Latest Little Susitna River coho count: 1 on Sep 23, 2026 (ADF&G, preliminary). 2026 season count: 1,768 fish (Jul 30 – Sep 23).
- Latest daily count
- 1
- Sep 23, 2026
no change vs Sep 21 - 2026 season total
- 1,768
- Jul 30 – Sep 23
2025 to the same date: 4,506 - vs 3-year average
- 58%
- of the 2023–2025 average to Sep 23 (3,065)
- Peak day
- 211
- Aug 9, 2026
- 7-day total
- 14
- Sep 17 – Sep 23 (5 days counted)
down 22% vs the 7 days before
Below the goal range
ADF&G SEG goal: 9,200–17,700
2026 passage: 1,768 fish counted through Sep 23. 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Jul 14 | 0 | 0 |
| Jul 21 | 0 | 102 |
| Jul 28 | 0 | 390 |
| Aug 4 | 464 | 1,411 |
| Aug 11 | 1,228 | 2,069 |
| Aug 18 | 1,432 | 2,455 |
| Aug 25 | 1,549 | 2,737 |
| Sep 1 | 1,657 | 3,009 |
| Sep 8 | 1,727 | 3,059 |
| Sep 15 | 1,752 | 3,065 |
| Sep 22 | 1,767 | 3,065 |
| Sep 23 | 1,768 | 3,065 |
| Date | Fish counted | Change vs prior count | Season total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 11 | 2 | −1 | 1,741 |
| Sep 13 | 4 | +2 | 1,745 |
| Sep 14 | 3 | −1 | 1,748 |
| Sep 15 | 4 | +1 | 1,752 |
| Sep 16 | 2 | −2 | 1,754 |
| Sep 17 | 1 | −1 | 1,755 |
| Sep 19 | 6 | +5 | 1,761 |
| Sep 20 | 5 | −1 | 1,766 |
| Sep 21 | 1 | −4 | 1,767 |
| Sep 23 | 1 | 0 | 1,768 |
| 2026 season total | 1,768 | ||
| 2023–2025 average to the same date | 3,065 | ||
Source: ADF&G daily fish counts, preliminary; ADF&G can revise them. Days with no count above zero are skipped.
Little Susitna River Coho (Silver) Salmon Fish Counts
Real-time and historical weir counts tracking Coho (Silver) salmon on the Little Susitna River—a popular Mat-Su Valley fishery facing recent conservation challenges.
Understanding Little Susitna Coho Runs
The Little Susitna River ("Little Su") is a highly accessible Mat-Su Valley fishery flowing through the Nancy Lake State Recreation Area. Coho salmon are counted at a weir as they migrate upstream to spawn. While historically known for good Silver salmon fishing, recent years have seen concerning declines prompting management restrictions.
🐟 Coho Run (Mid-July – September)
Silver salmon typically begin arriving in mid-July, with peak passage in late July and August. The weir counted from July 23 to September 9 in 2025 and from July 30 to September 23 in 2026.
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About Little Susitna River Coho Salmon Fishing
The Little Susitna River, locally known as the "Little Su," is a 110-mile waterway flowing through Alaska's Mat-Su Valley. Its road accessibility and proximity to Anchorage (about 50 miles) have made it one of the region's most popular Coho salmon fisheries. However, recent years have seen concerning Silver salmon declines, resulting in emergency management actions including fishery closures.
Recent Conservation Concerns
The Little Susitna Coho population has fallen dramatically below its Sustainable Escapement Goal (SEG) of 9,200-17,700 fish in recent years:
• 2026: 1,768 Coho counted at the weir (preliminary)—closed to retention Aug 19
• 2025: 4,506 Coho counted—bag limit reduced to 1 fish Aug 15, bait prohibited, closed to retention Aug 21
• 2024: 964 Coho counted, an incomplete count after high water stopped counting for 18 days (ADF&G says the goal was likely missed)
• 2023: 3,726 Coho counted
These declining numbers have prompted ADF&G to implement progressive restrictions to protect spawning stocks.
Run Timing & Peak Fishing
Little Susitna Coho salmon typically arrive in mid-July, with peak passage in late July and August. The weir counted from July 23 to September 9 in 2025 and from July 30 to September 23 in 2026. When open, the best fishing occurs in the lower river from the Parks Highway bridge downstream where fish hold before moving upstream.
2025 Regulatory Actions
Due to low returns, ADF&G issued multiple emergency orders in 2025:
• August 15: Bag limit reduced to 1 Coho salmon, bait prohibited
• August 21: Little Susitna River closed to retention of Coho salmon
• Catch-and-Release: May continue where permitted, but anglers should exercise extreme caution to minimize handling stress
Always check current ADF&G emergency orders before fishing.
Weir Monitoring
The Little Susitna weir provides accurate daily escapement counts as Coho migrate upstream. This monitoring is essential for inseason management decisions and tracking population trends. The weir counts the run from late July into September, though high water can stop counting, as it did for 18 days in 2024.
Access & Location
The Little Susitna River offers excellent road access, making it popular with Anchorage-area anglers:
• Burma Road Access (Little Susitna Public Use Facility): Boat launch and campground
• Parks Highway Bridge: Popular bank fishing access
• Nancy Lake State Recreation Area: Multiple access points along the river
• Distance from Anchorage: Approximately 50 miles via Glenn/Parks Highway
Fishing Regulations (When Open)
Standard regulations for Little Susitna Coho when the fishery is open:
• Bag and Possession Limits: Set by regulation and often reduced by emergency order (in 2025 the limit was cut to 3 salmon, only 1 of them a coho, before retention closed)
• Bait: Allowed unless prohibited by emergency order
• Single Hook: Required in some areas
Due to frequent emergency orders, always verify current regulations before heading out.
