Fishing at Cottonwood Lake, Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Alaska

• Overview

  Cottonwood Lake is a Matanuska-Susitna Borough water, Alaska side. The water sits 344 feet up. At some 266 acres it is far too large to cover on foot in a day. You are looking at roughly 3.7 miles of shoreline, with plenty of water between access points. Few waters listed in Matanuska-Susitna Borough are bigger. Supplies mean a trip to Lakes, 0.7 miles off. Gateway follows at 3.1 miles, then Tanaina at 4.1 miles. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Cottonwood Lake

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Survey and observation records for Matanuska-Susitna Borough include rainbow trout, Coho salmon and sockeye salmon. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. Work Cottonwood Lake in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give July about 58°F and January about 16°F. Fishing here follows the temperature more than the calendar. Count the season from break-up, usually late April. The season between ice runs from about late April to early November. The first weeks of open water and the last are the ones to plan for. The season on Cottonwood Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. The nearest car park we can see is 0.9 miles out, so expect a walk with your gear. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Finger Lake at 1.3 miles is the sensible second choice. The position on Cottonwood Lake is worth confirming on the day.