Valley lakes ++++

Trout, grayling, landlocked salmon, pike

Dust off the float tube for some fine fall fishing. Cooler weather means hotter lake fishing. Consider hitting Loberg, Meirs, Echo, Matanuska, Canoe and Irene in succession to add some variety to your fishing day.

Willow area lakes ++++

Trout, char, grayling, pike

Visnaw, Seymour and Lalen lakes all have rainbows, which are getting spunky as temperatures hit the low-40s at night. Pike should be getting more active at Red Shirt Lake in the Nancy Lakes complex.

Sheep Creek ++

Rainbows, silvers

After a few good weeks, silver fishing is fair now.

Montana Creek ++

Silver salmon, trout, grayling

Many of the silvers are turning, but it's still worth prospecting for fresh fish. Prospects should be excellent for catch-and-release rainbow trout fishing. Fish and Game says that "this is the week to fish Sunshine and Rabideux creeks."

Little Susitna River +++

Silver salmon, rainbows

Float downstream of the Parks Highway for a dose of good silver salmon fishing. Bait is legal. Two of your three-salmon limit may be silvers.

Willow Creek ++

Silver, pink salmon, rainbows

Silver fishing is fair, but the Willow Creek State Recreation Area is a fine spot to visit this time of year. Rainbows are catch-and-release downstream of Parks Highway.

Jim Creek ++

Silver salmon

Silver fishing is slowing. But on a sunny day, it's hard to find a more scenic spot. Bag limit is three salmon, two of which can be silvers.

Eklutna Tailrace ++

Silver salmon

Good access and sunshine guarantees crowds, even with the silver fishing tailing off. Limit is three salmon. Bait and multiple hooks are legal. Vibrax or pink No. 4 Mepps spinners have proven productive.

Rabbit Slough, Cottonwood Creek +++

Silver salmon

Get to the mouth of the small waterways at dawn Saturday for your best shot. Fish and Game has expanded the weekend-only fisheries to Monday. Beware: Fishing limited to 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. You may be ticketed if you linger.

REMOTE FISHERIES

Deshka River +

Silver, chum salmon

Slow silver fishing here may mean the run is nearly over -- though past years have seen fish arriving in September. Andy Couch of Fishtale River Guides says, "There are still some chrome sea-lice-carrying fish entering the river. However, even in the river's tidal zone, a considerable portion of the few remaining silvers are maturing toward spawning with large well-developed eggs and a rosy blush of color."

Lake Creek +++

Silver salmon, rainbow trout

Could be a very good weekend for both silvers and rainbows .

Talkeetna River +++

Chum, silver salmon, rainbow trout

Limits of silvers continue to come out of the mouth of the Clear Creek tributary.

ANCHORAGE AREA

Local lakes & streams +++

Trout, grayling, char, pike, salmon

Try just before daybreak to take advantage of cool weather before sunshine turns the fish skittish. Bag limit at Anchorage-area lakes is two rainbows, two grayling and two Arctic char per day, with only one 12 inches or longer. Bait is banned in Chester Creek. Campbell Point Lake in Kincaid Park and Sand Lake have been stocked with char. Rainbow fishing in Campbell and Chester creeks is catch-and-release only.

Campbell Creek +

Silver salmon, Dolly Varden

Tough finding fresh silvers in the legal area upstream of Dimond Boulevard to Fish and Game markers near Piper Street -- except for a section closed to all fishing from Fish and Game markers just downstream of Shelikof Street to Lake Otis Parkway. That section is closed to all fishing year-round.

Ship Creek +

Silver salmon

Grim silver run continues to show few signs of life, though some anglers continue to give it a shot. 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.

Bird Creek +

Pink, chum and silver salmon

Fishing here is about finished, with most surviving pinks and chums on their spawning grounds. Fishing is legal from Turnagain Arm to regulatory markers located about 500 yards upstream. Might head down highway to try Twentymile River.

KENAI PENINSULA

Deep Creek ++

Silver, pink salmon, Dolly Varden

Run of dry weather has put a damper on the silver salmon run, but a little wet weather could lead to a September surge. Cut-plug herring are effective. Dolly Varden limit is two a day. Drifting salmon roe clusters along the bottom, or drifting it under bobbers, has been most effective. Fishing upstream of regulatory markers at river Mile 2 is open for Dolly Varden, steelhead and rainbows. Salmon are off limits there. Limit for salmon -- other than kings -- is three per day and three in possession, only two of which can be silver salmon.

