Plenty Of Salmon Opportunities Around Copper, Susitna River Areas

By chrisco2 June30, 2022 Featured Content, Fishing 0 Comments

The following is courtesy of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game:

Upper Copper/Upper Susitna Fishing Report

June 30, 2022

ADF&G News

ADF&G is mobile. You can purchase and display your fishing license and king stamp, record your annual harvest (i.e. king salmon, halibut), access sport fishing regulations and locations, and so much more on your mobile device. Download the ADF&G Mobile App today.

Personal Use

The fishery is currently open through July 10 and dipnetters may retain a king salmon. Recent hot weather has pushed the water levels in the Copper River up slightly due to glacial and snow melt but fishing is still reported to be good and dipnetters are faring well.
If you’re heading to Chitina to try your luck dipnetting salmon in the Copper River, be sure to check out ADF&G’s four-part video series on how to dipnet for salmon at Chitina. This series of videos shows anglers what they need to dip net at Chitina and how to do it, including how to fish eddies, how to sweep and how to fish from a boat.

Informational Hotlines for Chitina Personal Use Fishery

Freshwater Fishing

All lakes are now open. Lake trout fishing is great on Lake Louise and should be fantastic on Paxson Lake. For a guide to where all the accessible fisheries are, check out Sport fishing Alaska rivers and lakes in the Upper Copper/Upper Susitna River Basin. This guide lists all the fisheries, species available and mile markers along all the major highways crossing the Upper Copper and Upper Susitna Area. Fish the colder headwater streams in the area to find the largest Arctic grayling in our area.

Salmon

Sockeye salmon have arrived on the Klutina. Anglers are reporting great fishing and most folks are able to limit out.
Sockeye salmon are also in the Gulkana River. Sockeye salmon have been passing our tower site for over a week. Don’t pass up this opportunity for a more challenging harvest of sockeye. These fish don’t hug the banks of the Gulkana and are more successfully caught by sight fishing.
Remember, your daily bag limit in the Copper River Drainage is still just 3 sockeye salmon per day, but now you may have a total of 6 sockeye salmon in possession. So if you are camping for two days you no longer need to get that first day’s catch frozen or canned before fishing the second day. Or if you are floating the Gulkana you can come out with up to 6 sockeye salmon in your cooler.
King Salmon on the Gulkana River: The king salmon fishing on the Gulkana River is tremendous right now. Lots of action, especially above Sourdough. The river is dropping and clearing and the advantage is to the angler.
King Salmon Klutina River and all drainages south to Haley Creek and up the Chitina River: These waters open to king salmon sport fishing this Friday, July 1^st. There are kings there to be caught. The Tonsina Riverhas limited access, but that is where the largest king salmon are to found in the drainage. Don’t let someone else beat you to the next big one.

Emergency Orders

Please review the Emergency Orders and Advisory Announcements listed at the top of this report in their entirety before heading out on your next fishing trip:

Emergency order 3-RS-I-16-22 opens the Chitina Subdistrict personal use fishery from 12:01 p.m. Monday, July 4 through 11:59 p.m. Sunday, July 10.

Additional Tips

Check out ADF&G’s new gofishak interactive map to discover popular fishing locations and information on species run timing, fishing gear selections, and boat and angler access tips.
Don’t forget to bring your 2022 sport fishing license. You can purchase your sport fishing license at the ADF&G Online Store and print it off from the comfort of your home. Also, be sure to review Emergency Orders and the 2022 Northern Sport Fishing Regulations Summary Booklet for the area you are fishing in before you head out.

For more information

Call the Glennallen office at (907) 822-3309 with any questions.