Scary ice and ice out trout

Last Saturday my wife and I talked with an individual who just came off a Palmer - Wasilla core area lake and was excited about how good the ice fishing had been. We drove out to the Rabbit Slough boat launch afterwards and found the ice was cleared off the slough both upstream and downstream from the boat launch — so I recommend avoiding walking on core-area lake ice — especially after several additional days of warm weather has seriously depleted the snow piles along our driveway and in both our front and back yard. Warm weather is doing the same type damage to the integrity of any remaining core-area lake ice!

As I’ve been driving past Kepler - Bradley Lakes I look for and see people fishing the growing patch of open water in that location — more times than not. On the warmer afternoons / evenings now, some friendly mosquitoes may stop by for a visit, but I would also expect that fishing may improve after the water has warmed a bit during the day.

On Monday I asked A.J. with 3 Rivers Fly and Tackle what he had been hearing about fishing lately, and the first words he mentioned were “Kenai River Trout.” He said the river was open and quite a few people had been traveling south with some of them catching rainbows. I typically want to talk about Mat-Su fishing options in this column — but at times like this — when fish are being caught elsewhere it deserves a mention / recommendation for Mat-Su anglers looking to catch fish sooner rather than later.

A.J. also mentioned the small patch of open water at Kepler- Bradley Lakes and that some anglers had already been out trying their luck at the Willow Creek / Susitna River confluence. He did not know about many fish being taken from open water, at that time, in the Mat-Su, but as more water opens the fishing should improve. A.J. mentioned that the area near the Alaska State Parks Willow Creek Recreation Area access had been plowed, but there is still considerable snow in the woods and along the river. He suggested that people could look at the Deshka Landing weather cam to get an idea of what conditions look like along the Susitna River near Willow. https://www.deshkalanding.com/weather-cam/

Note: Willow Creek is often one of the very first places with fishable open water along the Susitna River, so it gets the most pressure at the start of the season, but other stream mouths will have good spring fishing, just a bit later, including Sheep Creek, Montana Creek, and Kashwitna River. I also talked with Aaron of Phantom Tri River Charters in Talkeetna this week, and he mentioned that while there was an area of open water out in the Talkeetna River near town, their first trout fishing charter was currently scheduled for May 16 —- several weeks away. Phantom Tri River Charters are a good source of information about the Talkeetna and can be reached for fishing or charter information at 907-495-2400. I had to leave a message when I called, but Aaron called me back in just a few minutes.

While ice conditions are sketchy near Palmer and Wasilla, A.J. also mentioned that ice conditions will likely be considerably better if people want to make a trip north to Lake Louise for one last ice fishing trip. I have never made that trip, but have talked with several friends who have had good luck in the spring at Louise. It is also a very beautiful drive with considerably less traffic, compared to traveling to the Kenai Peninsula. If you go travel safe, taking enough time to enjoy your drive at the same time.

Fishing Regulation Booklets Now Available

The day after mentioning I had not seen any 2024 fishing regulations booklets, last week, I found they had become available at the Palmer Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) office. Stop by and pick one up — there are some regulation changes — most of which were mentioned in this column as they were changed following the Alaska Board of Fisheries meeting. Pay particular attention to the flowing waters section for the Palmer - Wasilla Zone. The general regulation lists waters as open all year — However — look for the regulation exceptions under the. individual stream(s) you may want to fish. Many streams with rainbow trout populations in the Palmer- Wasilla Zone are listed with open seasons (which exclude most fishing from April 15 - June 14). Now is also a good time to purchase a 2024 fishing license for those who may need one — and also a good time to get a king salmon / rainbow trout recorder card for those who may be of an age where they do not need / have an annual paper license.

Tailrace Open Water

While it may be a bit early to expect to catch much in rivers and streams of the Mat-Su Valley, many people know that I like to drive to Eklutna Tailrace just to cast a lure and test fishing gear this time of year. This location is open all year, and if you by some accident should happen to catch an ocean-run salmon (even a king salmon) you could harvest it. Don’t really expect to catch fish, but do expect ice free water, beautiful scenery, and an off the road parking area. The parking lot along the tailrace / Knik River may be closed until the ice and snow melt a bit more, but there is another parking area right across from the Eklutna Power Plant. I have more fishing rods I want to try out before I go on a trip where I’m really hoping to catch a salmon. Perhaps I’ll see you at the tailrace.

Good Luck and Fish On!