Anchorage Daily News

SUSITNA VALLEY

Matanuska Valley lakes

Trout, grayling, arctic char, pike

Anglers who fish very early in the morning or late in the evening should find good action. Long Lake (Mile 86) was recently stocked. Kepler-Bradley is also good for trout. For grayling, visit Canoe, Finger and Knik lakes.

Willow area lakes

Trout, grayling, pike

Action is improving, anglers should mix up their technique: Wooly Buggers and Lake Leeches trolled slowly along the drop-off will take fish, as will lures or baits fished along the bottom.

Sheep Creek (3)

Kings, trout, grayling

Open 12:01 a.m. Saturday through 11:59 p.m. Monday. Closed weekdays. Anglers report king fishing is still slow, with best bet near the slough.

Montana Creek (2)

King salmon, trout, grayling

Open 12:01 a.m. Saturday through 11:59 p.m. Monday. Closed weekdays. King fishing best at the mouth. Use No. 5 or No. 6 blue Vibrax for kings at the mouth and white Bunny Flies, Glo-Bugs or Muddler Minnows for trout and grayling upstream of the Parks Highway.

Little Susitna River (1)

King salmon

King salmon catch rates slowly improving. "The Little Su is producing nice fish if you take the time to really work the holes," wrote Terri Studnicka of Fisherman's Choice Charters. "Backtrolling plugs, like before, is still working."

Willow Creek (4)

King salmon, trout, grayling

Open 12:01 a.m. Saturday through 11:59 p.m. Monday. Closed weekdays. King fishing remains on the slow side. Fishing expected to pick up as the water temperature of the Susitna River rises.

Eklutna Tailrace (27)

King salmon

Still slow but expected to pick up as the Knik River water temperature rises. Fish and Game extended the king fishing area two miles downstream to a marker. Sportfish biologist Dave Rutz said it's open for only two miles to protect the small run of wild Matanuska kings.

REMOTE FISHERIES

Deshka River (6)

King salmon, trout, grayling

The average number of kings past the weir has

bumped up from pathetic to a so-so average of 270 fish per day for the past six days. Still missing: the big surge of kings state biologists are seeking. Some anglers around the mouth have had success. Bait is banned.

Lake Creek (7)

King salmon, trout, grayling

Fish and Game projecting good king fishing once higher-than-normal water levels subside a little.

Talkeetna River (9)

King salmon, trout, Dollies, grayling

Kelsey Kaso at On The Fly Outfitters is hoping for a surge of fish. "It's pretty brutal," he said. "The water's in good shape, but we're not seeing the fish yet. It's a little early for us, but every day we're seeing a few more." Fishing in this area typically peaks the last week of June.

ANCHORAGE AREA

Local lakes

Trout, grayling, char, pike, salmon

Stocked rainbows at Jewel, Delong and Campbell Point Lake average about 10 inches. Before long, fit anglers will be able to hike into remote Symphony and Rabbit lakes, but both were still iced over this week. In town, spinners, cocktail shrimp, single salmon eggs or earthworms will work. Arctic char like the deeper water in Sand Lake and Campbell Point.

Ship Creek (11)

King salmon

Robert Hayes has already collected his first-place winnings in the Slam'n Salm'n Derby at Ship Creek for his 41-pounder, but nobody told the salmon. Blue Vibrax spinners (what Hayes used), cured roe and Corkies, Spin-N-

Glos and hanks of red, orange or green yarn all work, especially on an incoming tide and around high-tide mark.

KENAI PENINSULA

Deep Creek (22)

Deep Creek is closed to fishing and will reopen July 1 for all species except for wild king salmon to Fish and Game markers two miles upstream.

Ninilchik River (19)

The Ninilchik is closed and will reopen July 1 to fishing for all species except for wild king salmon to Fish and Game markers two miles upstream.

Homer Spit (15)

King salmon

Bobber with eggs, herring and No. 5 blue Vibrax spinners best on the incoming tide. King salmon fishing at the Nick Dudiak Fishing Lagoon should be fair to good this weekend. Remember anglers may no longer fish with weights or bobbers beyond the hook or hooks.

Anchor River (13)

Closed to all fishing until July 1 when the river downstream of the department markers will reopen to all species except wild king salmon.

Kasilof River (16)

King salmon, reds

Fish and Game's early-run king salmon creel survey indicates fair to good fishing, with anglers in drift boats having the most success. Shore anglers at Crooked Creek State Recreation Site using salmon roe or a plug wrapped with sardine were producing. Reds are entering the lower river. Nearly 1,000 passed the sonar eight miles upstream from the river mouth on Sunday and Monday.

Upper Kenai River (18)

Reds, rainbows Dollies

Anglers between the Upper Killey River and the outlet of Skilak Lake as well as the Upper Kenai River from Skilak Lake to Kenai Lake have reported good to excellent rainbow fishing. Red salmon also available here.

Russian River (20)

Red salmon, trout

Fair red salmon fishing so far -- but it should surge any day. More fish passed the weir at the outlet of Lower Russian Lake on Monday than any day this season. Often, a big slug of early-run fish hits the river in late June.

Lower Kenai River (17)

King salmon, reds, trout, Dollies

Steady but not spectacular. Around 900 kings

a day were passing the sonar at river mile 8.6

over the weekend, that's dropped to about 300 per day. Most anglers are fishing from river Mile 18 downstream to Eagle Rock at river Mile 11. Check the regs before heading out.

Clam Gulch (12)

Razor clams

Next good clamming tides run today through Monday.

MARINE FISHERIES

(boat or charter required)

Outside Resurrection Bay (25)

Halibut, rockfish

Halibut fishing can be good. Charter boats heading east out of Resurrection Bay are catching halibut in the 20-pound range, with some fish up to 100 pounds out toward Montague Island, the Chiswells and Harris Bay. One captain reported silvers jumping.

Resurrection Bay (24)

King salmon, halibut, rockfish

The king limit inside Resurrection Bay is now two per day, any size, and fishing is improving. Seward Lagoon culverts and Lowell Creek waterfall areas are all producing a few kings. Resurrection River drainage downstream of the Seward Highway and Nash Road opened to salmon fishing on June 16. Only single-hook artificial lures; the limit is three salmon, two of them silvers.

Deep Creek offshore (22)

King salmon, halibut

Anglers trolling herring have been reporting good fishing for kings from Bluff Point to Deep Creek. Halibut anglers can expect plenty of 25- to 40-pounders. "It was constant fishing," reported Jon Penny of Eagle River. "Nothing huge, but the fishing never stopped."

Prince William Sound (26)

Halibut, Dollies, red salmon

Streams on the Copper River Delta are experiencing some good days for red salmon, reports Fish and Game, but numbers are still low. Halibut fishing at Cape Cleare was good last week and Cordova anglers are finding flat fish in waters less than 100 feet.

Kachemak Bay (23)

King salmon, halibut, rockfish

Fish and Game reports that trolling for feeder kings of the south side, Bluff Point and north to Ninilchik has been fair. Halibut fishing continues to improve for Lower Cook Inlet anglers fishing in water 150-200 feet. A 293-pounder was landed about 25 miles to the west of Homer Spit.

ADVERTISEMENT