Jim Lake Fishing in Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area, Alaska

• Overview

  Jim Lake lies within the bounds of Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area, Alaska. This is boreal forest ground. At some 642 acres it is far too large to cover on foot in a day. Shoreline length is close to 4.4 miles, and each section fishes a little differently. Healy is the closest place, 104 miles off. Anchorage is the closest city, 203 miles away. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Jim Lake

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Across Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area, recorded fish include bering cisco, least cisco, lake whitefish and Arctic grayling. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. At Jim Lake light and wind decide more than tackle does.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 60°F in July and bottom out at -7°F in January. Open water is the exception rather than the rule here. Once it clears, about mid May, the fishing comes on quickly. The water is typically free of ice between mid May and mid October. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. Expect Jim Lake to follow that timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Mapping shows no built access close by; expect to walk in from wherever you can leave the car. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Parking space is the usual limit rather than the bank itself. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. Failing this one, try Hay Lake, 2.6 miles away. Check the current arrangement for Jim Lake.