Rain would help most Mat-Su Valley sport salmon fisheries

I’ve had several guests comment about our pleasant and sunny weather during the past week, but that same weather has also lead to a dearth of water in many local Mat-Su Salmon streams, and along with the low water flows, water temperatures have risen to uncomfortable levels for salmon. Early mornings have seemed to provide the best catching opportunities, but even then the catching has been sparse. In the time since the Little Susitna River king salmon fishery ended on July 13 and standard fishing regulations returned the river to artificial lures only, I’ve guided a total of 34 guests who have caught 12 silver salmon, those same guests also harvested 12 chum salmon and one pink salmon, while releasing a few more chum and pink salmon. Several of my guests failed to hook even a single salmon, and on one trip no one caught a salmon.

At the same time cumulative salmon escapement numbers through July 19 at the Little Susitna River Weir have been higher for silver salmon (543), higher for pink salmon (1,020), higher for sockeye salmon (2,649), and higher for chum salmon (10,554) in 2016 compared to last July at the same time. I’ve come to the conclusion that warmer weather/water conditions may be causing the salmon seem to travel quicker and biting less than during many previous seasons. For those reasons some higher and cooler water would be welcome. I know several fishing guides and anglers who are looking forward to the coming week of forecasted wetter weather. If it materializes it will be coming at a time when silver (coho) salmon numbers should be increasing rapidly at several Mat-Su Valley locations closer to Cook Inlet and Knik Arm.

Deshka River needs water for safe boat navigation

While people may still easily boat down the Susitna River to the Deshka River mouth, some of the better upstream holes, at this point, are relatively inaccessible for most boaters other than air boaters. Warm water temperatures at both the mouth and upstream holes has also been keeping silver (coho) salmon from migrating and biting. A few days of significant rain could change things in a hurry. Through July 19, 43 coho had passed Deshka River Weir along with two chum salmon and 20,013 pink salmon.

Fish Creek at 6,878 sockeye, needs to project another 38,000 for personal use fishery

After showing early promise, sockeye salmon escapement numbers have not risen enough to justify opening the Fish Creek personal use salmon fishery — yet. A shot of cool water down Fish Creek could perk things up. Silver salmon and pink salmon numbers are quite low through the weir at this time. Remember the Fish Creek personal use fishery only opens by emergency order when the department can project a sockeye salmon escapement exceeding 45,000 fish. The sport fishery at this location opens to salmon fishing the first weekend in August (youth only) followed by the second weekend in August when people of all ages may participate. This is a popular weekend only fishery.

Susitna Landing water high and muddy

When I talked with Joe Rouswell on Wednesday he only knew of one silver salmon harvested from that location in 2016. The past hot weather had muddied and raised the glacially influenced water of the Kashwitna River, and few people were even attempting to fish at the landing. According to Joe the water has been dropping and clearing after a couple cooler days, but was still muddy as we talked. He was hopeful that better water conditions and more silver salmon might arrive before long.

Kenai sockeye and king salmon numbers doing well

Significant rain could help firefighting efforts along the Seward Highway and make travel conditions down to the Kenai and Kasilof River personal use fisheries and the Kenai River king salmon fishery better by the weekend or soon after. Commercial fishing efforts have been heavy during the past week in order to reduce the number of salmon entering the Kenai River. Hopefully there are still enough fish to provide good dip netting and sport fishing for the thousands of Alaska residents and visitors that hope to catch salmon during the coming week.

Fish on, and there will be better Mat-Su salmon catching opportunities to report on next week.

Andy Couch is a member of the Matanuska Valley Fish and Game Advisory Committee and the Matanuska Susitna Borough FIsh and Wildlife Commission, and is a Mat-Su Valley salmon fishing guide.