What you need to know:
- Trout, Arctic char, northern pike and grayling offer some of the Mat-Su Valley’s best fall fishing, with opportunities in Parks Highway tributaries, Big Lake, Long Lake and stocked lakes.
- Fish Creek, Jim Creek and Eklutna Tailrace may still produce coho this month, but fishing is increasingly sporadic. Coho harvest remains closed in flowing waters of the Susitna River drainage and the Little Susitna River.
- Overharvest by the federal Cook Inlet drift gillnet fishery may have contributed to poor Mat-Su coho returns. Interested anglers can listen to upcoming fisheries debates featuring candidates for governor, U.S. House and U.S. Senate.
- Short on time but need the local news scoop? Get free weekly news in your inbox for Mat-Su, from Mat-Su.
From early September until lakes and streams start freezing over, four fish species provide most of the fishing opportunities for anglers in the Mat-Su Valley: Trout, Char, Pike and Grayling.
When I talked with Mike Hudson and Saul Correa at 3 Rivers Fly and Tackle in Wasilla on Tuesday, they pointed to Susitna River tributary streams crossing the Parks Highway as some of the better places to fish in the Mat-Su Valley for those who enjoy flowing waters.
Rainbow trout are generally the most sought-after species and are widespread throughout these streams. Mike mentioned Willow Creek in particular was producing good grayling catches, with some fish in the 18-inch class. The Kashwitna River and Talkeetna River drainages both have some of the better Dolly Varden populations, with fish over 20 inches available…