Fishing San Juan Lake in Chugach Census Area, Alaska

• Overview

  Set in Chugach Census Area, San Juan Lake is an Alaska water. The setting is rolling hill on every side. It covers about 23 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. The town to know is Bear Creek, 46 miles out. After that come Seward at 47 miles and Girdwood at 72 miles. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on San Juan Lake

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. Draw-down through summer strips the margins, so follow the water out. Levels move with the draw rather than the rain on water like this. Species logged across Chugach Census Area include Chum salmon, pink salmon, Pacific cod and walleye pollock. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. Read San Juan Lake for ten minutes before the first cast goes out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  August runs about 54°F on average, January about 30°F. Mild ends to the year keep the season long. It is not guaranteed from one year to the next. Autumn steadies things again once the heat lets go. San Juan Lake fishes to that pattern most years. Falling water concentrates fish into the deeper parts.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. There is a jetty half a mile off, worth knowing on a busy day. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Parking is often the real limit rather than the bank itself. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. Lake Hayden sits 6.1 miles off and takes the overflow. Rules at San Juan Lake are worth checking on the day.