Fishing the Eklutna River
Location: Mile 26 on the Glenn Highway
Map:USGS Anchorage B-7 NE
Delorme
page 82-83
Fishing Pressure: Light to Heavy
Key Species: Silver Salmon, Chum Salmon, Dolly Varden
Tides: Anchorage Tide Chart
Unfortunately, the Eklutna River is a severely damaged fishery. Two
dams and a lot of dumping have made deep reductions in the number of
salmon that enter the river. However, there is some hope for the future
of Eklutna River fishing. The local residents and many people in the
Anchorage area have recognized the value of restoring salmon to the
river. If you want more information about the problems facing the Eklutna
River salmon, check out our Eklutna River history page.
Historically the river was a good Sockeye Salmon fishery, which is now
rare in the Anchorage area. The short run from the Knik arm to the large
Eklutna Lake is a perfect situation for Sockeyes. But now there are
two bridges that interrupt the run into the lake. And even worse, the
upper dam at the outlet of the Eklutna Lake, blocks all lake run-off
from entering the river. The river only receives 15% of the water that
it once did.
The fishing that remains is limited to weak King and Silver Salmon runs
and a small number of smallish Dolly Varden. Overall, this is not the
greatest river to fish. The water is heavily silted with glacial runoff
which limits visibility so flyfishing and lures are not as effective
as in clearer waters. It is possible to pick up some Silvers or Dollies
in season but you may want to look to other local waters. For numbers
of fish, the Eklutna Tailrace would be more productive.
But, keep an eye on the newspapers, if the dams are removed and a ladder
is placed on the Eklutna Lake dam, this river has potential to become
decent (probably not amazing) salmon waters.
Eklutna River Salmon Runs
The Eklutna River supports only poor to fair runs of Silver and Chum
Salmon. Neither runs are worth writing home about but may be worth a
try if you are in the area. Fishing pressure should be light.
The Chum Salmon run begins in mid-July and runs through the month of
August. The Silver Salmon run begins in late July and trickles out in
late September to October.
General Eklutna River Fishing Regulations
The Eklutna River is open year-round from its mouth to
the Glenn Highway. Upstream of the highway, fishing is open from January
1st until September 30th. Daily limits are three salmon per day with
no more than two being Silver Salmon. King Salmon is closed in the entire
Eklutna River drainage.
Be sure to get permission before fishing private property in the area.
You can request a land
use permit from Eklutna, Inc. The permit can be printed out, filled
out and brought to their offices to get proper signatures. There are
limited areas where you can access the river in areas not owned by Eklutna
Inc but in general, there are better rivers to fish in the area.
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