Note: No fish were harmed in the writing of this column.
WILLOW -- It's often pointed out that Alaska's road system is sorely lacking, with only a tiny percentage of our vast state accessible by motor vehicle. In fact, a 2013 report by the Reason Foundation ranked our state dead last in quality and cost effectiveness, according to a Juneau Empire story.
That study must not have taken fishing into account.
When it comes to road-accessible fishing spots, our state would have to vault near the top of any ranking system.
Whether seeking secluded steelhead streams or rollicking red salmon destinations, there's pretty much something for every angler willing to hop behind the wheel and head out in search of adventure.
Fish aren't always cooperative, but no matter the destination, anglers are likely to find something to validate the purchase of a tank of gas and a couple bags of Funyons (or whatever their snack of choice may be).
On a recent Tuesday afternoon, I decided to head north from Anchorage toward the smorgasbord of streams that cross the Parks Highway, a bevy of rivers and creeks noted for productive rainbow trout fishing. Pretty much anything with flowing water between Anchorage and Fairbanks has fishable trout populations, with the fishing often getting better the farther north you go. After leaving Wasilla, these streams become so numerous that the most difficult choice is often deciding where to stop.
The Parks roughly parallels the Susitna River, into which most of the roadside waters flow. They include (as you head north) Willow Creek, Little Willow Creek, the Kashwitna River, Caswell Creek, Sheep Creek, Goose Creek, Montana Creek and a couple of smaller tributaries.
My first stop was the Kashwitna, which like most of these streams, is fast, clear, cold and ideal for stalking rainbow trout. Unfortunately for me, however, the only fish I was able to scare was a late-arriving silver salmon, which nearly knocked me over as it swam through my hip waders upstream toward its fellow spawning salmon. After an hour or so with no luck floating a pink bead intended to mimic a salmon egg, I hopped in my car and moved on.
The next stop was Sheep Creek, which is nearly identical in appearance to the Kashwitna. It's fast and beautiful, with the colors of early fall lining its banks and water so clear that fish can easily be spotted in the shallows. I hiked upstream several hundred yards to where a high railroad bridge crosses the river, where I managed to take a couple interesting photos but again found no trout willing to rise to my offering.
Oddly, the day felt nothing like a failure. Standing alone in knee-deep water while breathing fresh fall air and taking in the sights left me with a sense of accomplishment that had no place in the heart of such a luckless angler.
Sheep Creek is a good 90 miles from Anchorage, so at this point I decided to turn for home. On my way, I stopped in at Camp Caswell, a roadside lodge located between Sheep and Caswell Creek. There, the gray-bearded clerk informed me why I'd been so unlucky.
"You gotta go upstream," he said. "The further up you go, the better it is."
He explained that rainbows are following the salmon, most of which have moved upstream to spawn. The trick, I found out, is finding the salmon. Find them, and you'll find rainbows.
On the drive back I decided to take a random detour up Willow Fishhook Road, which leads up and over Hatcher Pass to Palmer. I saw a couple guys launching rafts into Deception Creek, carrying fly rods and looking like they were ready for battle. I took note of the location and continued up the road into the pass.
Fall colors are really starting to pop at higher elevations, and I was glad I decided to take the windy, narrow road (which closes to through traffic Oct. 1) into the mountains. If you've never made the over-the-top drive, definitely add it to your Alaska bucket list.
Once out of the pass I took the Glenn Highway into Palmer, then made a detour onto the Old Glenn Highway, which provides access to the Eklutna Tailrace. The tailrace is the outflow from Eklutna Lake, where much of Anchorage's electricity is generated. It empties into the Knik River at Mile 3.6 of the Old Glenn and is a great spot for roadside fishing for anglers of all ages and abilities.
With the setting sun silhouetting a half-dozen anglers and salmon rolling around in the water like pigs in slop, I figured the spot just might end my dry spell.
While I did see one small Dolly Varden caught, the salmon seemed more interested in splashing the surface than biting. Still, the dozens of rotting carcasses lining the banks proved that fish have been taken there recently, and it's a good bet fishing will remain productive for the next couple of weeks. Try spinners, salmon eggs beneath a bobber or drifting flies in the current of the Knik at the mouth of the tailrace.
