Sockeye salmon week in the Mat-Su Valley

Fish Creek dipnet fishery

With 26,781 sockeye salmon past the Alaska Department of Fish and Game Fish Creek salmon counting weir as of July 22, the lower portion of Fish Creek opens by emergency order to personal use salmon dip netting today at 6 a.m. The area where dip netting is allowed is located near mile 16 of Knik-Goose Bay Road. More sockeye salmon may be harvested in this fishery over the next week than in all other Mat-Su Valley sport fisheries for the entire season. This fishery is for Alaska residents only and a sport fishing license and permit are required for all anglers over 15 years of age.

For more information contact the ADF&G Palmer office at 746-6300, or read Howard Delo’s, Outdoors in Alaska, Frontiersman column published today.

Talkeetna River/Larson Creek fishery

The last week of July is prime time for catching sockeye salmon from the Talkeetna River system with the area at the confluence of Larson Creek and the Talkeetna River being one of the hotspots. The Talkeetna River/Larson Creek fishery is open seven days per week and produces one of the Mat-Su Valley’s larger sport harvests of sockeye salmon. For more information contact Phantom Tri River Charters in Talkeetna at 733-2400.

Jim Creek sockeye salmon

Sockeye salmon are the first salmon to show up in large numbers at Jim Creek, located off of Plumley Road near the Butte. Now is prime time for catching Jim Creek sockeye salmon and silver salmon should be showing up in this fishery in significant numbers over the next week as well. Several miles of this stream are open to salmon fishing. At this time the fishery is open seven days per week, 24 hours per day. Later during a portion of August fishing hour restrictions will apply. Driving conditions getting to Jim Creek’s confluence with the Knik River, where most of the harvest occurs, can be challenging. Contact ADF&G at the phone number listed above for more information.

Cottonwood Creek sockeye

Only a small portion of the lower part of Cottonwood Creek is open to salmon fishing, but now is the prime time for catching Cottonwood Creek sockeye salmon, and like Jim Creek some early arriving silver salmon should also be available at this location. The fishery is only open on Saturdays and Sundays from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. each week. The fishery is located off of Hayfield Road near Wasilla. Contact or visit 3 Rivers Fly & Tackle in Wasilla (373-5434) for more information or to get geared up for this fishery.

Lake Creek sockeye salmon

Lake Creek is a remote stream accessible only by airplane or a 60-mile boat ride from Deshka Landing, but it has several fishing lodge operations located near it’s confluence with the Yentna River, and Lake Creek hosts the largest run of sockeye salmon in the Mat-Su Valley. For those with the time, equipment, or money to travel to Lake Creek the lower portions of this stream may provide the best sockeye salmon fishing in the entire Mat-Su Valley. Chum salmon, pink salmon, a few early arriving coho salmon, and a good population of rainbow trout are also available at this location.

Silver (coho) salmon fisheries

In addition to the locations I’ve already mentioned, coho salmon numbers are starting to build in Mat-Su Valley streams with silver salmon getting caught daily at Deshka River, Little Susitna RIver, Eklutna Tailrace and Parks HIghway tributary streams between Willow and Talkeetna. Jeff Boatright at Susitna Landing (495 -7700) told me bank anglers have been catching silver salmon from that location on a daily basis since July 20. The season count for silver salmon passing Little Susinta River weir is now 460 fish through July 22. The silver salmon count at Deshka Weir is 148 fish. Even though these weir counts are not very large numbers (at present) expect decent to good silver salmon fishing at both of these and other Mat-Su Valley locations during the coming week.

Andy Couch has guided sport fishing trips in the Mat-Su Valley for more than 30 years. Visit his Fishtale River Guides website at www.fish4salmon.com.