High Lakes in Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Out in Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area, Alaska, sits High Lakes. Country round the bank runs to boreal forest. It measures about 52 acres, which is a comfortable size for bank fishing. With about 1.1 miles of edge, you can try several depths in one session. Our Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area list holds plenty of bigger water. Susitna North sits 122 miles from here and is the nearest stop. The nearest city of size is Anchorage, 149 miles away. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on High Lakes

  Nothing we hold settles how deep this runs. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. County-wide records name bering cisco, least cisco, lake whitefish and Arctic grayling. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. High Lakes responds to conditions more than to tactics.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between 2°F in January and 54°F in July. This far north the hard season runs and runs. After mid May the shallows warm and the fish move up. Climate averages put the opening at about mid May and the closing near mid October. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. That shapes the year on High Lakes.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Access is unmapped, which usually means a farm track and a walk. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. For a change of water, Charlie Lake is 3.3 miles distant. For High Lakes in particular, ask before you travel.