Solstice Mat-Su king salmon opportunities

June 21, the summer solstice, usually means a plethora of Mat-Su Valley king salmon fishing opportunities, but in 2013 up to this point of the season, Mat-Su sport fishing for kings has been slow to say the least.

High water on the Little Susitna River has likely contributed to poor sport catches and harvests in the lower river, and has also flooded the Alaska’s Department of Fish and Game salmon counting weir so that king salmon have been able to swim past the weir undetected on many days already this summer.

According to U. S. Geological Survey water data, summer flows on the Little Susitna River peaked for the season on Monday evening at the measuring site above the Parks Highway. From my experience, there is usually a lag time of about two days for water levels at the upper site to transition to the lower Little Susitna River near the Little Susitna Public Use Facility, where most sport salmon fishing efforts happen on the river.

In other words, flow in the lower river may have just crested as of Wednesday in the lower river. Over the last three-day weekend (June 15, 16 and 17) harvests of king salmon checked through the Alaska State Parks fee booth at Little Susitna River were approximately 16 kings on Saturday, 10 kings on Sunday and six kings on Monday, as relayed to me at about 7 p.m., Monday by the fee booth attendant. The currently emergency regulations should stay in effect at least through the weekend, and likely through the end of the season. The combination of high water and restrictive regulations has greatly reduced sport harvest of king salmon at this location.

The record-setting heat wave of warm, sunny weather in Southcentral Alaska has turned the Deshka River sport fishery into an exercise in casting and trolling practice with very few king salmon hooked for anglers at this normally very productive fishery. Combined with the warm weather and warm water temperatures on the Deshka, single-hook artificial-lure-only regulations have on recent days reduced king salmon catch and harvest to single digits. Unfortunately for Alaska Department of Fish and Game Manager Sam Ivey, warm water temperatures also seem to be delaying king salmon migration upstream through the Deshka River Weir.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, I can attest that good numbers of king salmon were rolling in the cooler and silty Susitna River water downstream of the mix zone with Deshka River water, but few fish seemed to be migrating or splashing around upstream of Deshka River Lodge. Still, the Deshka RIver remains the only Mat-Su Valley king salmon stream with a seven-day-per-week sport harvest opportunity.

Beware that this opportunity could change with a possible emergency order adjustment to the sport fishery, according to Ivey. Significantly cooler weather and/or rain could definitely benefit the Deshka River king salmon fishery and passage of king salmon past the weir.

One of my fishing guests this week told me he had caught and released some king salmon from one of the Unit 2 Eastside Susitna RIver tributary streams on Monday. Note these streams are now only open to catch and release for kings on Saturday, Sunday and Monday.

According to my discussion with Ivey, the Department of Fish and Game intends to maintain catch-and-release regulations on these streams throughout the season. An additional note is that a new department salmon counting weir was recently installed on Montana Creek and should be counting king salmon as they venture upstream.

In Talkeetna, Margo with Tri River Charters told me they intend to start catch-and-release king salmon charters on the Talkeetna River as soon as the kings arrive. She also mentioned that while the Talkeetna River is currently high and muddy, Clear Creek has been dropping and clearing, and they have heard unconfirmed rumors that a few king salmon have already been seen. Traditional run timing would have this fishery starting as early as this weekend.

According to Ivey, high water has not allowed timely installation of king salmon counting weirs at Lake Creek and Talachulitna River in the Yentna River drainage, and the department has little current knowledge of what is occurring number wise on the Lake Creek fishery. Weir installation was also impossible on the Chulitna River due to high waters.

King salmon harvest is currently allowed on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday on Yentna River tributary streams, except the Talachulitna, where no harvest is allowed during the 2013 season. The Chulitna River fishery has also been restricted to catch-and-release only during the 2013 season.

Eklutna Tailrace provides the only opportunity to harvest hatchery king salmon in the Mat-Su Valley on a seven-day-per-week basis. Some kings are currently being harvested at this location, but with the lack of an angler survey or ADF&G monitoring of success levels it is difficult to know how good the fishing actually is without venturing forth and trying it.

Salmon fishing elsewhere

While the Kasilof River personal use fishery was recently closed by emergency order due to low king salmon returns, the Copper River personal use and subsistence fisheries for Alaska residents should provide excellent salmon harvest opportunity in the near future, according to the Alaska Outdoor Journal website. Contact a local ADF&G office for information and necessary permits for these salmon harvest opportunities.

Russian River sockeye salmon fishing on the Kenai Peninsula has been reported to be quite good with plenty of fish showing up since it opened more than a week ago.

Good luck to those looking to harvest Alaska’s salmon resource over the solstice weekend.

Andy Couch owns and operates Fishtale River Guides (fish4salmon.com) and is a member of the Mat-Su Borough Fish and Wildlife Commission.