Kings!

[pmo]

So I feel like a bit of a leetch. I am always coming on here looking for help. If any of you get to Colorado or want info for a trip let me know. I can help out with Wyoming, New Mexico and Montana as well.

On to the Kings.

I have fished the kenai pennisula and the Mat Su valley at least once year for the past 6 or 7 years. I usually come up in August/September and have always targeted rainbows. (This year a group of us are floating American Creek in August.) I have a spare 4 or 5 days during the last week of June and was thinking of coming up and trying to get a King on a fly rod. Do any of the small parks highway streams get kings worth fishing to on the east side of the highway? I'd like to get away from the meat hunters at the mouth and fish upstream. Can you get into the kings up on yoder road? How about higher up Willow or Byers or Goose or troublesome? If so, any chance i would have some solitude or is going to like fishing at the mouth? I dont care about chrome. I'll release everything.

Thanks for any input.

[Raptor_1]

Salmon fishing upstream of the Parks Highway bridges (either at the bridge or 1/4 mile upstream from the bridge, check the regs) is STRICTLY PROHIBITED. Anything else is open to single hook, artificial lure but salmon are definitely off limits upstream of the bridges, and that includes ALL parks streams. If you want to get away from the crowds just do a little hiking down stream from the bridges or upstream from the mouths. Most fisherman are lazy and are unwilling to go even just a little ways. You'd be surprised the kind of solitude you can find on even the busiest of these streams.

Here is the link to read up on the regs...http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/static/re...egulations.pdf

[pmo]

Yikes! See thats why I come here. (Of course I'd read applicable regs before hitting the water)

Thanks! Do all of the streams mentioned get Kings? Anything off Peterville Road worth exploring? With such a short time frame, i nned to do a lot of coutch scouting before I get to the field.

Thanks Raptor!

[power drifter]

Sorry to say there is a good chance you won't be able to fish any of those streams any where by late June. Watch for rivers to close. Hope I'm wrong.

[Raptor_1]

Sorry to say there is a good chance you won't be able to fish any of those streams any where by late June. Watch for rivers to close. Hope I'm wrong.

Oh yea, forgot to mention that. They probably will be closed. Have been the last two years. I hope you're wrong to drifter!

[Raptor_1]

Yikes! See thats why I come here. (Of course I'd read applicable regs before hitting the water)

Thanks! Do all of the streams mentioned get Kings? Anything off Peterville Road worth exploring? With such a short time frame, i nned to do a lot of coutch scouting before I get to the field.

Thanks Raptor!

I imagine there are a few kings that get up by Petersville, but I've never heard of anyone that goes up there to fish them. There is a bunch of reds that go up there though. There are some dollies around up there too.

[kenaibow fan]

PMO, All the streams on the parks get kings and normally that would be a good time to go, however the last few years the runs haven't been the greatest. If you really want to fish for kings, I would start around Honalulu, troublsome, talkeetna area. Those rivers didn't close last year for kings. So good luck to us all and here's to hoping that the runs are decent this year, and people I know it is hard, but maybe think about putting the fish back so in 4 years or so from now they come back. But if your lucky enough to get one and you keep that is cool too.

[kenaibow fan]

Kings do go up to Petersville, the head waters of the Deska are up there. But you can't fish them for Kings and I thnk if there is any up there you wouldn't want to fish them any way all beat up.

[pmo]

Salmon fishing upstream of the Parks Highway bridges (either at the bridge or 1/4 mile upstream from the bridge, check the regs) is STRICTLY PROHIBITED. Anything else is open to single hook, artificial lure but salmon are definitely off limits upstream of the bridges, and that includes ALL parks streams.



Isn't salmon fishing allowed at Clear Creek out of Talkeetna:question:

[FishGod]

Clear Cr. never crosses the Parks Highway. Parks Highway streams are Unit 2, Clear Cr. is Unit 5

[pmo]

Clear Cr. never crosses the Parks Highway. Parks Highway streams are Unit 2, Clear Cr. is Unit 5

ok thanks. Based on the posts above I was thinking streams located east of the highway were off limits. But I understand now its only east of the highway for streams that cross the road. I'll dive into the regs.

Anything along the whistlestop or Denali Highway worth looking at?

[Kaveman]

Hopefully we will have good numbers of Kings returning this year. Your time of year is good for Kings in the Mat-Su Valley. If you don't mind going for a walk it is very easy to get away from the crowds. Willow down from the bridge or up from the mouth, both have good Kings holes that are fishable on the fly. Little Willow is another option. Floating Little Willow is a great option, can be a long walk. Depending on how much time you have in your day. Late June you will always run into people on the river, but at least it will not be shoulder to shoulder like it is at the mouth. The Parks Highway streams reg's have changed this year, any water open to King fishing is open to fish from 6am to 11pm. I believe they took away the best hours to fish for Kings. I can handle the sacrifice if it helps the returns and get fish up river to spawn. Clear Creek is a great option. You will still need to hike up river to get away from people. Clear Creek typically peaks around the 4th of July. Give or take a week. Don't overlook Kashwitna.

I'm looking at putting a trip together on American Creek in August 2012. We would be flying out with a couple of rafts and floating, fishing, and camping. Right now we are looking at 7 to 10 days. I would appreciate some feedback after you take your trip. Good Luck.

[pmo]

I'm looking at putting a trip together on American Creek in August 2012. We would be flying out with a couple of rafts and floating, fishing, and camping. Right now we are looking at 7 to 10 days. I would appreciate some feedback after you take your trip. Good Luck.

Will do. Shoot me PM mid August if you havent heard from me. We have 6 guys, two boats and 7 days. Looking forward to a spectacular trip.

[Kaveman]

Awesome, that is our thought so far. 6 guys, 2 boats, and 7 to 10 days. I look forward to your feedback.

[kwackkillncrew]

if you think you have to get a mile to get away from every one.......... go 2 miles instead