State closes coho harvests in Susitna, Little Susitna rivers; other fisheries remain open

What you need to know:

• State officials closed coho salmon harvest in the Susitna River and Little Susitna River drainages for the rest of the 2026 season because of poor returns and concerns about meeting escapement goals. Bait also remains prohibited in flowing waters of both drainages.
• The closures will affect anglers and charter businesses, particularly fisheries from Montana Creek upstream, where coho fishing typically peaks in late August. Chum and sockeye salmon harvest remains open in the Susitna drainage.
• Other fisheries remain open. Most Knik Arm coho fisheries continue under standard regulations, while anglers can also pursue trout in Mat-Su waters or participate in Copper River personal-use and subsistence fisheries.
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The Alaska Department of Fish and Game closed sport harvest of coho salmon in the Susitna River and Little Susitna River drainages for the remainder of the 2026 season under an emergency order issued Monday. The closure took effect at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 19. The department also continues to prohibit the use of bait in all flowing waters of both drainages.

An inadequate coho migration past the Little Susitna River weir clearly prompted the closure there. Through Aug. 17, the weir had counted only 1,385 coho, with a season projection of 2,104 fish. Fisheries officials set a sustainable escapement goal of 9,200 to 17,700 coho at the weir. Rainy weather and rising stream levels could bring an uptick in fish passing the weir, but the coho run appears unlikely to reach the escapement goal in 2026.

State officials could not use Deshka River weir counts to support the Susitna River drainage-wide closure because floodwaters rendered the weir inoperable July 15, before it had counted any coho. Instead, the department based the closure on poor coho returns throughout the drainage over the past four years, the low return counted at the Little Susitna River weir and other indications of low abundance.

State biologist Samantha Oslund told me staff conducted creel observations at several Susitna River locations before the closure. She also said the department believes the remaining coho at those locations should have the opportunity to spawn without anglers targeting them for harvest.

Jim Tilton of Deshka Landing Charters and Lodge told me Monday that the closure would affect salmon charters he had scheduled for the coming week. Fishing under the bait restriction and a one-coho limit the previous week had allowed his business to keep most of its reservations through Monday. 

After four consecutive seasons with season-ending restrictions or closures, Tilton said he would no longer take salmon fishing reservations beyond the first couple of weeks of August.

Many Mat-Su salmon charter businesses have faced similar difficulties as fewer king and coho salmon return to some of the Mat-Su Valley’s most significant salmon streams. Tilton said he could not recall seeing more than six sport boats at one time this summer near the Deshka and Susitna river confluence — a far cry from the fishing activity there only a few years ago.

The closures will likely hit Susitna River drainage fisheries hardest from Montana Creek upstream, including the Talkeetna River and Clear Creek, where peak coho fishing often kicks into high gear during the latter half of August. As the department noted in its announcement, anglers may still harvest chum and sockeye salmon in Susitna River drainage locations.

Knik Arm drainages (other than Little Susitna River)

Jim Creek coho weir counts rose dramatically with Sunday and Monday’s rain, bringing in-season escapement numbers to a level Oslund considered encouraging. As reported last week, coho escapement at Fish Creek, another Knik Arm drainage, had already exceeded the lower end of its goal range.

As a result, the department will continue to manage Knik Arm drainage coho fisheries, except the Little Susitna River, under the standard regulations listed in the fishing regulations booklet. Anglers may use bait and keep three salmon, only two of which may be coho.

In addition to Jim Creek, significant sport coho fishing locations include Fish Creek, Eklutna Tailrace and the weekend-only fisheries on the lower ends of Cottonwood Creek and Rabbit Slough/Wasilla Creek. Smaller side sloughs and clear-water tributaries of the Knik and Matanuska rivers also produce some coho for anglers familiar with those spots.

Trout

Fishing pressure on many Mat-Su Valley lakes has fallen significantly as school begins and the Alaska State Fair gets underway. Hunting seasons are also starting, and the summer visitor season is drawing to a close. As a result, late August can offer anglers relative solitude at many fishing locations, particularly for those willing to venture out in rainy weather.

In addition to stocked lakes, Parks Highway tributaries of the Susitna River will see trout migrating back to their lower reaches as the weather cools and stream levels drop in September and October.

Chitina personal use fishery

For Mat-Su anglers who have not had the salmon harvest they hoped for this season, the Chitina Personal Use Dip Net Fishery continues to offer an opportunity from noon Friday until noon Sunday through the end of August.

Some fish may be getting darker, but having participated at this time of year, I can attest that anglers can still catch salmon under a generous personal-use limit in late August. Anglers can obtain household permits on the department’s website or at its Palmer office.

Glennallen subdistrict subsistence fishery

Farther upstream on the Copper River, above the bridge at Chitina, Alaska residents with a subsistence household permit may still fish for salmon seven days a week. During a single calendar year, however, an angler may use only one Copper River permit — either a subsistence permit or a personal-use permit, but not both.

Salmon may not be as abundant as earlier in the season, so anglers may need to try different locations and spend more time fishing to find the salmon they are looking for. On the other hand, expect fewer participants this time of year and a better chance of having your choice of good fishing locations.

Good luck and fish on!

Andy Couch has guided Mat-Su Valley fishing trips for more than 40 years and serves as a member of the Matanuska-Susitna Borough Fish and Wildlife Commission and the Matanuska Valley Fish and Game Advisory Committee. Statements and quotes in this column represent specific organizations or individuals only when so noted.

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