Area Sport Fishing Reports
Mat-Su

Archived Sport Fishing Report

June 05, 2024

Freshwater Fishing

• The Eklutna Tailrace is open. The first salmon should be caught in the beginning of June. Water levels at Eklutna have risen increasing catching opportunity. Remember to purchase your 2024 king salmon stamp along with your license for this fishery. You can record your catch with the new mobile app.
• Northern Pike:
  • Northern pike are finished spawning and will be hungry. Try top-water lures, imitation frogs and mice or weedless leeches.
  • For road-accessible pike fishing, try the Nancy Lake Recreation Area lakes, Big Lake, Long Lake near Willow, Memory Lake and Prator Lake.
  • Boat-accessible pike fishing can be found in the side sloughs of the Deshka River, Alexander Creek, Fish Creek (Kroto Slough), and Hewitt Lake.
  • For fly-in pike fishing try Alexander Lake, Shell Lake, Eightmile Lake, Trapper Lake, Flathorn Lake, and Sucker Lake.
• Rainbow Trout
  • Parks Highway streams from Willow Creek north to Talkeetna River should provide good action for rainbow trout, Dolly Varden, and Arctic grayling. Rainbows are well distributed throughout area streams. Water levels have slowly risen leading to murky waters but fishing is still opportunistic. Try a variety of flies, including fry patterns, prince nymphs, egg sucking leaches, wholly buggers, leeches, and sculpins.
  • Anglers are reminded that flowing waters in the Palmer-Wasilla Zone are CLOSED to all fishing until June 15. This includes Cottonwood Creek off Seward Meridian as well as Lucille creek.
  • Many flowing waters along the Parks Highway are catch-and-release ONLY for rainbow trout until June 15.
  • Deception Creek is closed to fishing until June 15.

Local Lakes

• Stay tuned to our webpage for more information as the stocking truck has been active in the Mat-Su.
• Lakes recently stocked with rainbow trout include: Kepler/Bradley, Canoe, Lucille, Matanuska, Rocky, Crystal, Lalen, West Beaver, Slipper (Eska), Irene, Long, Ida, Seventeen mile, Wolf, Lorraine, and Carpenter lake.

Emergency Orders

Please review the emergency orders and advisory announcements below in their entirety before heading out on your next fishing trip.

• Emergency Order 2-KS-2-05-24 Closes the Susitna River drainage to sport fishing for king salmon. In addition, sport fishing gear is limited to one unbaited, single-hook, artificial lure with a gap between the point and shank of the hook that is one-half inch or less in the Susitna River drainage (Units 1-6).
• Emergency Order 2-KS-2-06-24 Closes the Little Susitna to sport fishing for king salmon and limits gear to one unbaited, single-hook, artificial lure with a gap of one-half inch or less when fishing for other species.
• Emergency Order 2-KS-2-11-24 Closes all waters of West Cook Inlet Management Area to sport fishing for king salmon.
• Emergency Order 2-KS-2-19-24 extends the area open to sport fishing at the Eklutna Tailrace downstream to the upstream edge of the Alaska Railroad bridge.

Don't forget to purchase your 2024 sport fishing license and king stamp! You can purchase and display your fishing license and king stamp, record your annual harvest (i.e. king salmon), access sport fishing regulations and locations, and so much more on your mobile device. Download the ADF&G Mobile App today. You can also purchase licenses through the ADF&G online store and print it off from the comfort of your own home. Make sure to review emergency orders, advisory announcements, and the 2024 Southcentral Alaska Sport Fishing Regulations Summary booklet for the area you are fishing before you head out.

For additional information, please contact the ADF&G Palmer Area Office at 907-746-6300.