Lower Doame Lake in Yakutat City and Borough: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Lower Doame Lake lies within the bounds of Yakutat City and Borough, Alaska. It sits in lake country bush. It measures about 66 acres, which is a comfortable size for bank fishing. The edge runs 1.6 miles or so, easy to work in an afternoon. It is a small entry by Yakutat City and Borough standards. Supplies mean a trip to Haines, 96 miles off. Beyond it, Skagway at 103 miles and Juneau at 146 miles. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Lower Doame Lake

  Depth figures are not published for this one. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Open biodiversity records for Yakutat City and Borough list Chinook salmon, Coho salmon and pink salmon. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. On Lower Doame Lake the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 53°F on average, January about 19°F. Hard water is a season in its own right here. Ice-out usually falls in late April, and the weeks after it fish hardest. Climate figures give an open season running late April to mid November. Look to early summer and the first cool weeks of autumn. The season on Lower Doame Lake follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. No built facilities appear in mapping around this water. For salmon, swing spoons or flies through the moving water and mind the local method rules. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Upper Doame Lake at 3 miles is the sensible second choice. Check the position at Lower Doame Lake before loading the car.