Fishing at Salamatof Lake, Kenai Peninsula Borough, Alaska

• Overview

  Salamatof Lake is a Kenai Peninsula Borough water, in Alaska. It sits 2.1 miles in from the sea. Surface area is around 218 acres, which gives you real water without needing a boat. The perimeter runs near 3.8 miles, so plan the walk before you start. On our Kenai Peninsula Borough list it sits near the top for size. Nikiski is the closest town at 2.8 miles. Then Kenai, 6.8 miles, and Ridgeway, 11 miles. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Salamatof Lake

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Records held for Kenai Peninsula Borough cover northern pike, sockeye salmon and rainbow trout. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. Take Salamatof Lake a stretch at a time.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about 15°F and July at about 56°F, the water has a wide range to work through. The freeze arrives properly here and holds. The lid usually goes in late April, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. On the long-run averages the water opens up around late April and starts locking again about early November. The strongest runs come at either end of the open season. At Salamatof Lake the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. 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. Look for a notice board at the entrance. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. Should this one be busy, Cabin Lake is 1.9 miles off. None of that is settled for Salamatof Lake in what we hold.