Valley lakes ++++

Trout, grayling, landlocked salmon, pike

Some 38,000 small rainbows were dumped into Finger Lake in the last week, with another 11,000 newbies swimming at Seventeenmile Lake. Good time to bring the float tube to Kepler-Bradley and get your casting arm in shape. Spin fishers should try small spinners, spoons or bait suspended under a bobber.

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. Long Lake near Willow has pike, as does Memory and Prator lakes. 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

Kings may start nosing in by the weekend. Most flowing waters along the Parks Highway are catch-and-release for rainbows until June 15.

Montana Creek +

Trout, grayling, king salmon

King fishing may pick up next week. Most flowing waters along the Parks Highway are catch-and-release for rainbows until June 15.

Little Susitna River ++

King salmon, rainbows

Despite high and murky water, biologists call the king fishing "fair" and anglers pulling flatfish and Spin-N-Glos have had some success. Bait is not permitted.

Willow Creek +

King salmon, trout, Dollies

Still early for kings by a week or so. Rainbows and Dollies may be at the mouth.

Eklutna Tailrace +

King salmon

Occasional kings have appeared but fishing isn't expected to get consistent until next week. Great place to enjoy a sunny day, though -- fish or no fish. Bait is legal.

REMOTE FISHERIES

Deshka River +

King salmon, trout, grayling

State biologists are hoping the king return is a little late because the numbers so far are grim -- 75 kings past the weir in 13 days. Even worse, in four of the last five days, not a single king slipped past the weir. But the Deshka often doesn't get rolling until mid-June, so don't despair. In fact, 2007 had a similar start and more than 18,000 kings returned -- about 6,000 more than showed up last year. Some kings may be milling around the river mouth. "It's been pretty good actually," guide Pat Donelson reported Saturday. "More like a normal year." But fellow Mat-Su guide Andy Couch had one 10-pound king for three anglers in his boat Tuesday. "I talked with a young lady at Deshka Landing, and she said they knew of only one king salmon caught at the Deshka River today," he wrote on his website. "Seems to be few fish moving right now."

Lake Creek +

King salmon, rainbows

Kings have been caught and the run should start to build, but don't expect too much yet.

Talkeetna River ++

Rainbow trout, Dollies, grayling

Fishing for rainbows should be good if water is clear enough.

ANCHORAGE AREA

Twentymile River ++

Hooligan

Dipnetting in Turnagain Arm salt water is closed, but netters can patrol fresh water until June 15. Hooligan take advantage of the incoming tidal current for a free ride up the Twentymile River, so try fishing then.

Local lakes +++

Trout, graying, char, pike, salmon

Fishing should be solid, with spinners, night crawlers, shrimp and flies all catching 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. Northern pike-cleansed Cheney Lake is yielding some nice rainbow trout.

Ship Creek ++

King salmon

Kings are rolling in the estuary during high tide, but murky water is hurting anglers. Spinners and salmon roe have been most effective so far, and catch rates should improve as the derby opening on June 11 approaches. 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.

Eagle River +

King salmon

Opens Saturday through Monday from Bailey Bridge on Fort Richardson upstream to regulatory markers at the Eagle River Campground. Expect fishing to slow on this glacial system, especially if the weather continues to be warm.

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. Upstream snow melt should yield high, muddy water. Fishing has been slow.

Ninilchik River +

King salmon, Dollies

Like Deep Creek, it opens 12:01 a.m. Saturday. Should be a little less turbid, though. Bait such as salmon roe and herring may be the ticket.

Homer Spit +++

King salmon

Saturday is Youth Fishing Day at the Nick Dudiak Fishing Lagoon for children 15 or younger. Fish and Game staffers will be on hand 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. with fishing rods and gear to loan, fishing advice and demonstrations. King fishing picked up last weekend.

Anchor River +++

King salmon, Dollies

It's early, but the king return so far is stronger than last year. Three of the last four days have seen more than 100 kings pass the sonar two miles upstream. Open 12:01 a.m. Saturday through Monday. Any steelhead caught must be released without being removed from the water. Salmon roe and herring working best.

Kasilof River ++

King salmon, Dollies

Probably was the best king prospect over Memorial Day weekend even though Fish and Game reported "low angler success." Blue Spin-N-Glo's sometimes work well. Bait fishing permitted in this mixed fishery of wild and hatchery kings, and anglers fishing plugs wrapped with sardine or egg clusters were scoring. 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. Rainbows or steelhead cannot be removed from the water or kept.

Upper Kenai River

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

Lower Kenai River +

King salmon

Water levels are rising and clarity is dropping, but the next sound you hear may be a Fish and Game shriek. So far, they allow that the Kenai early king run is "well below average the past several days." Translation: Lousy. Since the department's sonar began operating in mid-May, no more than 75 kings have passed on a single day, and lately that number has dropped. Look back to 2004 for a similar start, and 7,200 early-run kings showed up that year.

Clam Gulch ++

Razor clams

The next good clamming tide series will be June 10-17. 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 captured must be kept regardless of size. Diggers must buy a fishing license first.

MARINE FISHERIES

Outside Resurrection Bay +++

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. A 107-pounder leads the Seward Halibut Derby, which ends July 11. Top prize is $10,000.

Resurrection Bay ++

Salmon, halibut, rockfish

King salmon limit is two per day, any size, inside the bay, but fishing has been slow. 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 offshore ++

King salmon, halibut

Trollers nabbing a few kings from Bluff Point north. 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 is improving as big fish move into shallower water. Tractor launches at both Deep Creek and Anchor Point are operating.

Prince William Sound +++

Halibut, shrimp, red salmon

Red salmon are nosing into Coghill River and other red salmon streams on the western side of Prince William Sound. Main Bay is a decent early-season bet too. Shrimping has been good, especially in Unakwik, Port Wells, and Port Nellie Juan. Shrimping permits, available at Fish and Game offices, are mandatory this year and the pot limit is up to eight per vessel. Lingcod season closed until July 1.

Kachemak Bay +++

King salmon, halibut, rockfish

King salmon are arriving in Seldovia Harbor, with anglers catching fish from the bridge over the slough. A few feeder kings are elsewhere in the bay. Halibut are being caught in waters about 60 feet deep near Homer Bluffs, with herring, salmon heads and octopus working well. Point Pogibshi is turning out good catches in 100 to 200 feet.

Nice catch

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