Cathy Lake Fishing in Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Alaska

• Overview

  Cathy Lake falls in Matanuska-Susitna Borough, part of Alaska. The coast is 16 miles away. It covers about 11 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. It is one of the smaller waters we list in Matanuska-Susitna Borough. Willow lies 7.8 miles from the water. The big place round here is Anchorage, 29 miles distant. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Cathy Lake

  Depth is unmeasured here, so let the shoreline guide you. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. County-wide records name rainbow trout, Coho salmon, sockeye salmon and longnose sucker. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. Work Cathy Lake in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about 8°F and July at about 59°F, the water has a wide range to work through. Cold locks it up for a good stretch each year. The lid usually sets by midwinter and gives way around late April. The season between ice runs from about late April to early November. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. The season on Cathy Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. The closest car park is half a mile away, so pack accordingly. Mapping shows a campsite some half a mile from the water. Mapping records toilets within half a mile. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Failing this one, try Lynx Lake, 0.3 miles away. Nothing here settles the position at Cathy Lake for certain.