Susitna pink salmon abundance

Talking with five different sources on Tuesday July 15, I heard from each one of them concerning pink salmon already available in catchable abundances at some Susitna River drainage locations. Aside from king salmon (which were closed to fishing and remain closed to fishing throughout the entire Susitna / Yentna River drainage during 2025) pink salmon are the salmon next to arrive in significant abundances — and particularly in several of the Susitna River tributary streams accessible from the Parks Highway. Note: in the Susitna River drainage sport anglers are allowed to harvest a limit of coho / sockeye / chum salmon AND a limit of pink salmon. Look for the largest abundances of all salmon species open to sport fishing at tributary stream confluences with the Susitna River and in the lower reaches of the tributary streams.

Fish Creek Salmon Closure

In last week’s column I mentioned Fish Creek off of Knik Goose Bay Road, however following standard sport fishing regulations, the small area of Fish Creek where salmon fishing is allowed at specific times, closed to all fishing on July 15, and will remain closed until it reopens for the Youth - Only Fishery on August 2 and 3. In hopes of informing the Public and avoiding violation citations, Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G fisheries biologist, Samantha Oslund, asked that mention of the Fish Creek salmon closure be included in this week’s column. Expect to see rapid increases in salmon spawning escapements past the Fish Creek Weir, thereby ensuring future sustainability of this highly-valued salmon producing drainage during this sport fishing closure.

Coho (Silver) Salmon — Mat-Su

Throughout the Mat-Su Valley coho salmon are available in many locations, and they are most frequently harvested salmon species by sport fishing anglers. During this past week I’ve heard of early coho salmon being harvested from the Knik River, Susitna River, and Little Susitna River drainages. While it is still early for consistent coho salmon sport catches, angler catches / harvests of this highly valued salmon species will increase at each of these and other Mat-Su locations over the July 19 / 20 weekend and during the following week. Several Mat-Su charter fishing businesses consider July 20 as the timeframe when consistent catches of coho salmon is likely to start, and especially in stream drainage areas closer to saltwater.

More Responsive ADF&G Management For Northern Cook Inlet Salmon

Following abysmal coho salmon returns and sport fishing restrictions and / or closures at several Mat-Su Valley and other Northern Cook Inlet locations during 2024, ADF&G has been managing the Upper Cook Inlet commercial drift gillnet fishery to allow more adequate salmon migration into Northern Cook Inlet. Compared to last year, more of the additional drift gillnet fishing time has been granted closer to Kasilof and Kenai River terminus areas (Expanded Kasilof, Expanded Kasilof, Anchor Point sections) with less of the additional fishing time allowed in the middle of Upper Cook Inlet (Drift Gillnet Area 1) While such management may forego some commercial harvest opportunity of abundant Kasilof and Kenai River sockeye salmon, it is necessary to ensure adequate spawning escapements and, hopefully, reasonable salmon harvest opportunities, throughout the season, in Northern Cook Inlet locations.

My examination of several years of past ADF&G commercial harvest opportunities also shows a necessity for the Department to restrict the General Subdistrict of Northern District set netting to one set net of not more than 35 fathoms at least between July 20 — August 1 in order to meet Northern Cook Inlet salmon spawning escapement goals for sockeye and coho salmon, while also providing reasonable inriver harvest opportunities without restrictions or closures throughout the fishing season. Admittedly, ADF&G’s task to manage Northern Cook Inlet salmon stocks on a sustainable basis for both salmon spawning escapements and providing reasonable Northern Cook Inlet (including Mat-Su) harvest opportunities throughout the season becomes complicated on years with large abundances of harvestable surplus sockeye salmon returning to the Kasilof and Kenai Rivers.

I am hopeful that all of this may occur during 2025.

Salmon Enumerations

As of July 15 Deshka River Weir, Lake Creek Sonar, Fish Creek Weir, and Larson Lake Weir have been installed for enumerations of specific Northern Cook Inlet salmon stocks with daily and cumulative counts posted on ADF&G’s Website. At the same time, ADF&G was still working on installation of Little Susitna River Weir, Chelatna Lake Weir, and had not yet started installation of Jim Creek Weir. Judd Lake Weir was not funded for 2025.

On the Kenai Peninsula a floating video weir has been counting Ninilchik River Chinook escapement since May 8, a video weir has been in operation at Anchor River since May 21, Crooked Creek Weir has been recording continuous counts since May 21, Kenai River Chinook salmon sonar counts have been ongoing since May 21, Kenai River sonar counts of sockeye started July 1, Kasilof River sonar sockeye counts have been ongoing since June 15, and Russian River Weir counts have been ongoing since June 4. Below are some of the current count numbers through July 14 from the Mat-Su compared to the Kenai:

Kenai Peninsula Salmon Escapements (7/14/25):

Ninilchik River—2,528 Chinook salmon; Anchor River—3,153 Chinook Salmon; Crooked Creek—266 Chinook Salmon; Kenai River—2,541 early Chinook, 3,633 late Chinook, 313,138 late Sockeye; Kasilof River— 644,672 sockeye; Russian River—37,153 early sockeye, 0 late sockeye

Mat-Su Salmon Escapements (7/14/25):

Deshka River—1,455 Chinook, 15 pink; Lake Creek—1,454 Chinook / stalled by mixed sockeye starting July 11.; Fish Creek—1,171 sockeye; Larson Lake—0 sockeye; Little Susitna River — not yet started.; Chelatna Lake — not yet started; Jim Creek — not yet started; Judd Lake — not funded for 2025

Personal Use Dip Net Opportunities for the July 19 / 20 Weekend and Next Week:

Kasilof River, Kenai River, Copper River at Chitina, Lower Susitna River (Saturdays and Wednesdays only through July 31), Fish Creek — look for Emergency Order opening during later July.

Good Luck and Fish On!

Andy Couch guides Mat-Su salmon fishing charters https://fish4salmon.com/ , is a member of the Matanuska Valley Fish & Game Advisory Committee, and the Matanuska-Susitna Borough Fish and Wildlife Commission, however, statements / opinions in this column are his own, unless expressed otherwise.