Reed Lake Fishing Guide, Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area, Alaska

• Overview

  Reed Lake stands in Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area, Alaska. The bank is 423 feet above sea level. This is sizeable water at about 438 acres, and a boat opens up most of it. Around 5.6 miles of bank, which is a long day on foot. Susitna North lies 154 miles from the water. It is 190 miles to Anchorage, the nearest city. No boundary runs near, so the county rules hold throughout.

• Where to Fish on Reed Lake

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Fish documented in Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area include bering cisco, least cisco, lake whitefish and Arctic grayling. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. Reed Lake fishes better once you know its edges.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between -5°F in January and 59°F in July. This is a two-season water: locked, then wide open. The lid usually goes in early May, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. On the long-run averages the water opens up around early May and starts locking again about late October. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. Expect Reed Lake to follow that timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing we hold confirms whether access is permitted. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. No car park, ramp or path is recorded within easy reach of the shore. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Failing this one, try Salmonberry Lake, 2.3 miles away. The position on Reed Lake is worth confirming on the day.