Lake Jack Fishing in Chugach Census Area, Alaska

• Overview

  Set in Chugach Census Area, Lake Jack is an Alaska water. It stands 167 feet above sea level. Roughly 437 acres of surface: treat each bay as a water in its own right. With 5.1 miles or so of shoreline, boat anglers cover ground the bank cannot. The town to know is Girdwood, 36 miles out. The nearest city of size is Anchorage, 67 miles away. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Lake Jack

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Chugach Census Area records list Chum salmon, pink salmon and Coho salmon among the fish reported. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. At Lake Jack light and wind decide more than tackle does.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July is the warm end of the year here, averaging about 53°F, while January sits near 23°F. Expect a real winter and a strong spring after it. Ice-out usually falls in early May, and the weeks after it fish hardest. Averages place the thaw at early May and the freeze at mid November. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. Lake Jack runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Nothing is listed nearby for parking or launching a boat. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Local rules can differ across the county line, so check where you stand. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. Lake Shrode at 1.2 miles is the sensible second choice. Nothing here settles the position at Lake Jack for certain.