Betty Lake Fishing in Sitka City and Borough, Alaska

• Overview

  Betty Lake stands in Sitka City and Borough, Alaska. This is open valley ground. It measures some 290 acres, and wind has room to build across it. The edge covers about 3.5 miles, enough to hold several distinct areas. Sitka lies 58 miles from the water. For a city, Anchorage is 640 miles off. It sits near the edge of the county, so check which rules apply.

• Where to Fish on Betty Lake

  No figure exists for depth, so let the water show you. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Public occurrence data for Sitka City and Borough names pink salmon, Chum salmon, Coho salmon, Chinook salmon and Dolly Varden. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. On Betty Lake the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give August about 54°F and January about 32°F. The freeze here is occasional rather than annual. In a normal year the cover is thin and short-lived. Autumn steadies things again once the heat lets go. It holds true on Betty Lake more years than not. Fish feed harder before a change in weather than after it.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. There is no mapped parking or launch close by, which usually means walking in. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Should this one be busy, Jetty Lake is 1.1 miles off. Check the position on Betty Lake before loading the car.