Fishing at Shirley Lake, Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Alaska

• Overview

  Shirley Lake sits in Matanuska-Susitna Borough, out in Alaska. This is mixed forest country. Roughly 119 acres: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. With about 1.9 miles of edge, you can try several depths in one session. Supplies mean a trip to Willow, 79 miles off. Anchorage is the closest city, 98 miles away. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Shirley Lake

  Nothing in our records gives a depth for this one. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Across Matanuska-Susitna Borough, recorded fish include 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. Work Shirley Lake in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 54°F at the top of summer and 7°F at the bottom of winter. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. Count the season from break-up, usually mid May. Open water usually runs from mid May until about mid October. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. That shapes the year on Shirley Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Nothing is listed nearby for parking or launching a boat. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. Failing this one, try Red Lake, 10 miles away. Nothing on Shirley Lake should be assumed from this page alone.