Anchorage Fishing Report

SHIP CREEK:

The coho picture around Anchorage is shifting fast.

Ship Creek's peak has passed, but fish are still coming in on every tide — and with the bag limit bumped to 6 fish (any combination, all of which can be coho) as of August 7, it's worth the extra effort.  Richard went down yesterday after work and in 3 minutes had this beauty on this line, so there are definately fish in the river. 

Bird Creek's coho bite is slowing down, but chum and pink salmon are moving through now. Campbell Creek cooled off as the water dropped, but expect it to wake back up with the next rain. Meanwhile, the trout bite behind spawning salmon on Chester and Campbell creeks is about as good as it gets right now.

Local Anchorage stocked lakes (including Cheney, DeLong, Campbell Point, Jewel, and Sand lakes) were restocked recently.  In total, the Hatchery will release 4 million Chinook (king) salmon, coho (silver) salmon, rainbow trout, and Arctic Char in 200 lakes around Southcentral. 

Mat-Su Report

If you're willing to drive, the Valley is loaded with options right now. Heads up: the youth-only (15 and under) coho fishery at the Eklutna Tailrace runs today, Saturday August 15, 6am–6pm, from the Knik River confluence up to the pedestrian bridge — fishing's been great, kids are filling limits, and eggs and shrimp are producing best in the early morning or evening.

• Fish Creek: coho and sockeye fishing has been great, with sockeye still trickling in. The elevated 6-fish bag limit expires Saturday at 10pm — standard limits (3 salmon/day, no more than 2 coho) return Sunday, August 16.
• Susitna and Little Susitna Rivers: coho bag limits have been cut to 1 fish per day and bait is now prohibited on both drainages.
• Jim Creek: closed Mondays and Tuesdays; open 5am–10pm Wednesday–Sunday for the rest of the season. Coho and sockeye fishing has been fair.
• Cottonwood and Wasilla Creeks: weekend-only, 5am–10pm Saturday and Sunday. Sockeye fishing has been fair.
• Parks Highway streams (Willow, Little Willow, Kashwitna, Sheep, Caswell, Montana, Sunshine, and Talkeetna Rivers): good mixed-bag fishing near the mouths and lower sections — chum and pinks in good numbers, with the occasional coho. Lake Creek and the Talachulitna are producing pinks and a few coho in their lower stretches too.
• Trout, grayling, and Dolly Varden: improving on Parks Highway streams from Willow Creek north through the Talkeetna River. Egg patterns, egg-sucking leeches, and flesh flies are all working, along with sculpins, leeches, mice, and dolly llamas. Willow Creek (off Willow Fishhook Road) and Montana Creek (off Talkeetna Spur Road) are easy access points; Deception Creek, the North and Middle Forks of Montana Creek, Goose Creek, Byers, and Honolulu Creek are good picks if you want to get off the beaten path.
• Lakes: with nearly 90 stocked lakes in the Mat-Su, there's always an option. Kid-friendly picks include Kepler/Bradley, Finger, Matanuska, South Rolly, and Lucile Lakes, and anglers are reporting excellent fishing at Matanuska, Long Lake (Mile 86 Glenn Highway), Eska (Slipper) Lake, and X Lake near Talkeetna.

Where We are Fishing

We're heading back to Ship Creek. The peak crowds have thinned out along with the peak run, but coho are still showing on every tide, and that new 6-fish limit means it's worth putting in the work. Drift salmon roe or a jig tipped with shrimp under a slip bobber on the incoming tide — same approach as before, just with a bigger payoff if you stick with it.

If you have kids with you, choose Bird Creek over Ship Creek.  Bird is a much easier river to fish for kids.