Fishing at Dick Lake, Copper River Census Area, Alaska

• Overview

  Dick Lake falls in Copper River Census Area, part of Alaska. This is dry open country ground. With some 30 acres of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. With about 1.1 miles of edge, you can try several depths in one session. Our Copper River Census Area list holds plenty of bigger water. 70 miles away sits Deltana, the nearest town. Tok is 84 miles and Valdez 123 miles. No border sits close enough to matter.

• Where to Fish on Dick Lake

  Nothing we hold settles how deep this runs. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Copper River Census Area records list Arctic grayling, Chinook salmon, round whitefish and longnose sucker among the fish reported. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. Dick Lake gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July is the warm end of the year here, averaging about 53°F, while January sits near -3°F. Cold dominates the calendar on water this far north. The lid usually sets by midwinter and gives way around mid May. The water is typically free of ice between mid May and mid October. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. At Dick Lake the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. It is tagged for fishing in public mapping. The closest car park is half a mile away, so pack accordingly. Dick Lake sits 90 yards out and is marked for fishing. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. For a change of water, Meiers Lake is 2.9 miles distant. Treat access at Dick Lake as something to verify.