Fishing at Pad Lake, Kenai Peninsula Borough, Alaska

• Overview

  Pad Lake sits in Kenai Peninsula Borough, out in Alaska. Salt water lies 15 miles off. About 7 acres of surface, which puts the far bank inside easy sight. It is one of the smaller waters we list in Kenai Peninsula Borough. The closest town, Sterling, is 18 miles away. Anchorage sits 37 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Pad Lake

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Species logged across 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. Work Pad Lake in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 57°F at the top of summer and 17°F at the bottom of winter. The freeze arrives properly here and holds. Winter locks it down, and late April brings it back. Expect the water usable from around late April until roughly early November. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Pad Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. Expect a half a mile walk in from where the car goes. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. For a change of water, Odd Lake is 0.1 miles distant. None of that is settled for Pad Lake in what we hold.