Little Susitna River Drainage
The rule for this water, with the receipt.
Special regulations modifying the Knik Arm area defaults, as the 2026 book words them
Knik Arm area County · River · AK
The rules for this water, verbatimOfficial text
Straight from AK's official regulations. Rules in force today lead; out-of-season rows are dimmed. Nothing is paraphrased. Not legal advice: verify the posted rules at the water.
- King salmon fishing is closed in 2026 by emergency order.
- In the Little Susitna River drainage, you may not sport fish from a boat that is powered by the use of a motor, unless the motor is a four-stroke motor or a direct fuel injection two-stroke motor.
- If you retain a bag limit of chum, coho, pink, and sockeye salmon 16 inches or longer from the Little
- May 15-July 13: Sport fishing is only allowed from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. each day.
- A coho salmon removed from the water must be retained. You must not remove a coho salmon from the water if you intend to release it.
- Open to sport fishing for species other than king salmon.
- Sport fishing is allowed 7 days a week and only from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. each day.
- From the ADF&G markers ¼ mile upstream from the Knik-Goose Bay Road, upstream to ADF&G markers located ¼ mile upstream of the Lewis Road Bridge:
- Closed year-round to all sport fishing.
- Flowing waters from the ADF&G markers ¼ mile upstream of the Lewis Road Bridge, including Meadow Creek:
- June 15-April 14: Open to sport fishing for species other than salmon.
- Closed year-round to all salmon fishing.
- Fish Creek drainage lakes:
- Open year-round to sport fishing for species other than salmon.
- Little Susitna River flowing waters, from its mouth upstream to the Parks Highway:
- Open year-round to sport fishing for species other than king salmon.
- August 6-September 30: Bait and multiple hooks are allowed.
- October 1-August 5: Only unbaited, artificial lures or flies are allowed.
- King salmon:
- Rainbow/steelhead trout:
- April 15-June 14: Catch-and-release fishing only. All rainbow/steelhead trout caught must be released immediately.
- Nancy Lake Creek drainage, upstream of an ADF&G marker about ¼ mile upstream of its confluence with the Little Susitna River:
- Closed year-round to all salmon fishing, including catch-and-release.
- Nancy Lake:
- Closed year-round to burbot fishing.
- Northern pike:
- November 1-March 15: Ice fishing for northern pike is allowed with up to 5 lines from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The following regulations apply:
- Live release of northern pike is prohibited.
- Hook gap must be at least 3/4 inch from point to shank.
- Two single hooks are allowed per line as long as both hooks are attached to the same piece of bait.
- A whole legally recognized bait fish such as herring or smelt must be used if fishing with bait.
- Bait must be suspended above the bottom of the lake.
- Fishing lines must be closely attended.
- All other species of fish must be immediately released unharmed.
- Little Susitna River flowing waters upstream of the Parks Highway:
- Closed year-round to all salmon fishing.
- June 15-April 14:
- Open to sport fishing for species other than salmon.
- Only one unbaited, single-hook, artificial lure or fly is allowed.
Knik Arm area (Southcentral Region) rules (base layer)
Area waters: Bounded on the north by (but not including) Willow Creek Drainage, on the west by a line ½ mile east of the Susitna River, on the south by Cook Inlet and Knik Arm, and on the east by the Upper Susitna River drainage upstream of its confluence with the Oshetna River and includes all waters within the Matanuska and Knik River drainages.
- Fishing is open year-round for all species unless otherwise noted below or in special regulations.
- METHODS AND MEANS:
- Bait and multiple hooks are allowed unless prohibited in special regulations.
- In the flowing waters of the Palmer-Wasilla Zone:
- January 1-December 31: Northern pike and black fish may be taken year-round with a spear or bow and arrow.
| Species | Bag limit | Size and specifications | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| King Salmon | King salmon fishing is closed in 2026 by emergency order. The fresh waters of the Knik Arm are closed to king salmon fishing, except Eklutna Tailrace, see special regulations. In stocked lakes: Open year-round 10 per day, 10 in possession, in combination with other salmon. See pages 86-87. | Closed (see rule) | |
| Chum, Coho, Pink, & Sockeye Salmon (Combo) | 10 per day, 10 in possession | In stocked lakes: Open year-round 10 per day, 10 in possession, in combination with king salmon. See pages 86-87. In unstocked lakes and in all flowing waters: Open year-round possession may be coho salmon. Less than 16 inches: 10 per day, 10 in possession. A coho (silver) salmon 16 inches or longer that is removed from the water must be retained and becomes part of the bag limit of the person who originally hooked the fish. You may not remove a coho salmon 16 inches or longer from the water before releasing it. | Open year-round |
| Arctic Char/Dolly Varden (Combo) | 5 per day, 5 in possession | In stocked lakes: Open year-round 5 per day, 5 in possession. See pages 86-87. In unstocked lakes and in all flowing waters: Open year-round 5 per day, 5 in possession, only 1 of which may be 12 inches or longer. | Open year-round |
| Lake Trout | 2 per day, 2 in possession | Open year-round 2 per day, 2 in possession, no size limit. | Open year-round |
| Burbot | 5 per day, 5 in possession | Open year-round 5 per day, 5 in possession, no size limit. See page 7. | Open year-round |
| Other Finfish | No limit | Open year-round No limit. | Open year-round |
| Northern Pike | Sport fishing through the ice for northern pike is allowed using 5 LINES provided that: Standard ice fishing gear is used; The fishing gear is closely attended, and; All other species of fish caught are released immediately. Anna Lake, Beaverhouse Lake, Cow Lake, East Papoose Lake, Figure Eight Area Lakes, Fish Creek (Lower Susitna River), Flathorn Lake, Gerry Lake, Horseshoe Lake, Hourglass Lake, Loonsong Lake, Lynda Lake, Memory Lake, Nancy Lake Rec Area - see special regulations for Nancy Lake, Prator Lake, Sevenmile Lake, Stephan Lake, West Beaver Lake, West Horseshoe Lake, West Papoose Lake. | Open year-round |
ADF&G 2026 Southcentral book - Knik Arm · Captured in the state's own words; checked against the source July 4, 2026.
How this answer was assembled
- StatewideStatewide river rules are the base layer: default season, gear, bait, and limits.
- This waterSpecial rules written for this exact water replace the statewide defaults where they speak.
- Emergency orderEmergency orders in effect today override everything else. They sync quietly when the phone has coverage and never lock you out of the app.
Where this stretch begins and ends
The drawn shape is the named water, matched from the official list against OpenStreetMap and accepted only because the name resolved to a single feature in this water's county.
Different sections of this water can have different rules. The exact section boundaries are not marked on the map yet; each rule above describes in plain words where it starts and ends, and that written description is the authoritative boundary. Map boundaries come water by water, never as a guess.
Season at a glanceDerived
Sampled mid-month from the dated rows; short windows can slip between samples. The rows above are authoritative.
At the water nowContext
Streamflow: 497 cfs at ship c nr anchorage ak (2026-07-28 23:00)
Forecast: National Weather Service. Flow: nearest active USGS gauge in this water's area, which may sit on a different reach. Conditions are context, not rules.
What are you fishing for here?Advice
Pick from the species named in Little Susitna River Drainage's rules. Setups are checked against the gear rules in force today, and your picks are remembered on this device only. These are rule-aware suggestions, not a claim about what is biting; advice, not law, and the rules above govern.
Receipts
Local services near Little Susitna River Drainage
Tackle shops, guides, and boat launches that serve this water will appear here - a separate lane below the rules, so a local business can reach you without ever getting between you and the regulation.
Run a shop or guide service on Little Susitna River Drainage? Get listed.