Latest Little Susitna River king count: 1 on Aug 10, 2026 (ADF&G, preliminary). 2026 season count: 689 fish (May 30 – Aug 10).
- Latest daily count
- 1
- Aug 10, 2026
down 4 vs Aug 9 - 2026 season total
- 689
- May 30 – Aug 10
2025 to the same date: 59 - vs 3-year average
- 111%
- of the 2023–2025 average to Aug 10 (620)
- Peak day
- 235
- Jul 5, 2026
- 7-day total
- 26
- Aug 4 – Aug 10
up 160% vs the 7 days before
Below the goal range
ADF&G SEG goal: 2,100–4,300
2026 passage: 689 fish counted through Aug 10. Passage is the fish counted at the site (preliminary), not final escapement.
- 2026
- 2023–2025 average
- SEG goal
- Daily count
Chart data (weekly running totals)
| Date | 2026 running total | 2023–2025 average running total |
|---|---|---|
| May 19 | 0 | 0 |
| May 26 | 0 | 2 |
| Jun 2 | 5 | 10 |
| Jun 9 | 18 | 34 |
| Jun 16 | 25 | 60 |
| Jun 23 | 52 | 134 |
| Jun 30 | 67 | 214 |
| Jul 7 | 504 | 402 |
| Jul 14 | 606 | 524 |
| Jul 21 | 653 | 567 |
| Jul 28 | 653 | 584 |
| Aug 4 | 665 | 605 |
| Aug 10 | 689 | 620 |
| Aug 11 | after the latest count | 620 |
| Aug 18 | after the latest count | 623 |
| Aug 19 | after the latest count | 623 |
| Date | Fish counted | Change vs prior count | Season total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 30 | 2 | 0 | 655 |
| Aug 1 | 4 | +2 | 659 |
| Aug 2 | 4 | 0 | 663 |
| Aug 4 | 2 | −2 | 665 |
| Aug 5 | 3 | +1 | 668 |
| Aug 6 | 5 | +2 | 673 |
| Aug 7 | 5 | 0 | 678 |
| Aug 8 | 5 | 0 | 683 |
| Aug 9 | 5 | 0 | 688 |
| Aug 10 | 1 | −4 | 689 |
| 2026 season total | 689 | ||
| 2023–2025 average to the same date | 620 | ||
Source: ADF&G daily fish counts, preliminary; ADF&G can revise them. Days with no count above zero are skipped.
Little Susitna River King Salmon Fish Counts
Real-time and historical weir counts tracking Chinook (King) salmon on the Little Susitna River—a Mat-Su Valley fishery experiencing significant conservation challenges.
Understanding Little Susitna Chinook Runs
The Little Susitna River ("Little Su") is a popular Mat-Su Valley fishery flowing through the Nancy Lake State Recreation Area. King salmon are counted at a weir as they migrate upstream to spawn. Due to severely depressed returns in recent years, the fishery was closed for the entire season in 2024 and 2025 and closed again from May 1 through July 13, 2026.
👑 King Salmon Run (Late May – Early August)
Chinook salmon typically begin arriving in late May, with peak passage occurring in late June and early July. In 2026 the weir was installed in mid-May and counted through early September.
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About Little Susitna River King Salmon Fishing
The Little Susitna River, affectionately known as the "Little Su," is a 110-mile waterway flowing through Alaska's Matanuska-Susitna Valley. Historically one of the region's most popular King salmon fisheries due to its road accessibility and proximity to Anchorage (about 50 miles), the Little Su has experienced severe Chinook declines in recent years, resulting in complete fishery closures.
Conservation Crisis
The Little Susitna Chinook population has fallen dramatically below its Sustainable Escapement Goal (SEG) of 2,100-4,300 fish:
• 2023: 796 King salmon counted at the weir, an incomplete count because flooding in the last 10 days of June disrupted counting—fishery closed by emergency order July 6
• 2024: 1,005 fish counted, a count ADF&G considers incomplete because of mid-June flooding—fishery closed for the season
• 2025: Fishery closed for the season; the old weir was not run, and ADF&G's aerial survey counted 437 kings, below the aerial goal of 700-1,500
• 2026: 689 fish counted (preliminary)—fishery closed May 1 through July 13
These numbers represent a fraction of the escapement needed for a healthy, sustainable population. ADF&G has implemented pre-season closures to protect the remaining spawning stock.
