Kelly Lake Fishing near Funny River, Alaska

• Overview

  Kelly Lake is a Kenai Peninsula Borough water, in Alaska. Salt water lies 30 miles off. Around 148 acres of surface means several distinct areas to work. About 2.5 miles of bank, so nothing stays unexplored for long. Head to Funny River, 13 miles away, for anything you forgot. The nearest city of size is Anchorage, 51 miles away. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Kelly Lake

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Fish documented in Kenai Peninsula Borough include northern pike, sockeye salmon, rainbow trout and Coho salmon. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. The shape of Kelly Lake decides where the fish sit.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July is the warm end of the year here, averaging about 56°F, while January sits near 17°F. A hard winter is normal, and the thaw brings a strong few weeks. Winter fishing happens on the ice here, with open water back around late April. On the long-run averages the water opens up around late April and starts locking again about early November. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. Kelly Lake runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. There is a mapped slipway roughly half a mile away. Recorded parking is half a mile off, far enough to travel light. A campsite lies half a mile away for anyone staying over. Public toilets are recorded roughly half a mile off. Read any posted signs at the access point rather than assuming. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Peterson Lake sits 0.7 miles off and takes the overflow. Signs at Kelly Lake carry more weight than any list.