Plethora of Mat-Su salmon fishing options

If you have not yet purchased your 2020 Alaska fishing license, you may want to do so in preparation for numerous Mat-Su Valley salmon sport fishing opportunities that will occur this weekend and throughout August.

As this column is being written we are still on the early end of some of Mat-Su Valley’s most significant sport salmon fisheries, and salmon numbers should increase dramatically at specific locations before this column is published on Friday. When I talked with Samantha Oslund, fisheries biologist with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G), she mentioned that the department’s offshore test net fishery data was indicating that Cook Inlet coho (silver) salmon may be three to five days late in arriving this season. She also said a big push of coho should be arriving shortly.

Talking with commercial set netter,Mike Wood, owner of Su Salmon Company https://www.susalmonco.com on Tuesday, he experienced strong salmon harvests again on Monday July 27, and expected a large push of salmon headed up the Susitna River drainage. Mike mentioned most of the salmon he harvested on Monday were coho, but that Monday was also his best chum salmon catch for the season.

When I asked him if he was still catching pink salmon, Mike told me they had to move the net further offshore, because there were too many pink salmon to deal with along the shore. What I learned from this conversation is that sport anglers should see larger pushes of pink salmon, chum salmon, silver salmon, and sockeye salmon migrating up Susitna River drainage streams as the season progresses.

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Pink salmon bonanza

Mike Hudson told me that anglers had been catching insane amounts of pink salmon near the Deshka River/Susitna River confluence with some limits of silver salmon being taken from amongst the pinks. One guide told Mike his guests limited on silver salmon, but enjoyed the opportunity to catch about nine pink salmon to every silver salmon caught. Casting spinners is effective for catching both pink salmon and silver salmon, however, some anglers find they may catch fewer pink salmon and just as many or more silver salmon by fishing with bait (in locations where bait is legal).

Deshka River weir counts through Monday, July 27: 79,661 pink salmon, 648 coho salmon.

Parks Highway pink salmon, chum salmon, silver salmon, rainbow trout

When we fished at some of the Parks Highway tributaries to the Susitna River on Monday, Stephen Warta and I found lower abundances of pink salmon and chum salmon compared to the numbers available at Deshka River, we each caught several specimens of each species. In addition, by fishing several locations for plenty of time, we also caught a total of three silver salmon. The silvers were smallish (as often occurs early in the run), but numbers of pink salmon, chum salmon, and silver salmon should increase significantly before the weekend and I would expect good salmon fishing, especially near tributary/Susitna River confluences areas, this coming weekend.

Stephen and I launched my boat at Susitna Landing on Monday and the campground was nearly empty and there were no other boaters in sight when we put the boat in the river. Driving past Willow Creek Resort on our way up the Parks Highway there was a raft out on the river bank and a few RVs in the campground. I would expect more people and fishing pressure on the weekends, but weekdays provide less crowded fishing conditions with plenty of campsites at these and other Mat-Su campgrounds along the Parks Highway.

Farley Dean, owner of Willow Creek Resort, told me fishing has been good along Willow Creek lately for rainbow trout, grayling in the upper sections, and pink salmon. Farley said people are just happy to be out catching fish, but he also mentioned some silver salmon being taken near the mouth of Willow Creek.

Mike Hudson reported some limit catches of silver salmon being taken at both Willow and Little Willow creek mouths during the past week. Once again salmon numbers will increase at these locations before the weekend and I would expect the pink salmon bonanza similar to what has already occurred at Deshka River to make an appearance at Willow Creek, Little Willow Creek, Kashwitna River, Sheep Creek and Montana Creek.

Talkeetna River

Todd Kingery of Fishbone Charters in Talkeetna told me the Clear Creek/Talkeetna River confluence was uncrowded when he fished it last weekend. The salmon were just getting started in that area and he saw some pinks, a few chums, and some sockeye. Todd mentioned that the Larson Creek sockeye salmon fishery further up the Talkeetna had a lot of people on the weekend and there were not that many sockeye yet. Larson Creek was quite low and he thought if that hinders sockeye migration up the creek, ADF&G may need to close the fishery at some point to get sockeye salmon escapement past the small sport fishing area near the Larson Creek/Talkeetna River confluence.

