Ruth Lake, Alaska: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Ruth Lake is one of the Kodiak Island Borough waters in Alaska. The surface lies 23 feet up. About 855 acres, so local knowledge or a boat saves a lot of walking. At about 9.2 miles of edge, most people work one arm at a time. Ground here is low by Alaska standards. Kodiak Station sits 131 miles from the bank. Further out sit Dillingham (132 miles) and Kodiak (138 miles). It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Ruth Lake

  Depth figures are not published for this one. Being tidal, the water moves twice a day, and the fishing moves with it. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Records held for Kodiak Island Borough cover walleye pollock, Pacific cod and Chinook salmon. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. Ruth Lake responds to conditions more than to tactics.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 51°F in August and bottoms out near 21°F in January. Expect a real winter and a strong spring after it. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from mid May. Climate averages put the opening at about mid May and the closing near mid November. Fishing peaks soon after break-up and again before the cold returns. At Ruth Lake the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Nothing is listed nearby for parking or launching a boat. For walleye, a jig and minnow near the bottom is the standard; evenings beat middays. Bank access can be seasonal on ground like this. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. The nearest alternative is Upper Ugashik Lake, 22 miles out. Ask locally about Ruth Lake if anything is unclear.