Winter ice fishing and an annual Mat-Su fisheries meeting

On Thanksgiving Day, my brother, Mark, his daughter, and a nephew went ice fishing at Matanuska Lake. They caught a good bunch of landlocked salmon measuring around 10 inches in length along with some much skinner although longer Arctic char. I don’t remember if they caught any of the rainbow trout which also inhabit the lake — perhaps I did not even ask. The question I did ask was, “How was the ice?”

“It was about six inches in depth, did not make any disturbing sounds while we were fishing on it, and it appeared to me that the ice in the area we were fishing may have been built up by water seeping up through cracks in the ice and then freezing. The heavy snows we had likely put enough weight on the ice to cause the overflow — which then froze. It looked a bit different, however, when we drove past the bridge between Kepler and Bradley Lake and saw people fishing in open water below the bridge,” Mark replied.

On Saturday of this week my wife and I drove past the Kepler / Bradley bridge and not only saw people fishing, but actually watched one angler pull up a decent trout-sized fish from the open water, to flopping on the bridge before our vehicle had passed. On Saturday just across the Glen Highway, Echo Lake was covered with a layer of snow with standing water over the top. Not exactly the kind of conditions that get me fired up to go ice fishing. Add a new layer of snow on top of that mess, and I am even less interested. Still for people interested in getting out, and catching some fish, I will provide a bit more information.

It should go without saying, and especially if fishing near the Palmer - Wasilla core area, be very careful, and check ice conditions and depth very carefully before venturing out over deep water areas. Because of our recent yo-yoing temperatures and snow / rain conditions I would not want to walk out on any ice that did not appear to be at least 6 inches in depth and a solid hard surface. A new heavy snow load on an ice-covered lake, as mentioned early, can weight down the ice so much that once a person drills a hole, water may flow up the hole and onto the surrounding ice causing a soggy snow / water mix. For that reason I always suggest waiting a few days before going ice fishing after a heavy snowfall event. It is also a good idea to wear warm boots, that are also waterproof, whenever fishing a lake with heavy snow cover as even if there is a bit of overflow your feet may remain warm while fishing.

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game usually stocks several Mat-Su Valley lakes with catchable-sized (10 inch range) salmon, rainbow trout, or sometimes Arctic char shortly before the lakes ice up, in preparation for the winter fishing season. You can find information about the most recent lakes stocked, as well as species stocked and size of fish stocked by doing a stocking search on the Alaska Department of Fish and Game website. Early winter, while there is plenty of oxygen in the water, is often one of the best times to catch several species of fish through the ice. Later in winter fish can become less active and harder to catch.

Smaller bait or smaller lures have often produced more bites for me while ice fishing. Often times winter bites can be more subtle so I like to use a light weight rod and 6 lb. test monofilament line when ice fishing core-area lakes for fish up to about 25 inches in length. When I happen to hook a fish that big, I need a reel with a good drag so the fish doesn’t break the 6 lb. test line on its first furious run, after being hooked. I recommend deciding how many fish you intend to keep before you start fishing, as harvest regulations can be quite generous on the stocked lakes, but a person should not harvest more small fish than he or she wants to clean and eat.

ADF&G / Mat-Su Fish and Wildlife Commission — Public Fisheries Meeting This annual meeting to learn about Mat-Su fisheries management from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game is scheduled to start at 5 p.m. on December 7, 2023 in the Mat-Su Borough Assembly Chambers. The commission has sent several questions to the department in preparation for the meeting — the answers to which should be posted on the Mat-Su Borough’s FWC webpage a few days before the meeting. The agenda provides a period of time for public questions near the start of the meeting. I suggest any member of the.public consider writing down their most prioritized question in preparation for the meeting, as depending upon public attendance and time, each individual may only get to ask a single question / clarification. In addition to attending the meeting in person there will be an opportunity to attend / participate online. For more information call borough staff, Maija DiSalvo, at 907-861-7865 or view the FWC meeting schedule and agenda webpage on or after Friday evening Dec. 1.

Andy Couch plans to use the online option to participate in the December 7, 5 p.m. meeting, but always needs to take a bit of extra time remembering / relearning how it works.