East Lime Lake in Bethel Census Area: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  East Lime Lake lies in Bethel Census Area, in Alaska. Elevation runs to 833 feet. Surface area runs to roughly 342 acres, so plan for one area rather than the whole. The margin runs to about 3.7 miles in total. Supplies mean a trip to Nikiski, 142 miles off. Beyond it, Kenai at 147 miles and Kalifornsky at 151 miles. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on East Lime 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. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Open biodiversity records for Bethel Census Area list sockeye salmon, Chum salmon, Coho salmon, pink salmon and Dolly Varden. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. Treat East Lime Lake as a water to read rather than to cover.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about 2°F and July at about 57°F, the water has a wide range to work through. The ice season is long here and the open one short. The lid usually goes in early May, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. Going by climate averages, expect open water from about early May until roughly late October. From the thaw to midsummer the fishing improves week by week. East Lime Lake runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. No made access is recorded, so a short walk in is the likely arrangement. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. North Lime Lake at 2.9 miles is the sensible second choice. Where East Lime Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.