Run Timing
When the fishery is open, Little Susitna Chinook typically arrive in late May, with peak passage in late June and early July. In 2022-2024 and 2026 (the 2025 weir count started in late July, so it misses most of the king run), the run reached its midpoint at the weir between June 29 and July 5.
Weir Monitoring
The Little Susitna weir provides accurate daily escapement counts as salmon migrate upstream. This data is essential for inseason management decisions and long-term population monitoring. High water damaged the old weir at river mile 32.5 in recent years, so ADF&G did not run it in 2025 and used aerial survey index counts as the main 2025 king assessment. ADF&G moved the weir upstream to a wider, shallower site near river mile 39, where it began counting coho on July 23, 2025.
Access & Location
The Little Susitna River offers excellent road access, which contributed to its historical popularity:
• Burma Road Access (Little Susitna Public Use Facility): Boat launch and campground providing access to the lower river
• Parks Highway Bridge: Access to upper reaches
• Nancy Lake State Recreation Area: The river flows through this popular recreation area
Other Fishing Opportunities
While King salmon fishing has been closed, the Little Susitna still offers excellent fishing for other species:
• Coho (Silver) Salmon: Strong runs in late summer (late July through September)
• Pink Salmon: Even-year runs provide fast action
• Chum Salmon: Present throughout summer
• Rainbow Trout & Arctic Grayling: Available year-round
• Northern Pike: Popular target in connected lakes
Future Outlook
Recovery of the Little Susitna Chinook population will require multiple years of strong escapement. Anglers are encouraged to support conservation efforts by respecting closures, practicing catch-and-release when targeting other species (to avoid incidental King salmon catch), and staying informed about current regulations through ADF&G emergency orders.
Tracking Little Susitna King Salmon fish counts helps document the population's status and supports science-based management decisions essential for eventual recovery of this once-thriving fishery.
Little Susitna River king salmon count: common questions
Plain answers on how the count works, what past seasons looked like and why recent counts need care. This season's numbers are in the season recap and live chart above. The figures below come from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) and were checked on October 21, 2026.
What is the Little Su fish count?
It is ADF&G's daily count of salmon passing its weir on the Little Susitna River, known locally as the Little Su, in the Mat-Su Valley. The weir counts king salmon (Chinook) in early summer and coho salmon later. This page covers the king count; each day's count is added to a running total for the season.
Where is the Little Susitna River weir?
It moved in 2025. For years ADF&G counted at river mile 32.5, but high water damaged that weir in recent seasons, so ADF&G did not run it in 2025. It moved the weir upstream to a wider, shallower site that its 2025 season summary gives as river mile 39.0 and its count page as river mile 39.5. The new weir began counting coho on July 23, 2025, and in 2026 it was in from mid-May.
When do king salmon run in the Little Susitna River?
From late May to early August, with most fish in late June and early July. In 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2026 the run reached its halfway point at the weir between June 29 and July 5, and the biggest single day came between July 3 and July 6. In 2026 the first king passed the weir on May 30 and the last on August 10.
How many Little Susitna kings were counted in 2026?
ADF&G's preliminary 2026 count was 689 king salmon, from May 30 to August 10. The biggest day was July 5, at 235 fish. That is well below the escapement goal of 2,100 to 4,300 kings. It is also the first king season since ADF&G moved the weir upstream in 2025, and we have not found an ADF&G statement on how counts at the new site compare with the old one.
How many Little Susitna kings were counted in 2025?
There was no full weir count of kings in 2025. The old weir was not run, and the new one started counting on July 23, after most of the king run had passed. The 69 kings it logged are not a season total. ADF&G's main 2025 king assessment was an aerial survey, which counted 437 kings, below the aerial survey goal of 700 to 1,500.