Other Fishing Opportunities
While Coho fishing may be restricted, the Little Susitna offers other excellent fishing:
• Pink Salmon: Strong runs in even years (July-August)
• Chum Salmon: Present throughout summer
• Rainbow Trout: Available year-round, catch-and-release encouraged
• Arctic Grayling: Found throughout the system
• Northern Pike: Popular in connected lakes
Conservation & Recovery
Supporting Little Susitna Coho recovery requires patience from the angling community. Respecting closures, practicing careful catch-and-release techniques when targeting other species (to minimize incidental Coho catch), and staying informed about regulations all contribute to rebuilding this fishery.
Tracking Little Susitna Coho fish counts helps document the population's status and supports science-based management essential for restoring this once-productive Silver salmon fishery.
Little Susitna coho count: common questions
Plain answers on how the count works, what past seasons looked like and how the weir drives the Little Su silver salmon rules. 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 Susitna coho count?
It is ADF&G's daily count of coho salmon, also called silver salmon, passing its weir on the Little Susitna River, known locally as the Little Su, in the Mat-Su Valley. Each day's count is added to a running total for the season, which ADF&G uses to decide whether to restrict or close coho fishing.
Where is the Little Susitna weir?
It moved in 2025. ADF&G did not run its old weir at river mile 32.5 in 2025, because high water had damaged it in recent years. 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 started counting coho on July 23, 2025, and ADF&G said it withstood flood damage at the new site.
When do silver salmon run in the Little Susitna River?
From mid- to late July into September, with most fish in late July and August. From 2022 to 2026 the first coho reached the weir between July 14 and July 30, and the run reached its halfway point at the weir between July 31 and August 12. The biggest single day in each of those seasons was:
- 2022: July 30
- 2023: August 2
- 2024: July 21
- 2025: August 12
- 2026: August 9
In 2026 the weir counted coho from July 30 to September 23.
How many Little Susitna coho were counted in 2026?
ADF&G's preliminary 2026 count was 1,768 coho, from July 30 to September 23. The biggest day was August 9, at 211 fish. That is far below the escapement goal of 9,200 to 17,700. On August 17 ADF&G said 1,385 coho had passed the weir and projected only 2,104 for the season, and it closed coho retention from August 19.
How many Little Susitna coho were counted in 2025?
4,506 coho in ADF&G's online data; its 2025 season summary gives 4,553 and calls the count complete. Very low water slowed the run, and high water stopped counting from August 30 through September 1. The weir came out on September 10. ADF&G cut the limit to one coho and banned bait on August 15, then closed coho retention from August 21, after projecting a season count of only 4,239.
Is the 2024 Little Susitna coho count complete?
No. ADF&G's 2024 season summary says the weir count of 964 coho is incomplete, because heavy rain from August 8 caused high water and the weir lost 18 days of counts. ADF&G said it was still likely the goal was missed in 2024.
What is the record Little Susitna coho count?
The highest season total in ADF&G's online data, which goes back to 1996, is 47,938 coho in 2002. The biggest single day is 7,109 fish on August 27, 2004. Recent runs have been a small fraction of those years.
What were the Little Susitna coho counts in past years?
Season counts at the weir, from ADF&G's online data:
- 2026: 1,768 (preliminary)
- 2025: 4,506 (first season at the new upstream site)
- 2024: 964 (incomplete)
- 2023: 3,726
- 2022: 3,162
- 2021: 10,923
- 2020: 10,765
- 2019: 4,226
- 2018: 7,583
- 2017: 17,781
Over the five seasons from 2022 to 2026 the count averaged about 2,800 coho a year. Final figures in ADF&G's reports can differ slightly from the online data.
What is the escapement goal for Little Susitna coho?
9,200 to 17,700 coho, a sustainable escapement goal. Escapement is the number of fish that get past the fisheries to spawn. Because anglers also catch coho above the weir, ADF&G said in 2025 that it aims for about 10,200 fish counted past the weir to be sure of meeting the goal, allowing for nearly 1,000 caught upstream. The weir count last passed 9,200 in 2021.
Is the Little Susitna open to coho fishing?
It has been restricted and then closed to retention in each of the last three seasons:
- 2024: bait banned and the limit cut to one coho on August 6; closed to coho fishing on August 15
- 2025: limit cut to one coho and bait banned on August 15; closed to coho retention on August 21
- 2026: limit cut to one coho on August 6; closed to coho retention from August 19, with the bait ban continued
Check ADF&G's sport fishing regulations and current emergency orders before you fish. This page is not a regulations source.
How early in the season does ADF&G act?
In recent seasons, in early to mid-August. In 2024 ADF&G acted on August 6, when counts had trailed off sharply by the first quarter of the run. In 2025 it acted on August 15, after only 2,576 coho had passed by August 12 and its projection was 4,880. Watch the running total in late July and early August for the first sign.
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 an incomplete year 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 king salmon counted at the same weir?
Yes. The weir counts king salmon from late May into early August. See our Little Susitna king salmon 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 coho count. We republish them with averages so the trend is easier to read. The closures, projections and notes on incomplete counts come from ADF&G's emergency orders and its Cook Inlet season summaries.
How do I get alerts when new counts post?
In the Alaska FishTopia app, favorite the Little Susitna coho 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 king count, the Deshka, Fish Creek 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.