Southcentral Management Areas Fishing Reports - Sport Fish Division

Mat-Su Area Fishing Report

Seasonal Summaries

Emergency Orders

An emergency order was issued to increase the coho (“silver”) salmon bag limit to three per day in those waters of the Knik Arm Area open to salmon fishing, excluding the Little Susitna River. On the Little Susitna River, the bag limit remains three salmon, of which only two may be silvers. Also, an extra day was added to the weekend-only fisheries on Cottonwood, Fish, and Wasilla (Rabbit Slough) creeks; anglers may now fish Saturday through Monday from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on these creeks.

Regulation Reminders

Starting September 1, only unbaited single hooks are allowed in most of the Mat-Su flowing waters, Parks Highway streams, and in the West Cook Inlet-area flowing waters.
In the Little Susitna River, from its mouth upstream to the Parks Highway, only unbaited, artificial lures are allowed beginning October 1.
Long Lake in the Kepler-Bradley system, Wishbone Lake near Sutton, and X Lake near Talkeetna close to all fishing for the rest of the year on November 1.
Only catch-and-release fishing for rainbows and grayling is allowed year-round in Montana Creek. In Willow Creek, rainbow trout may not be retained downstream of the Parks Highway bridge.

Salmon

The best success for coho salmon this time of year comes from the Talkeetna River and nearby streams, such as Sunshine and Rabideux creeks.
Willow Creek, Montana Creek and the Eklutna Power Plant tailrace also usually see late silvers trickling in through mid-September.
Through mid-September, silvers can be found in the tributaries and sloughs of the Yentna and Skwentna rivers. Most anglers try at Moose, Indian, Bottle, or Hewitt creeks. Expect slow fishing.

Resident Fish

Rainbow trout fishing should be good to excellent in area streams through freeze-up. Look for rainbows where silver salmon are spawning – about mid-September through early October. Trout will be gorging on salmon eggs and flesh. Later in the fall, as water levels drop, trout can become more concentrated in lower reaches of many tributaries.
Keep in mind that single-hook, no-bait restrictions are in place for many area flowing waters.

Lake Fishing

With the cooler temperatures of fall approaching, Mat-Su lakes provide excellent fishing as fish become much more active and feed in shallower water. A stocked lake handout is available from Department of Fish and Game offices in Palmer and Anchorage, and on the Web page (see “Helpful Links,” below), to assist you in finding good angling opportunities and public access.
ADF&G does not monitor ice thickness. For ice and snowpack conditions on state lands, call Alaska State Parks in Palmer at (907) 745-3975.
In the Palmer/Wasilla area, Canoe, Irene, Finger, Kepler/Bradley, Loberg, Matanuska, Meirs, and Memory lakes are stocked with rainbow trout.
Lakes stocked with landlocked salmon are Matanuska, Finger, Kalmbach, Knik, Loberg and Klaire.
Arctic char are stocked in Benka, Finger, Irene, Long, Marion, Matanuska, and Seventeenmile lakes.
Along the Glenn Highway Northeast of Palmer, Lower Bonnie, Seventeenmile, Long, Ravine, Weiner, and Knob Lakes all have rainbow trout.
If it's Arctic grayling you're looking for, try Canoe, Reed, Finger, Florence, and Knik, Meirs, Lorraine and Kepler/Bradley lakes.
Lake trout fishing can be a lot of fun in the fall and after ice-up try Byers, Chelatna, Clarence, Larson, Redshirt, or Long Lake (mile 86 Glenn Highway).

Pike Fishing