Pippin Lake Fishing Guide, Copper River Census Area, Alaska

• Overview

  Pippin Lake lies in Copper River Census Area, Alaska. The land about it is northern bush. It measures about 165 acres, which is a comfortable size for bank fishing. The full circuit measures close to 2.5 miles on foot. The town to know is Valdez, 56 miles out. For a city, Anchorage is 160 miles off. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Pippin Lake

  No figure exists for depth, so let the water show you. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Records held for Copper River Census Area cover Arctic grayling, Chinook salmon and round whitefish. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. On Pippin Lake the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from -3°F in January up to 55°F in July. The year here is short and sharp: a long lid, then a burst of open water. The lid usually goes in mid May, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. Climate figures give an open season running mid May to late October. The middle of summer slows a little, with dawn and dusk carrying it. That shapes the year on Pippin Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. The closest car park is half a mile away, so pack accordingly. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. For a change of water, Willow Lake is 5 miles distant. Treat Pippin Lake as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.