Fishing Plumb Bob Lake in Copper River Census Area, Alaska

• Overview

  Plumb Bob Lake is a Copper River Census Area water, in Alaska. Elevation runs to 2,001 feet. It measures about 47 acres, which is a comfortable size for bank fishing. Shoreline comes to about 1.2 miles, small enough to learn in a day. For a base, Valdez sits 68 miles out. It is 144 miles to Anchorage, the nearest city. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Plumb Bob Lake

  No figure exists for depth, so let the water show you. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Open biodiversity records for Copper River Census Area list Arctic grayling, Chinook salmon and round whitefish. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. Anyone new to Plumb Bob Lake should walk it once before setting up.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 56°F at the top of summer and -4°F at the bottom of winter. A short, intense season is the rule this far north. Hard cover is dependable here; it goes around mid May. Ice clears near mid May and comes back about late October in a typical year. The first weeks of open water and the last are the ones to plan for. Plan around that when you fish Plumb Bob Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. There is no mapped parking or launch close by, which usually means walking in. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Parking is often the real limit rather than the bank itself. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. The nearest alternative is Mud Lake, 1.9 miles out. Treat access at Plumb Bob Lake as something to verify.