Is the 2024 Little Su king count complete?
No. ADF&G's 2024 season summary says six days of flooding in mid-June, after cold water had likely slowed the run, made the weir count hard to use, and that the final weir count of 1,013 is considered incomplete. ADF&G's online data shows 1,005. The 2023 count, 796 in the online data, is also marked incomplete in that summary.
What is the record Little Susitna king count?
The highest season total in ADF&G's online data is 7,712 kings in 1988, with the biggest single day, 1,359 fish, on June 10 of that year. That data covers only 1988, 1989, 1994, 1995 and 2013 to 2026. Since 2013 the highest total was 5,026 in 2015, including a 1,103-fish day on June 16.
What were the Little Susitna king counts in past years?
Season counts at the weir, from ADF&G's online data:
- 2026: 689 (preliminary; first king season since the weir moved)
- 2025: no full count (aerial survey: 437)
- 2024: 1,005 (incomplete)
- 2023: 796 (incomplete)
- 2022: 2,237
- 2021: 3,121
- 2020: 2,424 (incomplete)
- 2019: 3,659
- 2018: 549 (incomplete)
- 2017: 2,525
ADF&G's 2024 season summary marks the 2018, 2020, 2023 and 2024 counts as incomplete, a mark it uses when flooding or another event stops the count before the run ends. Final figures in ADF&G's reports can differ slightly from the online data.
What is the escapement goal for Little Susitna kings?
A sustainable escapement goal of 2,100 to 4,300 kings counted at the weir, or 700 to 1,500 counted by a post-season aerial survey. ADF&G uses the aerial goal only when there is no usable weir count. Escapement is the number of fish that get past the fisheries to spawn. ADF&G says the goal was met in 2022 only after the sport fishery was closed in midseason, and was missed in 2023, 2024 and 2025.
Is the Little Susitna open to king salmon fishing?
Not in recent seasons. ADF&G closed king fishing in midseason on July 6, 2023, closed it for the whole season in 2024 and 2025, and closed it again from May 1 through July 13, 2026, from the mouth upstream to the Parks Highway Bridge. During the 2026 closure, anglers fishing for other species could use only one unbaited, single-hook artificial lure, and kings caught had to be released immediately. ADF&G says Little Su kings, like other Cook Inlet king stocks, have had low productivity and below-average runs since 2007. Check ADF&G's sport fishing regulations and current emergency orders before you fish. This page is not a regulations source.
How does ADF&G count kings in muddy water?
With video. ADF&G says video at the Little Su weir lets fish be counted even during high spring runoff when the water is cloudy, as it was through most of the 2024 season. High water can still flood or damage the weir, which is why several recent counts are incomplete.
How does today's count compare with the average?
Check the season recap and chart above. They show the daily count and the running total for the season, with 3-year and 5-year averages and the goal range. Because recent counts include incomplete years and a weir move, the averages are a rough guide. Current-year counts are preliminary and can be revised. On ADF&G's own table, days with no count show as a dash.
Are coho counted at the same weir?
Yes. The weir counts coho salmon from late July into September. See our Little Susitna coho counts.
Where does the data come from?
The counts in the chart and the past-season totals above come from ADF&G's public Little Susitna River king salmon count. We republish them with averages so the trend is easier to read. The notes on incomplete counts, the weir move and closures come from ADF&G's Cook Inlet season summaries and emergency orders.
How do I get alerts when new counts post?
In the Alaska FishTopia app, favorite the Little Susitna king count and you'll get a push alert when a new count posts. The alert gives the day's count and the season total so far, and says whether the run is ahead of, on or behind the typical pace for the date, based on the 3-year average. The app also covers the Little Susitna coho count, the Deshka and other Alaska counts, plus tides, marine weather, sport fishing regulations and AI fish ID. It comes with a 3-day free trial, then $9.99 a year. Get it on the App Store or Google Play.