My stringer empty, I again hopped in my car and headed for Anchorage. The zooming cars and hustle of city life seemed alien in contrast to the previous hours I'd spent poking around quiet fishing holes that seemed a million miles from civilization. It struck me as ironic that all I'd needed to access these spots was one of the very cars now speeding past me at 80 mph. If they'd only slow down, they'd notice there's lots of Alaska out there waiting to be explored.
The Parks isn't the only highway-accessible fishing stream in Southcentral. In fact, they're almost everywhere you turn, ranging from nearby salmon streams such as Bird Creek on the Seward Highway to exotic steelhead locations like the Kasilof River or Deep Creek on the Kenai Peninsula. Autumn is typically a great time to explore these hidden gems, as fishing pressure is typically lighter as salmon season winds down. However, trout fishing should be good to excellent on roadside streams all the way through ice-up.
The best way to find out where to go is to simply pick up a Fish and Game regulation booklet, which includes maps and local rules for roadside streams. Since regulations vary widely from stream to stream, it's always a good idea to have one of these booklets handy before you go. Other items to bring along include bear spray, hip waders and a set of needle-nose pliers, which make removing hooks much easier and will make it less likely you'll injure the fish you're releasing.
Anchorage area
Coho salmon fishing in Ship Creek has slowed, according to Fish and Game. Bird Creek is also slowing down, although Fish and Game reports silvers continue to enter the fishery with each tide. There are also a few chum salmon present at Bird Creek, but the department notes that most chums have begun to deteriorate as they transition to the spawning phase of their life cycles.
Fish and Game area management biologist Dan Bosch said fish can also be picked up in Campbell Creek, although he said it's best to pick a time when overcast weather has fish on the move.
"When it's sunny, they just don't move," Bosch said.
Slammin silvers in Seward
If you're looking for a road trip farther afield, fishing from the beaches of Seward is reportedly red-hot right now. Bosch said hatchery-raised fish are coming back in great numbers, meaning anglers should have excellent success from shore.
"I'm hearing it's the best they've seen in a while," Bosch said.
A call to The Fish House in Seward, a tackle shop and charter operation, resulted in a similar report from employee Liz Pollock, who said she's having to constantly resupply the store's cache of snagging hooks.
"The guys have been coming in to buy snag hooks and I have to restock them," she said.
Snagging is legal in saltwater, and that's primarily how anglers are hooking silvers, she said.
"It's basically meat fishing," she said.
Pollock said the best fishing has been where the Seward Lagoon empties into the bay.
Kenai Peninsula
As of Sept. 1 the bag limit on coho salmon on the Kenai River is now three fish per day. Expect fishing to be good through September and into October. Fish and Game area management biologist Robert Begich said coho fishing picked up the last week of August and continues to be good.
"It's been pretty consistent," he said.
Water levels on the Kenai are about normal for this time of year, he said, with clear conditions (for the silty Kenai) helping anglers have success.
Begich noted that bait is only allowed on the Kenai below its confluence with the Killey River.
If fishing from a boat on anchor, try salmon roe held near the bottom with a lead weight or sardine-wrapped Kwikfish plugs. There's also roadside fishing for silvers at Cunningham Park in Kenai or Centennial Park in Soldotna. Salmon eggs are the lure of choice at these holes. At Centennial, try fishing close to shore with a heavy weight to keep the eggs from drifting downstream. At Cunningham, fishing on the incoming tide works well because the slower water makes it easier to keep the eggs on the bottom.
Begich said rainbow trout fishing on the Upper Kenai is good, but that the "middle river" below Skilak Lake has been pretty crowded. He suggested going during the weekday to avoid crowds seeking the Kenai's legendary 30-inch monsters.
Mat-Su
Coho fishing has fallen off a bit in the Mat-Su, but silver fishing remains good for this time of year. Fish Creek is open seven days a week, and the bag and possession limit on the Little Su is three fish. Both measures were taken by Fish and Game to allow more harvest on what's been a banner year for cohos in rivers emptying into Northern Cook Inlet.
For good silver fishing through September, the department recommends the Talkeetna River and its tributaries, including Sunshine and Rabideux Creeks.
Fish and Game's weekly fishing report for Sept. 3 also notes that rainbow trout and northern pike fishing should continue to improve through ice-up. Northern pike can be found in the Nancy Lakes system. The toothy, voracious predators can also be found in sloughs of the Susitna and Yentna river systems.
Contact Matt Tunseth at mtunseth@alaskadispatch.com
This is the final fishing report of the 2014 season.