It’s a fishing day

Montana Creek fishing conditions · Alaska

Sit it outno coho salmon window clears the bar in 36 hours

Coho salmon is the best bet here today.

Log a trip here
Right now: 10 for coho salmon, sit it outTap or drag along the water to move through the next 36 hours

Coho salmon, hour by hour

Each float is an hour. The deeper it rides, the better the bite. The strip underneath runs daylight, dusk and dark; the red rule marks the best window. Click any hour to read it.

  1. 1012 pm
  2. 10
  3. 10
  4. 203 pm
  5. 30
  6. 30
  7. 206 pm
  8. 20
  9. 20
  10. 239 pm
  11. 23
  12. 23
  13. 23Sun
  14. 23
  15. 23
  16. 233 am
  17. 23
  18. 23
  19. 236 am
  20. 23
  21. 23
  22. 239 am
  23. 23
  24. 23
  25. 2312 pm
  26. 23
  27. 23
  28. 233 pm
  29. 23
  30. 23
  31. 236 pm
  32. 23
  33. 23
  34. 239 pm
  35. 23
  36. 23
Go, 85+Worth the trip, 70+Marginal, 55+Sit it out

Right now

Water
No reading

Coho salmon range 44–58°

Wind
0 mph

From the

Light
Daylight

Sunset 4:38 pm

Sky
Light Snow Likely

60% chance of rain

Air
25°F

NWS hourly forecast

Barometer
Rising

Measured, last 3 hours

Moon
5% lit

Waning crescent

What’s biting

Each species is scored against its own water-temperature range and tide preference, then wind, weather and warnings. The rules are Alaska non-tidal regulations for these waters.

Coho Salmon

Coho salmon

Oncorhynchus kisutch

30Sit it outNo window clears the bar

Water

No water reading here right now. Coho salmon bite in 44–58° water, best near 53°.

Why

Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Coho salmon is here May–Oct. Holds 10–120 ft down.

Keep

2 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. Susitna River Unit 2 flowing waters: chum, coho and sockeye 16" or longer are 3 a day in combination, 3 in possession, and only 2 of those may be coho; pinks are a separate 6 a day. A coho 16" or longer taken out of the water must be kept. Montana Creek: salmon may be fished from the mouth to the markers half a mile above the Parks Highway; bait and multiple hooks July 14–August 31, only up to the highway. Above the markers, no salmon fishing. Alaska changes limits by Emergency Order in season, so check the ADF&G emergency orders the day you fish.

Verified Nov 6, 2026 · Montana Creek below the markers above the Parks Highway

Season here: May–Oct. More on coho salmon

Rainbow Trout

Rainbow trout

Oncorhynchus mykiss

30Sit it outNo window clears the bar

Water

No water reading here right now. Rainbow trout bite in 45–68° water, best near 55°.

Why

Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Rainbow trout is here May–Sep. Holds 3–20 ft down.

Keep

no harvest

Catch and release only today. Rainbow/steelhead trout are catch-and-release only in the whole drainage and must be released immediately. Above the Parks Highway, one unbaited single-hook lure or fly year-round. Alaska changes limits by Emergency Order in season, so check the ADF&G emergency orders the day you fish.

Verified Nov 6, 2026 · Entire drainage

Season here: May–Sep, estimated from local air temperature, 2023–2025; there is no water gauge here. More on rainbow trout

Arctic Grayling

Arctic grayling

Thymallus arcticus

30Sit it outNo window clears the bar

Water

No water reading here right now. Arctic grayling bite in 39–60° water, best near 50°.

Why

Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Arctic grayling is here May–Sep. Holds 1–12 ft down.

Keep

no harvest

Catch and release only today. Arctic grayling are catch-and-release only in the whole drainage and must be released immediately. Alaska changes limits by Emergency Order in season, so check the ADF&G emergency orders the day you fish.

Verified Nov 6, 2026 · Entire drainage

Season here: May–Sep. More on Arctic grayling

Pink Salmon

Pink salmon

Oncorhynchus gorbuscha

30Sit it outNo window clears the bar

Water

No water reading here right now. Pink salmon bite in 42–60° water, best near 52°.

Why

Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Pink salmon is here Jul–Aug. Holds 1–15 ft down.

Keep

6 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. Susitna River Unit 2: pink salmon are open year-round, 6 a day, 6 in possession, no size limit, separate from the chum, coho and sockeye limit. Alaska changes limits by Emergency Order in season, so check the ADF&G emergency orders the day you fish.

Verified Nov 6, 2026 · Susitna River Unit 2

Season here: Jul–Aug. More on pink salmon

Chum Salmon

Chum salmon

Oncorhynchus keta

30Sit it outNo window clears the bar

Water

No water reading here right now. Chum salmon bite in 42–58° water, best near 50°.

Why

Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Chum salmon is here Jul–Aug. Holds 2–15 ft down.

