Alaska Fishing

Mat-SU

Matanuska Valley lakes*****

Trout, grayling, landlocked salmon, pike

Should be good to excellent. Look for trout in 4 to 10 feet of water. Pike should be found in very shallow areas; look for them in depths from 4 feet to 10 inches.

Willow area lakes *****

Trout, grayling, pike

Area lakes offer great fishing this weekend for trout -- finding a campsite may be the bigger challenge.

Sheep Creek**

Trout, grayling

Water is high and murky along Parks Highway. Sheep Creek Lodge reports grayling being caught. They don't expect kings for a week or two.

Montana Creek **

Trout, grayling

Trout and grayling are in the creek and fishing for them will be good if stream levels remain low. But water levels have been steadily rising this week.

Little Susitna River **

King salmon, rainbows

River levels are rising. If this trend continues, king fishing this weekend could be poor. Fishing will get better as runs build over the next couple weeks.

Willow Creek **

King salmon, trout, grayling

The stream was running very high as of late Wednesday. Don't expect good fishing for trout and grayling until currents calm down.

Eklutna Tailrac**

King salmon

Expect low water and slow fishing until the first week of June, Fish and Game reports.

REMOTE FISHERIES

Deshka River **

King salmon, trout, grayling

Fish and Game reports a few salmon on this popular off-the-grid tributary of the Big Su. Only 50 fish have been counted at the weir since it opened on May 21. Fishing limited to 6 a.m.-11 p.m., and remember to get your king salmon stamp first.

Lake Creek *

King salmon, rainbows

A few fish could be trickling in this weekend, but red-hot fishing remains a couple of weeks away

Talkeetna River **

Rainbow trout, Dollies, grayling

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

ANCHORAGE AREA

Twentymile River *****

Hooligan

Get yourself a tide book and time your drive to catch the flood tide. The area is now a pedestrian zone and the speed limit is 45 mph from Milepost 80 to 84 until late Sunday night, when the fishery closes. You must be an Alaskan with a resident fishing licence to participate.

Local lakes *****

Trout, graying, char, pike, salmon

Fishing should be excellent this weekend. The usual offerings -- spinners, night crawlers, shrimp and flies -- will catch char and trout.

Ship Creek ***

King salmon

Kings are being caught on the incoming tides. Look for fair fishing this weekend. The Slam'n Salm'n Derby doesn't start for another two weeks.

KENAI PENINSULA

Deep Creek +++

King salmon, Dollies

Opens 12:01 a.m. Saturday, the second three-day opening of the season. Low stream levels could make fish spooky and tough to catch. A little more rain wouldn't hurt.

Ninilchik River ***

King salmon, Dollies

On same opening as Deep Creek for three-day weekend. Anglers report this was the most productive fishery over Memorial Day weekend.

Homer Spit ***

King salmon

Kings should be finding their way to Nick Dudiak Fishing Lagoon soon. Snagging is prohibited. Trolling offshore for king can be productive.

Anchor River **

King salmon, Dollies

Last weekend's opener offered poor to fair fishing. Only 48 kings have passed through the weir since May 12. Opens at 12:01 a.m. Saturday and every Wednesday until June 17.

Kasilof River ***

King salmon, Dollies

Slow fishing and low water levels last weekend. The good news, though, is plenty of room to fish and available camping spots at Crooked Creek RV Park.

Upper Kenai River

Dollies

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

Lower Kenai River **

King salmon

The king count has not yet surpassed 100 per day. Water levels are still low; boaters use caution. Check your regs before heading out.

Clam Gulch ****

Razor clams

Wielding a shovel could be more potent than wielding a rod. Minus tides starting today at -3.2 and ending Saturday at -0.1. Diggers report decent sized clams on the east coast of Cook Inlet.

MARINE FISHERIES

Outside Resurrection Bay ****

Halibut, rockfish

East of the bay anglers are bringing back 20-30 pounders. Check the weather report before heading out.

Resurrection Bay ****

Salmon, halibut, rockfish, cod

The Eldorado Narrows is your best bet for halibut. Limit for kings is two per day.

Deep Creek offshore ****

King salmon, halibut

Trollers are picking up king salmon using herring, hoochies, tube flies and spoons. A corridor one mile from shore between Anchor Point and Deep Creek is popular. Flashers often help attract fish. And if the kings aren't around, there should be plenty of chicken halibut available.

Prince William Sound ++++

Halibut, shrimp, rockfish

A permit is needed to shrimp. Halibut off Lone Island and Strawberry Channel produced numerous catches last weekend, particularly at low tide. Rockfish daily bag limit is four per day, eight in possession. Only two may be non-pelagic species.

Kachemak Bay ****

King salmon, halibut, rockfish

Trollers are finding some kings on the south side of the bay, and stocked salmon should return to Halibut Cove and Seldovia within weeks.

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