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

• Overview

  Matanuska-Susitna Borough in Alaska is where Gunmetal Lake sits. The shore lies 14 miles out. It runs to roughly 95 acres — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. Shoreline comes to about 1.4 miles, small enough to learn in a day. Houston lies 5.7 miles from the water. After that come Big Lake at 6.9 miles and Willow at 8.9 miles. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Gunmetal Lake

  Nothing we hold settles how deep this runs. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Records held for Matanuska-Susitna Borough cover rainbow trout, Coho salmon, sockeye salmon, longnose sucker and Arctic charr. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. Gunmetal Lake fishes better once you know its edges.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give July about 59°F and January about 9°F. Seasons are distinct, and each one fishes differently. Winter locks it down, and late April brings it back. The water is typically free of ice between late April and early November. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. Anyone fishing Gunmetal Lake regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Nothing is mapped in the way of a ramp or car park within a short radius. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. Houston Lake at 1.5 miles is the sensible second choice. Ask locally about Gunmetal Lake if anything is unclear.