Fishing Buffalo Lake in Copper River Census Area, Alaska

• Overview

  Copper River Census Area, Alaska, is where Buffalo Lake sits. The water sits 2,379 feet up. It covers about 4 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. It is a small entry by Copper River Census Area standards. Some 65 miles away sits Valdez, the nearest settlement. It is 127 miles to Anchorage, the nearest city. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Buffalo Lake

  The records we hold are silent on depth, so plan to find it yourself. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Public occurrence data for Copper River Census Area names Arctic grayling, Chinook salmon, round whitefish and longnose sucker. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. Buffalo Lake repays a walk before the first cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 55°F, with January the cold end at about -6°F. The freeze holds for the better part of the year. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from mid May. On the long-run averages the water opens up around mid May and starts locking again about late October. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. Buffalo Lake runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. You will be walking about half a mile from the nearest car park. Buffalo Lake is mapped as a fishing spot 40 yards from the water. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Local rules can differ across the county line, so check where you stand. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Should this one be busy, Smokey Lake is 0.2 miles off. Check the current arrangement for Buffalo Lake.