Keep

3 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. Susitna River Unit 2 flowing waters: chum, coho and sockeye 16" or longer are 3 a day in combination, 3 in possession, and only 2 of those may be coho; pinks are a separate 6 a day. A coho 16" or longer taken out of the water must be kept. Alaska changes limits by Emergency Order in season, so check the ADF&G emergency orders the day you fish.

Verified Nov 6, 2026 · Susitna River Unit 2

Season here: Jul–Aug. More on chum salmon

Dolly Varden

Dolly Varden

Salvelinus malma

30Sit it outNo window clears the bar

Water

No water reading here right now. Dolly Varden bite in 38–58° water, best near 48°.

Why

Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Dolly Varden is here May–Oct. Holds 1–15 ft down.

Keep

5 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. Susitna River Unit 2 unstocked lakes and flowing waters: Arctic char/Dolly Varden are open year-round, 5 a day, 5 in possession, and only 1 of them may be 12" or longer. Alaska changes limits by Emergency Order in season, so check the ADF&G emergency orders the day you fish.

Verified Nov 6, 2026 · Susitna River Unit 2

Season here: May–Oct. More on Dolly Varden

Chinook Salmon

Chinook salmon

Oncorhynchus tshawytscha

–Not scoredOut of season

Out of seasonOut of season here today. Check the agency before fishing.

Water

No water reading here right now. Chinook salmon bite in 42–58° water, best near 50°.

Why

Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Chinook salmon is here Apr–Oct. Strong post-front high — bite typically shuts down. Holds 15–150 ft down.

Keep

20" minimum · no harvest

Out of season here today. Check the agency before fishing. King salmon fishing is closed in 2026 by emergency order in the Susitna River drainage and the Knik Arm fresh waters (except the Eklutna Tailrace). Do not fish for kings. Alaska changes limits by Emergency Order in season, so check the ADF&G emergency orders the day you fish.

Verified Nov 6, 2026 · Susitna River drainage

Season here: Apr–Oct. More on chinook salmon

The water

  • Water temperatureNo reading
  • Barometer29.45 inHg, rising

Sun, moon & solunar

  • Sunset today4:38 pm
  • Sunrise tomorrow8:52 am
  • MoonWaning crescent, 5% lit
  • Major solunarToday 10:30 am–12:30 pm
  • Minor solunarToday 3:00 pm–4:00 pm
  • Major solunarTonight 11:10 pm–1:10 am

Solunar tables are a popular heuristic. A peer-reviewed test found they don’t predict catch on their own, so here they only nudge the score when the tide or moon already agree. How the score works

Emergency orders in effect

Alaska changes limits and seasons in season. These ADF&G orders cover the Mat-Su area and override the limits below where they differ.

From the ADF&G emergency order list, checked daily; the list last changed Nov 5. Read the order itself before you fish.

Fishing report

No current report covers these waters.

We only show reports an agency has published, with their date. Alaska Dept. of Fish & Game publishes a report for the state.

Licenses and rules: Alaska Dept. of Fish & Game · fish-consumption advisories

About this spot

A Parks Highway stream between Willow and Talkeetna, fished from the Montana Creek State Recreation Site for coho, chum and pink salmon, plus catch-and-release rainbow trout and Arctic grayling.

Rainbow trout and Arctic grayling are catch-and-release in the whole drainage. Salmon may be fished from the mouth up to the markers half a mile above the Parks Highway: 3 a day 16" or longer, only 2 coho; pinks are a separate 6 a day. King fishing is closed in 2026.

Nearby

Public spots within 40 miles, with the same 36 hours of floats.

Questions people ask

Do I need a fishing license to fish at Montana Creek?

Yes (anglers age 16 and older). To fish at Montana Creek you need the appropriate state fishing license. See the agency's current rules: the state agency website

What fish are commonly targeted at Montana Creek?

Montana Creek is listed on this site for 7 commonly-targeted species: Coho Salmon, Rainbow Trout, Arctic Grayling, Chinook Salmon, and 3 more. Which species is currently in season and which is scoring highest today is shown in the per-species ranking on this page.

When is the best time to fish at Montana Creek?

It depends more on the species and the day's conditions than on a fixed "best hour." Water temperature, weather, and — at tidal locations — the stage of the tide drive activity most. The per-species ranking on this page scores every target species at Montana Creek against today's live conditions, so the fish near the top are your best bets right now; check back as conditions change through the day.

What kind of access does Montana Creek have?

Montana Creek has shoreline / wading access. There is no pier or boat ramp at this location. Rainbow trout and Arctic grayling are catch-and-release in the whole drainage. Salmon may be fished from the mouth up to the markers half a mile above the Parks Highway: 3 a day 16" or longer, only 2 coho; pinks are a separate 6 a day. King fishing is closed in 2026.

Which state's fishing regulations apply at Montana Creek?

state agency regulations apply at Montana Creek. Size limits, creel limits, and seasonal closures are listed per species on each species page. Always confirm against the agency source linked from each regulation block — emergency closures can take effect mid-season.

Is Montana Creek tidal water?

No. Montana Creek is non-tidal — water level varies with rainfall, seasonal flow, and (where applicable) upstream dam releases rather than tidal exchange.