Pickhandle Lake Fishing in Southeast Fairbanks Census Area, Alaska

• Overview

  Pickhandle Lake sits in Southeast Fairbanks Census Area, out in Alaska. Height above sea level is 2,927 feet. About 415 acres, so local knowledge or a boat saves a lot of walking. The perimeter runs near 5.0 miles, so plan the walk before you start. By elevation it is in the upper part of our Alaska listings. Supplies mean a trip to Tok, 129 miles off. Dawson City follows at 150 miles, then Whitehorse at 193 miles. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Pickhandle Lake

  Depth is unmeasured here, so let the shoreline guide you. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Species logged across Southeast Fairbanks Census Area include Arctic grayling, lake whitefish, lake trout, longnose sucker and round whitefish. County data is a starting point rather than a guarantee. Pickhandle Lake gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 54°F and January at -10°F. Long winters and short summers set the pattern. The lid usually sets by midwinter and gives way around mid May. Ice clears near mid May and comes back about mid October in a typical year. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. At Pickhandle Lake the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. It is recorded as intermittent, which means the basin empties in dry spells. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Sort the permit out before you load the car. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. For a change of water, Wolverine Lake is 1.7 miles distant. Check the current arrangement for Pickhandle Lake.