Scaup Lake Fishing near Nikiski, Alaska

• Overview

  The Kenai Peninsula Borough end of Alaska holds Scaup Lake. This is rolling bush country. The water covers some 70 acres, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. The bank runs about 1.4 miles all the way round, so one visit can cover most of it. Nikiski at 19 miles is the nearest place to stop. Beyond it, Sterling at 21 miles and Ridgeway at 23 miles. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Scaup Lake

  No figure exists for depth, so let the water show you. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Kenai Peninsula Borough records list northern pike, sockeye salmon, rainbow trout, Coho salmon and Chinook salmon among the fish reported. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. At Scaup Lake light and wind decide more than tackle does.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give July about 57°F and January about 18°F. The freeze arrives properly here and holds. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from late April. The open-water window runs from around late April to about early November in an average year. Fish feed hardest at the start and the close of the open season. That is the shape of the year on Scaup Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Access is unmapped, which usually means a farm track and a walk. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Curlew Lake at 3.2 miles is the sensible second choice. Check the position on Scaup Lake before loading the car.