Iksgiza Lake Fishing in Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area, Alaska

• Overview

  The Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area end of Alaska holds Iksgiza Lake. It lies 344 feet above sea level. Roughly 245 acres: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. Around 3.0 miles of margin, front to back. The nearest town is Ester, 66 miles away. It is 244 miles to Anchorage, the nearest city. Rules here are straightforward: one county, one set of rules.

• Where to Fish on Iksgiza Lake

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Fish documented in Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area include bering cisco, least cisco, lake whitefish, Arctic grayling and alaska blackfish. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. Iksgiza Lake responds to conditions more than to tactics.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from -12°F in January up to 62°F in July. Cold dominates the year and the fishing works around it. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near early May. On average, early May opens the water and mid October closes it again. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. Anyone fishing Iksgiza Lake regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Nothing built is recorded close to the bank here. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. Kindanina Lake sits 6.9 miles off and takes the overflow. For Iksgiza Lake in particular, ask before you travel.