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Little Susitna River Fishing Report

Updated Fri, Sep 4, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

Anchorage’s road-accessible salmon river: the Little Su runs kings and silvers an hour from town.

4/5
Good. Solid day ahead.Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up.
Flow
447 cfs
Air / High
62 / 66 F
Wind
NE 2 mph

Sources: USGS gauge 15290000, Open-Meteo, solunar calculated for these coordinates.

Satellite view
Friday
4
September 2026

Today's Fishing Report

Generated this morning from live readings: gauge, weather model, sun and moon. A fresh report is published here every morning.

4/5Good. Solid day ahead.Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up.

Little Susitna River lines up a genuinely fishable day across the board. The river is running 447 cfs, dropping and clearing. Today brings a mixed sky, wind NE around 2 mph, falling pressure near 1020 hPa and a high of 66. Water sits around 66 F for the season (estimated). With the last quarter, the solunar majors run 5:39 AM-7:39 AM and 5:39 PM-7:39 PM: the windows to build the day around.

The plan, species by species

Chinook salmonExcellent

Peak interception: downriggers on the feeding lanes, mooching where the fleet permits. River mouths stage fish late summer: the estuary bite runs on tide changes.

Rainbow troutExcellent

Prime dry-fly and hopper season. Match the hatch morning and evening; nymph the seams midday.

SteelheadFair

First fall runs after rain: fresh chrome in the lower pools on spawn bags and beads.

Tomorrow: Similar at 64 F with likely rain: fish ahead of the front. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Sat, Sep 5, 6:30 AMHow this report is made →

Water and weather

Live readings from Little Susitna River near Palmer.

Flow, last 30 days

USGS gauge 15290000.

4608701,279447 cfs08/0508/1508/2509/04

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp62 F
High / Low66 / 50 F
WindNE 2-7 mph
Pressure1019.9 hPa, falling
Sky / Rain52% cloud, 56%
Sunrise / Sunset06:57 / 20:55
MoonLast Quarter, 50%
Water temp (seasonal)~66 F est.

Bite planner

Hour-by-hour bite forecast for today. Tap a bar to see why.

5 AM8 AM11 AM2 PM5 PM8 PMsunrisesunsetPRIMEPRIME

Next 7 days

Tap a day for the detailed outlook.

Fri Sep 4 · Overcast, 66/50 F, wind 4 mph, rain 56%

Fair or better. Cloud and a rain chance can stretch the morning bite well past breakfast: keep moving baits tied on.

Species guide

The species that matter on Little Susitna River: seasons, structure and how to fish each one. Today's ratings live in the report above.

Chinook salmon illustration

Chinook salmon

Best: Jun-Sep ocean runs

The king: the Pacific's heavyweight, intercepted trolling the ocean feeding lanes or swinging rivers on the spawning run. Peak interception: downriggers on the feeding lanes, mooching where the fleet permits. River mouths stage fish late summer: the estuary bite runs on tide changes.

Rainbow trout illustration

Rainbow trout

Best: Apr-Jun, Sep-Oct

The workhorse of western rivers: riffles, seams and dry-fly eats. Prime dry-fly and hopper season. Match the hatch morning and evening; nymph the seams midday.

Steelhead illustration

Steelhead

Best: Oct-Apr

Lake-run rainbows that turn tributaries into winter fisheries. First fall runs after rain: fresh chrome in the lower pools on spawn bags and beads.

When to come: the Little Susitna River calendar

Activity by species and month, and how the water warms through the year. Tap any cell.

Species activity by month

1 = slow, 5 = peak. Current month highlighted.

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Chinook salmon
Rainbow trout
Steelhead
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 66 F (estimated, not a reading).

304050607080JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~66 F now

Angler reports

Real reports from real anglers, reviewed before publishing. The water log below tracks each day automatically.

No angler reports yet this weekBe the first: your report helps every angler who checks Little Susitna River today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Sep 3

5/5 Excellent. Go now. Everything lines up: pressure, wind and light are in your favor. Chinook salmon led the card at excellent. High of 66 F, wind to 7 mph.

Wed, Sep 2

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Chinook salmon led the card at excellent. High of 61 F, wind to 7 mph.

Tue, Sep 1

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Chinook salmon led the card at excellent. High of 61 F, wind to 6 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
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Before you go

License

Alaska requires a valid fishing license for adults. Buy online from the state agency; one-day options exist for visitors.

Regulations

Alaska license plus king salmon stamp where applicable. King seasons change with returns and closures are common: read current ADFG regulations.

Access

Little Susitna public use facility near the mouth; Parks Highway bridge and Houston area for bank fishing.

About this water

A 110-mile river from the Talkeetna Mountains to Cook Inlet, Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Alaska.

Fishing Little Susitna River: the full guide

A river close to the city

The Little Susitna River flows about 110 miles from the Talkeetna Mountains through the Matanuska-Susitna valley to Cook Inlet, and it is the most road-accessible salmon river near Anchorage. King salmon run in June, silvers arrive in force from late July through September, and the river also holds pink and chum salmon plus rainbow trout and Dolly Varden.

Kings and silvers

The king run in June draws heavy pressure at the accessible spots, with regulations that change in season based on returns. The silver run is the river’s strength: from late July into September, coho fill the lower river and are taken on spinners, spoons and flies from bank and boat. It is genuinely good fishing within an hour of Anchorage.

Access and crowds

The Little Su public use facility near the mouth provides the main boat access, while the Parks Highway bridge and Houston area serve bank anglers. Crowding at the accessible points during the runs is real: walking further along the bank or launching a boat both buy space and usually better fishing.

Mat-Su logistics

Access is via the Parks Highway at Houston and the Point MacKenzie road to the public use facility near the mouth. Wasilla and Palmer provide services, with Anchorage an hour south. Bears are present, particularly during the salmon runs: follow the cleaning rules and stay aware.

Common questions

Why fish it over other rivers?

Road access: it is the most accessible salmon river near Anchorage, with a genuinely strong silver run.

When are silvers best?

Late July through September: the river’s strongest and most reliable fishery.

Is it crowded?

At the accessible points during runs, yes: walking further or launching a boat buys space and better fishing.

Is fishing good at Little Susitna River right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up.

Nearby waters

Talkeetna River59 miRussian River79 miKenai Lake80 miSkilak Lake85 miKenai River95 miSeward100 mi
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