Fishing at Mull Lake, Kenai Peninsula Borough, Alaska

• Overview

  The Kenai Peninsula Borough end of Alaska holds Mull Lake. Salt water lies 4 miles off. About 386 acres, so local knowledge or a boat saves a lot of walking. At about 4.8 miles of edge, most people work one arm at a time. On our Kenai Peninsula Borough list it sits near the top for size. Anchorage sits 26 miles from the bank. Further out sit Sterling (30 miles) and Funny River (32 miles). The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Mull Lake

  We hold no depth figure for this one. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Fish documented in Kenai Peninsula Borough include northern pike, sockeye salmon and rainbow trout. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. Mull Lake gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about 17°F and July at about 57°F, the water has a wide range to work through. The year runs cold to warm and back, with clear transitions. Once it clears, about late April, the fishing comes on quickly. Climate figures give an open season running late April to early November. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. It holds true on Mull Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  Our records carry no access rule either way. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Mapping is blank for access, so scout the approach before committing 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. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. Failing this one, try Warbler Lake, 1.9 miles away. Treat Mull Lake as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.