Fishing Old Cache Lake in Denali Borough, Alaska

• Overview

  Old Cache Lake is one of the Denali Borough waters in Alaska. This is taiga ground. At some 678 acres it is far too large to cover on foot in a day. Around 4.2 miles of bank, which is a long day on foot. On our Denali Borough list it sits near the top for size. Healy sits 105 miles from the bank. It is 181 miles to Anchorage, the nearest city. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Old Cache Lake

  Our records hold no depth for this water. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Public occurrence data for Denali Borough names Chinook salmon, Chum salmon, Arctic grayling, pink salmon and sockeye salmon. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. On Old Cache Lake the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July is the warm end of the year here, averaging about 61°F, while January sits near -7°F. Open water arrives late and leaves early, which concentrates the fishing. After mid May the shallows warm and the fish move up. Climate figures give an open season running mid May to mid October. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. Time your trip to Old Cache Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. 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. Read any posted signs at the access point rather than assuming. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. If the gate is shut, Spectacle Lake at 1.8 miles is the nearest alternative. Treat access at Old Cache Lake as something to verify.