Will record snowfalls delay king season?

Last year, an unusually warm winter led to early-season fishing opportunities, including a king salmon that was caught on May 1. So with a heavier-than-normal snowfall this year, is king fishing going to start later?

That question is being asked by lots of anglers itching to get the gear out this spring. The answer lies in the temperatures that await the Valley over the next few weeks.

"It all depends on how fast the melt is," said Dave Rutz, the area biologist for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. "In years of high ice melt, in the past we've seen that it generally melts prior to the kings coming in, so we have high, clear water for them, around the middle of May. It shouldn't affect the catch as much as people may think."

Another misconception that people may have is that the record snowfall in the Anchorage and Mat-Su areas will have a big impact on the water conditions, and consequently, on the king fishing early in the season.

"It's really hard to say, but the snowpack that affects the Susitna drainage is way up in the upper Talkeetna Mountains and the Alaska Range, and they have somewhat normal snowpacks this winter," Rutz said. "The record snowfalls here shouldn't affect it, except for maybe the Little Su."

This year, a normal winter has meant a return to "normal" fishing conditions. While it's possible a May 1 king could be caught this year, don't bet on it.

"If the rivers are like the lakes, we've got plenty of time," Rutz said. "We've still got about two feet of ice on the lakes. We've still got a lot of ice."

Even with all that ice, stories can still be told about the whoppers that got away because anglers couldn't get to them. After all, it is fishing season, and fishing season wouldn't be fishing season without a few tall tales.

"You'll hear about the early kings coming in under the ice, but really, it doesn't look like it will be that different from other years," Rutz said.

The secret to when the fishing will get hot and heavy in the usual spots -- the Little Su, and the Parks Highway streams -- lies up the road a little.

"Watch Eklutna. People fish that early because it's close to home. When it starts to pick up there, you know it's going to start picking up everywhere," Rutz said.