Coffee Can Lake, Alaska: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Set in Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area, Coffee Can Lake is an Alaska water. The surface lies 246 feet up. At some 859 acres it is far too large to cover on foot in a day. The perimeter runs near 4.2 miles, so plan the walk before you start. Few waters listed in Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area are bigger. For a base, Kotzebue sits 194 miles out. Further out sit Nome (254 miles) and Healy (255 miles). The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Coffee Can Lake

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. County-wide records name bering cisco, least cisco and lake whitefish. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. Work Coffee Can Lake in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical July readings run about 60°F; by January the average is down near -7°F. Little of the calendar is open water, so timing counts for everything. After mid May the shallows warm and the fish move up. Ice clears near mid May and comes back about mid October in a typical year. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. Anyone fishing Coffee Can Lake regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  Our records carry no access rule either way. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Mapping is blank for access, so scout the approach before committing the car. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Birch Lake at 1.8 miles is the sensible second choice. Check the current arrangement for Coffee Can Lake.