Situk Lake, Alaska: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  The Yakutat City and Borough entry here is Situk Lake, in Alaska. The country here is mixed forest. It measures some 1,011 acres, and wind has room to build across it. The edge covers about 5.2 miles, enough to hold several distinct areas. Haines sits 142 miles from the bank. The big place round here is Anchorage, 373 miles distant. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Situk Lake

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Across Yakutat City and Borough, recorded fish include Chinook salmon, Coho salmon, pink salmon and sockeye salmon. At least one recorded species is protected in parts of its range; read the local rules before targeting anything. On Situk Lake the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about 19°F in January to roughly 54°F in July. Fishing here follows the temperature more than the calendar. Ice is part of the season here, ending near late April. The water is typically free of ice between late April and mid November. The middle of summer slows a little, with dawn and dusk carrying it. Situk Lake runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. No made access is recorded, so a short walk in is the likely arrangement. Salmon and sea-run fish answer to spoons and spinners where lure fishing is allowed; check the method rules first. Parking space is the usual limit rather than the bank itself. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. Summit Lake, 16 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. None of that is settled for Situk Lake in what we hold.