Silver salmon month continues

If you have been reading the recent fishing reports posted on my website, you might think silver salmon fishing has been good lately — after all many of my guests have been harvesting limits of silver salmon. I, however, would say that while silver salmon catching is better than last year at this time, it is far from the catching I’ve seen on some past years. Good to Excellent Mat-Su Valley sport silver salmon fishing (for me) is when I can start out early in the morning, stop at one of of several good spots, and have 4 or 5 guests harvest a limit of silver salmon from that first spot in an hour or two. I’ve hardly had any trips like that during 2020. On a good year I have many of those type trips. Fishing has been good enough for me recently, however, that if I keep trying additional good spots and guests keep catching an average of a silver salmon or two per spot, eventually we have been ending up with limits by the end of the trip.

Talking with other Mat-Su salmon guides, I’ve found they’ve had similar experiences of catching silver salmon, but not as quickly or easily as some years.

Taking a look at silver salmon through three weirs operated by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) reveals escapement counts that explain steady, but lower than average fishing success.

Little Susitna River

Little Susitna River has seen an uptick in silver salmon passage recently, and if that trend continues it is possible one of Northern Cook Inlet’s most significant sport silver salmon fisheries could be back on track to achieve it’s coho salmon escapement goal before this column is published on Friday, August 21.

Through Monday, August 17 a total of 6,312 coho had passed Little Susitna River weir. That is an increase of just over 3,000 coho salmon in one week.

As mentioned in last week’s column Little Susitna River has been closed to bait fishing for the entire year, and the silver salmon daly bag limit was reduced to one fish. If the department is assured of escapement within the Little Susitna River coho salmon escapement goal range, look for a future emergency order rescinding the bait and bag limit restrictions.

According to Mike Hudson with 3 Rivers Fly and Tackle in Wasilla, some fly fishermen had reported good fishing at Little Susitna River recently. I would suspect fishing pressure is very light with the restrictions, and all of the Little Susitna River guides I know have either moved their fishing operations elsewhere, quit for the season with the restrictions, or are hoping someone may agree to a Little Su Trip even with the restrictions.

Deshka River

]Through Wednesday, August 12, a total of 5,368 coho salmon had migrated past Deshka River weir. When I talked with ADF&G Area Sportfish manager Sam Ivey last Tuesday he had said the department was projecting the low end of the Deshka River coho escapement goal would be attained, however he also mentioned that escapement numbers had been dropping off. With removal of Deshka River weir for budget reason on August 13, there is no way of know whether the Deshka River coho salmon escapement goal will indeed be achieved for the 2020 season. Talking with 3 guides who work the Deshka River considerably more than I do, it sounds like the silver salmon catching has dropped off significantly since I talked with Sam Ivey last week.

It is possible the 5,368 coho already counted past Deshka River weir could half or more of the total coho escapement for 2020. Deshka River coho salmon escapement goal range is 10,299 to 24,100 fish. Deshka River remains open to bait fishing with a three coho salmon daily bag limit, although guides I’ve been talking to have been struggling to get limits.

Longtime Deshka River guide Pat Donelson told me the first couple weeks of August on Morning trips should be one-stop shopping (or limit taking), but that has not been the case this year.

Fish Creek

Through August 14, a total of 4,559 coho salmon have migrated past the Fish Creek weir. This escapement surpasses the coho salmon escapement range of 1,200 to 4.400 fish.

The small area near Knik-Goose Bay Road open to salmon fishing has been liberalized to allow salmon fishing seven days per week. The salmon limit has been liberalized to six salmon daily, however, only two of those may be coho salmon.

Mike Hudson and my nephew (Paul Warta) both gave me good reports from Fish Creek this week. While many steams in Northern Cook Inlet seem to have trouble achieving established escapement ranges in 2020, Fish Creek has been having a banner return for both sockeye salmon and coho salmon.

The sport fishery is open from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.

Parks Highway tributaries to Susitna River between Willow and Talkeetna

Portions of these streams remain open to fishing with bait with a two coho salmon daily bag limit. Anglers have been catching limits of silver salmon from many different stream drainages in this area, however, Ben Allen of Miller’s River Boat Service and Pat Donelson of I Fish Alaska Guide Service have both told me they having to work at getting limits.

Most of these fisheries have their best fishing in relatively small areas, so anglers often get up early or fish late in the evening for a chance at fishing some of the better holes without as much competition from other anglers.

Ben Allen told me on Sunday that probably at least 30% of the silver his groups were catching lately were gill net marked. I’d noticed a lot of net marked fish that my guests had been catching so I examined them on two morning trips in a row. On Monday, August 17, three of the six silver salmon my morning group caught were net marked.

On Tuesday, August 18, three of the eight silver salmon my guests caught were gill net marked. Pat Donelson told me on Tuesday that probably about 50% of the silver (coho) salmon his guest were catching had been gill net marked recently.

Talkeetna River drainage and Upper Susitna River

Mike Wood told me that he had seen both silver salmon and good numbers of pink salmon in Whiskers Creek near Talkeetna. He mentioned that he often swings by and takes a look and that people had been fishing this spot on a regular basis.

Silver salmon are also available at Clear Creek up the Talkeetna River, however, success rates have been similar to other Susitna River tributaries with best success often early in the morning.

Eklutna Tailrace

Mike Hudson told me that fishing at the tailrace and been similar to other location with people working to catch silvers, but some fish were getting caught.

Jim Creek

Mike mentioned that his customers were reporting better coho salmon catches form Jim Creek compared to the Tailrace. This usually a rough road to drive getting to the confluence of Jim Creek and Knik River, however, I’ve been told that with low amounts of rain recently the road is better than it often can be.

Note: ADF&G’s commercial manager reduced the number of commercial hours that could be fished in 3 stat areas closest to Knik Arm in response to low numbers of silver salmon returning to Little Susitna River. I have some thoughts on silver salmon management ideas for Northern Cook Inlet that I plan to write about in future columns.

Good luck 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.