Deep Lake in Matanuska-Susitna Borough: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Deep Lake sits in Matanuska-Susitna Borough, out in Alaska. Elevation runs to 2,185 feet. This is sizeable water at about 796 acres, and a boat opens up most of it. The shoreline runs about 6.7 miles, so it pays to pick a stretch and stay with it. Size puts it in the front rank of our Matanuska-Susitna Borough list. For supplies, Valdez is 94 miles out. The big place round here is Anchorage, 153 miles distant. No boundary runs near, so the county rules hold throughout.

• Where to Fish on Deep Lake

  We hold no depth figure for this one. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Fish documented in Matanuska-Susitna Borough include rainbow trout, Coho salmon and sockeye salmon. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. At Deep Lake light and wind decide more than tackle does.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The range across the year is -3°F to 55°F. The ice season is long here and the open one short. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about mid May. Break-up sits around mid May on average, with the water closing again about mid October. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. On Deep Lake that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing we hold confirms whether access is permitted. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Access is unmapped, which usually means a farm track and a walk. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Dog Lake at 2.9 miles is the sensible second choice. Rules at Deep Lake are worth checking on the day.