Puddin Lake Fishing Guide, North Slope Borough, Alaska

• Overview

  Puddin Lake is one of the North Slope Borough listings for Alaska. What surrounds it is sage and rock. Surface area is around 227 acres, which gives you real water without needing a boat. The bank runs about 2.2 miles all the way round, so one visit can cover most of it. The closest town, Prudhoe Bay, is 139 miles distant. For a city, Anchorage is 568 miles off. Also on the doorstep: Watermelon Lake out at 25 miles. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Puddin Lake

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Public occurrence data for North Slope Borough names bering cisco and Arctic cisco. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. At Puddin Lake light and wind decide more than tackle does.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 52°F, with February the cold end at about -17°F. The ice season is long here and the open one short. Hard cover is dependable here; it goes around mid June. Climate figures give an open season running mid June to early October. Early summer and early autumn carry the open-water season. Puddin Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  No public source sets out the position on this bank. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Nothing is mapped in the way of a ramp or car park within a short radius. Keep the gear simple: light line, small hooks, split shot and a couple of proven lures. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. For a change of water, Watermelon Lake is 25 miles distant. Confirm access to Puddin Lake locally before you travel.