Mat-Su loses its fall silver harvest, with one river closed without even a count

Mat-Su anglers lose the fall silver harvest on the Susitna and Little Susitna early Wednesday, when the Alaska Department of Fish and Game bars keeping coho salmon 16 inches or longer in both drainages through the rest of the year. Only artificial lures are allowed; bait stays prohibited.

The Little Susitna is running far short. Its escapement goal is 9,200 to 17,700 coho, but as of Monday only 1,385 fish had passed the weir, and the department projects a total of about 2,104 — less than a quarter of the goal's floor. ADF&G cited four straight years of poor coho escapement in the Susitna drainage, below-average returns to the Little Susitna, and weak numbers this year, saying the closure "is warranted to conserve coho salmon."

The Susitna side has no count at all. The Deshka River weir, which measures coho there, was damaged in July flooding and is no longer operating, so the larger drainage is being closed without a count to go on.

This is the second tightening this month. Orders effective Aug. 6 had already cut the coho bag limit from two fish to one and banned bait, after only 438 coho had passed the Little Susitna weir through early August. The trend is longer than this season: last year's Little Susitna escapement came in at 4,506, less than half the bottom of the goal, and in 2024 both drainages were closed outright to coho on Aug. 15.

The department says the restrictions could be lifted if Upper Cook Inlet run strength improves.