Alaska · river

Susitna River

The Susitna River is a 313-mile (504 km) long river in the Southcentral Alaska. It is the 15th largest river in the United States, ranked by average discharge volume at its mouth. From Wikipedia

Length
313 mi
Basin
20,077 sq mi
Flows into
Cook Inlet

Flow now

Talkeetna R Nr Talkeetna AK, 4 mi from the river.

1,700cfsat build, Nov 12, 11 AM MT

02,4254,850Oct 12Nov 11

The typical week here, from 10 years of record: 1,160 cfs to 1,900 cfs, around 1,460 cfs.

Water temperature at the gauge: 32°F.

Snowpack

0.0 in of water in the snow at Susitna Valley High, against a median 1.6 in for the date (0 % of normal).

The snowpack here usually builds from Oct 19, peaks Apr 11 and is gone by May 9; runoff follows the melt.

The season, November

Usually workable this week. Pick your window and fish it well.

  • Midgessizes 18 to 22
  • Small eggs and worms
  • Pheasant tail and zebra midge nymphsunder an indicator

Typical for the week over 10 years: 1,160 to 1,900 cfs. Running 1,700 cfs today, inside that range. Flows are not forecast; check the gauge the day before.

Brown Trout are spawning (October to December). Stay off clean, light-coloured gravel in riffle tails and pool tailouts, and leave paired fish alone.

Brook Trout are spawning (September to November). Stay off clean, light-coloured gravel in riffle tails and pool tailouts, and leave paired fish alone.

Mountain Whitefish are spawning (October to December). The egg bite behind spawning whitefish is the best winter nymphing of the year: an egg pattern below the riffles.

  • Egg patterns in the runs below the spawning gravel, never on it.

Written by the app's rules engine from the calendar, the gauge record and the snowpack, not by hand, so it says only what the data says. The weather for the week comes with the app.

Fly shops on this water

  • 3 Rivers Fly and Tackle WasillaWebsite

Nearby waters

Every Alaska water

Open Susitna River in FlyMaster for today's plan, the flies, and your own log here.

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Flows from the U.S. Geological Survey, snowpack from the NRCS SNOTEL network, text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Built Nov 12.