Ninilchik River +

Silver salmon, Dolly Varden, rainbows

Poor to fair silver fishing on incoming tides. Fishing upstream of regulatory markers at river Mile 2 is open for Dolly Varden, steelhead and rainbows. Salmon are off-limits there.

Anchor River +

Silver, pink salmon, Dolly Varden

Silvers continue to enter the Anchor, but some anglers report poor fishing. Early morning is best. Another surge of fish is possible in early September. Eggs clusters drifted along the bottom have been effective, as well as spinners in sizes 3 to 6. Steelhead hooked here, in Deep Creek, Stariski Creek, the Kasilof River or the Ninilchik River must not be removed from the water and released immediately.

Kasilof River ++

Pink, silver salmon, Dolly Varden

Silver fishing is so-so at best, but Dolly angling is improving. Steelhead trout hooked here, in the Anchor River, Deep Creek, Stariski Creek or the Ninilchik River must not be removed from the water and must be released immediately.

Russian River +++

Rainbows, Dolly Varden

Excellent rainbow trout fishing with some Dolly Varden mixed in. Red salmon fishing is over, but a few silvers are entering the river.

Upper Kenai River ++++

Rainbows, Dolly Varden, silver salmon

With red salmon spawning, rainbow trout and Dolly Varden anglers who successfully imitate salmon eggs could score big from now until freeze-up. Side channels can be productive spots. A few reds in the Skilak Lake outlet, but most have turned.

Lower Kenai River +++

Silver, pink salmon

Silver salmon are spread throughout the river with angler success ranging from fair to good. Pink fishing in the lower river is superb. Fire up that smoker; you won't regret it come January.

Swanson River +++

Silver salmon, rainbows

Silvers are in the middle and upper portions of the river. Anglers with enough time for the popular 21-mile float from Swanson River Road canoe landing to Captain Cook State Park report fair to good fishing. Expect it to slow by early September as salmon reach their spawning beds, so this may be the weekend.

Clam Gulch ++

Razor clams

Next decent clamming tide series ends Thursday, but the small minus tide won't provide much time for digging. In general, razor clams can be found on the sandy beaches from Kasilof to Homer and are exposed on any minus tides. Larger clams may be difficult to locate. All razor clams that are dug must be kept regardless of size.

MARINE FISHERIES

Outside Resurrection Bay +++

Halibut, lingcod, silver salmon, cod

Anglers venturing as far as Montague Island have been bringing back big halibut, and the North Gulf Coast has been good all summer. Silvers remain a possibility outside the bay too. Stock up on codfish. Pacific cod (big chin barbell), Tom cod (little chin barbell) and walleyed pollock (no chin barbell) are all available in North Gulf Coast waters. All three taste good, and there's no limit. Identify codfish by their three dorsal fins and two anal fins.

Resurrection Bay +++

Silver salmon, halibut, rockfish

Derby is over, but the prospect of fresh silvers remains for the next week or two. Calisto Head and Cheval Island have seen some good catches. Silvers should be available to beach casters by Labor Day weekend. For halibut, Eldorado Narrows has proven dependable. Fish and Game suggests taking the youngsters fishing for kelp greenling. Colorful fish, they're related to lingcod and easy to catch -- with no bag limit. They are also fine eating.

Deep Creek offshore +++

Silver salmon, halibut

Steady bag limits for halibut anglers out of Deep Creek or Anchor Point. Silver fishing has been spotty for trollers in the Point Pogibshi area and along the beaches north of the Anchor River.

Kachemak Bay ++

Halibut, silver salmon, rockfish

Fish and Game calls halibut fishing inside the bay "poor" -- with central or southern Cook Inlet a better option. Average size over the past week has been about 17 pounds -- increasing to maybe 35 pounds when you get 40 miles offshore. Head beyond Flat Island for bigger fish. Fish around slack tide for an easier time keeping your bait on the bottom.

Homer Spit ++

Silvers, Dolly Varden, cod

Second run of silvers has arrived in the Nick Dudiak Fishing Lagoon, but there are very few new fish. Snagging is illegal in the lagoon. Cod and flounders are plentiful off the end of the Homer Spit by Land's End. Herring or jigs work well.

Prince William Sound +++

Halibut, lingcod, shrimp, salmon

Anxious anglers are looking for silvers in Whittier, but reports are mixed with some anglers catching them near town while others are left with pinks. In Valdez, a 19-plus-pounder leads the derby, and fish are close to the Valdez city docks. Halibut bite is still strong, with fish as shallow as 100 feet. Shrimping has been steady all summer.