Little Susitna River salmon pulse

Fishing success picked up a bit at Little Susitna River starting on Sunday with increasing numbers of chum salmon, pink salmon, and silver salmon migrating upstream past the weir. A few limit catches of silver salmon were taken early this week. Remember this fishery is regulated to artificial lures only at this time, and salmon fishing is only allowed downstream of the Parks Highway bridge. Water conditions have finally dropped down to near normal levels.

Through Monday Little Susitna River weir counts were: 3,532 chum salmon, 2076 pink salmon, 223 sockeye salmon, and 178 coho salmon.

Some of the best lure fishing of the season should occur at this fishery through Aug. 5. Bait fishing is scheduled to open at Little Susitna River on Thursday, Aug. 6, however watch Little Susitna River coho salmon weir counts. ADF&G usually likes to see about 3,000 coho salmon through the weir before opening the fishery to bait.

Fish Creek Youth Fishery

Aug. 1 and 2 present a special opportunity for kids less than 16 years old to fish for salmon at this popular fishery located along Knik-Goose Bay Road without competing with adults.

The fishery is open from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays only. Adults may accompany youth, but may not fish themselves. Large numbers of sockeye salmon have been available at Fish Creek and will likely continue to be available after the personal use dip net fishery closes at this location at 11 p.m. on July 31. Although only two coho salmon had been counted through ADF&G’s Fish Creek weir through Monday July 27, I expect increasing numbers of coho salmon to be available for harvest by youth anglers at Fish Creek this weekend.

NOTE: the Fish Creek salmon fishery will be open to all anglers on Saturdays and Sunday starting Aug. 8 and 9. When sockeye and/or coho salmon escapement projections become large enough the department has frequently liberalized salmon limits and the number of days per-week sport fishing for salmon may be allowed at Fish Creek.

Fish Creek Weir Counts through Monday: 27,352 sockeye salmon, two coho salmon.

Core area salmon

The lower sections of Rabbit Slough/Wasilla Creek and Cottonwood Creek should be producing some salmon this weekend. Eklutna Tailrace is a bit further drive from both Palmer and Wasilla, however, Samantha Oslund mentioned people were catching sockeye salmon at that location and hatchery coho should be part mixed in the catch at that location as well. Flies, salmon eggs, and spinners are preferred baits at all 3 locations. Jim Creek near Bodenburg Butte should have both sockeye salmon and coho salmon available near its confluence with the Knik River. Note: ADF&G is NOT operating Jim Creek weir this season, so there are no weir counts available at this time. With more snowmelt, more frequent rainfall, and the lack of a weir, salmon migration to the upper portions of this drainage will likely occur considerably earlier than during last summer’s drought.

There is a large selection of salmon fisheries to participate in both over the weekend and for the coming week. With Covid-19 concerns and a shortage of out-of-state visitors, fishing pressure has been considerably lighter than normal at many Mat-Su Valley salmon fishing hotspots. What better time to get out and enjoy Mat-Su’s salmon fisheries — add to that some quality salmon, and better sport catching opportunities provided this past winter through the Alaska Board of Fisheries Process. Your fIshing license purchases are an important funding source for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game sport fishery management — What better year than 2020 to help fund management of our shared salmon fishery resource.

Upper Cook Inlet Personal Use Dip Net Fisheries Closures

Mat-Su personal use fisheries closed at 11p.m. on July 28 for the lower Susitna River fishery and at 11 p.m. on July 31 for the Fish Creek fishery. The Kenai River personal use fishery closed at 11 p.m. on July 31. The Kasilof River personal use fishery remains open through August 7 for those looking for one last dip net harvest opportunity. For the rest of us — it is time to turn in perusal use fishing permit reports. This can be done online this year. Save our precious Alaska money and resources by reporting as soon as you can thereby reducing reminder mailings.

Good Luck this week 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