Valley lakes +++

Trout, grayling, landlocked salmon, pike

"We've had excellent reports from Long Lake, Finger Lake," reports the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, "and one proud angler brought his fish in to show us from Matanuska Lake. It was 22 inches." Arctic grayling are available in Canoe, Knik, Meirs, and Reed lakes. Bead-head nymph or leech patterns work well. Spin fishers should try small spinners, spoons or bait suspended under a bobber. Matanuska Lake was stocked with 10,000 small rainbows and Kepler-Bradley got nearly as many.

Willow area lakes ++

Trout, grayling, pike

Lynne and Honeybee lakes should serve up decent rainbow trout action. Shrimp or worms under a bobber can be deadly. Most pike have spawned and are feeding aggressively in the shallows, making them good targets for weedless leeches or bow fishermen. Except at Alexander Lake, there's no bag or possession limit. At Alexander Lake, anglers can take one pike 27 inches or longer and as many pike smaller than that as they'd like.

Sheep Creek +

King salmon

Too early for kings. Most flowing waters along the Parks Highway are catch-and-release for rainbows until June 15.

Montana Cree +

Trout, grayling, king salmon

It's early for kings. Most flowing waters along the Parks Highway are catch-and-release for rainbows until June 15.

Little Susitna River ++

King salmon, rainbows

Anglers pulling flatfish and Spin-N-Glos could nail a king, but it's early, so don't expect a lot. . Bait is not permitted.

Willow Creek +

King salmon, trout, grayling

Still too early for kings. Rainbows may be at the mouth, and Dollies may be available too. Warming water should make them more active.

Eklutna Tailrace +

King salmon

Don't expect much until June except, perhaps, a sunburn -- though you couldn't find a more comfortable spot to fish from a lawn chair. Bait is legal.

REMOTE FISHERIES

Deshka River +

King salmon, trout, grayling

Dismal king return so far, but it's quite early. Since the weir went in May 20, only two days have seen more than nine kings pass by. Don't expect fishing to gear up until mid-June. With Fish and Game predicting 31,000 returning kings, this season may be better than last year's early closure -- but it has a long way to go.

Lake Creek +

King salmon, rainbows

Kings have been caught here and a few more could trickle in this weekend, but don't expect much.

Talkeetna River ++

Rainbow trout, Dollies, grayling

Fishing for big rainbows should be fair depending upon river levels and clarity.

ANCHORAGE AREA

Twentymile River +++

Hooligan

Dipnetting in Turnagain Arm still going strong, but it should peak soon. Saltwater season closes Monday . Freshwater remains open until June 15. These little fish take advantage of the incoming tidal current for a free ride up the Twentymile River, so the best time to fish is at the end of low slack tide.

Local lakes +++

Trout, graying, char, pike, salmon

Fishing should be solid, but with sunny, warm weather in the forecast, try going early or late. Spinners, night crawlers, shrimp and flies will catch char and trout. Symphony Lake high in the Chugach Mountains above Eagle River is closed to all sport fishing until July 1 so its population of grayling can spawn undisturbed. Are the two arctic char more than 16 inches long that were stocked in Little Campbell Lake this spring still swimming? Several reports have some big rainbows cruising Cheney Lake.

Ship Creek +++

King salmon

King salmon are nosing into the creek, but don't expect hot action yet. King derby doesn't start until June 11. Beware, the creek upstream of the Chugach Power Plant to the Reeve Boulevard bridge is closed through Sept. 30 to protect wild populations of spawning rainbows.

KENAI PENINSULA

Deep Creek +

King salmon, Dollies

Lower portion of Deep Creek will open to king salmon fishing 12:01 a.m. Saturday through Monday. Sunny weather and upstream snow melt should yield high, muddy water.

Ninilchik River ++

King salmon, Dollies

Like Deep Creek, it opens early Saturday morning. Should be a little less turbid, though. Bait such as salmon roe and herring may be the ticket until clarity improves.

Homer Spit HH

King salmon

Kings are starting to arrive at the Nick Dudiak Fishing Lagoon, but the run won't peak until the second week of June. Some 3,000 kings are expected back.

Anchor River ++

King salmon, Dollies

King salmon fishery opens 12:01 a.m. Saturday through Monday, but water has been muddy and fishing is no better than fair. Sonar counter two miles upstream has counted 168 fish -- but 70 of those arrived in the last two days so the run may be picking up. It'll need to skyrocket to match the big run of nearly 10,000 kings in 2007. Any steelhead caught must be released without being removed from the water.

Kasilof River ++

King salmon, Dollies

Bait fishing permitted in this mixed fishery of wild and hatchery kings. Through the end of June, the bag limit is two kings a day -- but only one may be a wild king with its adipose fin intact (hatchery fish fins are clipped). Wild kings can only be kept Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Anglers fishing plugs wrapped with sardine or egg clusters were having some success.

Upper Kenai River

Closed to all fishing from Skilak to Kenai Lake until June 11.

Lower Kenai River +

King salmon

Too early to tell if the early king run is the bust it appears to be, but 446 kings are past the sonar at river Mile 8 in the first 10 days. So far, this year is tracking 2009's dreadful early run of 11,334 kings, the worst since 2002. If there's going to be a pulse of fish, it ought to come in the next 10 days. With tides increasing over the next several days, the number of kings moving into the Kenai should remain stable until after the holiday weekend.

Clam Gulch +++

Razor clams

Nice run of minus tides continues until Saturday. Clams are small, especially around Ninilchik, but the digging is better at Clam Gulch and can be superb on west-side beaches. Remember that all razor clams that are dug must be kept regardless of size. Diggers must buy a fishing license first.

MARINE FISHERIES

Outside Resurrection Bay HHH

Halibut, rockfish

An occasional 60-80 pounder is turning up among the more typical 20-pounders as the flatfish begin their annual move into shallower water. Remember, ling cod fishing closed until July 1.

Resurrection Bay ++

Salmon, halibut, rockfish

King salmon limit is two per day, any size, inside the bay. Start fishing right out of the harbor and troll toward the headlands. Rockfish are active and often easy to catch, but keep what you pull in because rockfish don't survive release well. Limit is four per day.

Deep Creek offshor +++

King salmon, halibut

Trolling success for spawning kings is improving from Bluff Point north but nobody's calling it hot. Try near-shore salt waters of Anchor Point, Whiskey Gulch and Deep Creek, with the corridor one mile from shore between Anchor Point and Deep Creek best. Halibut fishing in near-shore areas should be good. Tractor launches at both Deep Creek and Anchor Point are operating.

Prince William Sound +++

Halibut, shrimp, rockfish

Rockfish angling has been productive, with herring jigs or bait near herring spawning grounds often best. Rocky benches adjacent to reefs are good spots too. Shrimping has been excellent, especially in deep water. Remember, shrimping permits, available at Fish and Game offices, are mandatory this year and the pot limit is up to eight per vessel.

Kachemak Ba +++

King salmon, halibut, rockfish

Trolling success for feeder king salmon in Kachemak Bay is fair using herring, hootchies, tube flies, and spoons. Flashers offer extra attraction. Halibut are being caught in waters about 60 feet deep near Homer Bluffs. Point Pogibshi is turning out good catches in 100 to 200 feet.

Nice catch

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