Fishing at Reindeer Lake, Lake and Peninsula Borough, Alaska

• Overview

  Within Lake and Peninsula Borough, Alaska, you have Reindeer Lake. It sits in mixed forest country. Surface area runs to roughly 598 acres, so plan for one area rather than the whole. The edge covers about 4.4 miles, enough to hold several distinct areas. For supplies, Dillingham is 98 miles out. The big place round here is Anchorage, 244 miles distant. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Reindeer Lake

  Depth is not on record here, so the bank has to tell you. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Fish documented in Lake and Peninsula Borough include sockeye salmon, Chinook salmon, Arctic grayling, rainbow trout and pink salmon. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. Read Reindeer Lake for ten minutes before the first cast goes out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about 17°F and July at about 55°F, the water has a wide range to work through. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. The lid usually sets by midwinter and gives way around early May. In an average year the thaw lands around early May and the freeze near early November. The strongest runs come at either end of the open season. Plan around that when you fish Reindeer Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Formal access is not mapped, so the last stretch is likely on foot. 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 water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. The nearest alternative is Kukaklek Lake, 13 miles out. What applies at Reindeer Lake may have changed since it was mapped.