Rhein Lake in Matanuska-Susitna Borough: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Rhein Lake lies in Matanuska-Susitna Borough, in Alaska. What surrounds it is lake country bush. Surface area is around 87 acres, which gives you real water without needing a boat. There is roughly 2.2 miles of shoreline here, which is a short walk end to end. Willow at 5.1 miles is the nearest place to stop. Anchorage sits 32 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Rhein Lake

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. County-wide records name rainbow trout, Coho salmon and sockeye salmon. At least one recorded species is protected in parts of its range; read the local rules before targeting anything. Fish Rhein Lake where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 59°F in July and bottoms out near 7°F in January. A full turn of seasons, with the strongest sport on either side of summer. After late April the shallows warm and the fish move up. The season between ice runs from about late April to early November. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. That shapes the year on Rhein Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Parking sits half a mile out, which makes for a walk with tackle. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Read any posted signs at the access point rather than assuming. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. If the gate is shut, Jano Pond at 0.7 miles is the nearest alternative. For Rhein Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.