closures or restrictions at most valley fisheries, but what are the good opportunities anglers may want to participate in this summer?

Streams north of Willow start opening up around the end of the month, and anglers who have been anticipating open water for months now, are usually out fishing the first bit of open water around tributary stream mouths entering the Susitna River. Fish often start getting caught near the end of April, but depending upon what happens with the weather between now and then ice break up could be a bit later this year. Willow Creek and Talkeetna River are usually two of the earlier opening streams that provide both rainbow trout and arctic grayling. The Talkeetna River also has some nice-sized Dolly Varden as well. Both of these fisheries are primarily catch and release fisheries in the spring — so be sure and read the regulations ahead of time if you are thinking about harvesting fish. Wild rainbows in streams this time of year are strictly catch and release — where fishing is open. Stream fishing for wild native fish always has more conservative harvest limits than the stocked lake fisheries.

South of Willow Creek in the Palmer - Wasilla zone most streams are already closed to fishing in order to provide protection for spawning rainbow trout. The Little Susitna River west of the Parks Highway is an exception — although fishing is closed east or upstream of the highway at this time as well. If you want to fish in streams before June 15 — read the regulations carefully. There is usually an areawide regulation — and then a list of exceptions (like Little Susitna River downstream of the Parks Highway). Although ice breakup may still be two to three weeks away, lakes in the Palmer - Wasilla zone usually provide some of the first and best fish catching opportunities of the spring. Core-area lakes like the Kepler - Bradley system, Finger Lake, Loberg Lake, Lucille Lake, and Wasilla Lake are often some of the earliest ones to have ice free fishing. Wasilla Lake is a wild fish fishery with more conservative limits, however, the other ones in this list are all stocked by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G). Being some of the easier accessible lakes to large numbers of people these lakes often get some of the earliest fish stockings of the season. In addition many of the early season stocked fish in these lakes are catchable - sized fish rather than fingerlings.

King Salmon

I predict the first Mat-Su legal ocean-run king salmon will be harvested from the Eklutna Tailrace / Knik River fishery around May 26. The first part of this prediction is a no-brainer since to start the season Eklutna Tailrace / Knik River is the only location where it is legal to harvest an ocean-run king salmon. The date I picked is a bit later than a first king salmon may have been caught in the recent past, however, we may have a bit later breakup and colder water conditions possibly slowing king salmon migration into the Knik River. The first fish will most likely be caught in the Knik River side-channel downstream of the tailrace, however, if we should get a soaking rain that raises water-levels a bit one or more king salmon could scoot right up to the tailrace and be caught there in late-May. I know of it happening that way in the past.

Depending upon water conditions I expect the first Little Susitna River king salmon could be caught between May 15 — May 25. Remember, however, that this fishery is restricted to single hook artificial lures only. In addition, all king salmon caught from Little Susitna River must be released immediately. If water conditions are high and muddy in late May it could be early June before a Little Su king salmon gets caught.

I hope this discussion of what to expect during our first month of open water fishing is helpful. For more adventurous and resourceful Mat-Su anglers there are additional and lesser known Mat-Su fishing opportunities as well. The open-water season is short, however, so plan ahead and make the most of it.

Fish On!

Andy Couch is a local Mat-Su fishing guide who plans to spend much of the summer guiding or fishing for ocean-run salmon at several Mat-Su Valley locations.