Soda Lake Fishing Guide, Copper River Census Area, Alaska

• Overview

  Within Copper River Census Area, Alaska, you have Soda Lake. It sits at 4,485 feet above sea level. This is a pocket water of some 24 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. Shoreline comes to about 1.3 miles, small enough to learn in a day. It is one of the smaller waters we list in Copper River Census Area. The closest town, Tok, is 55 miles distant. Further out sit Deltana (117 miles) and Valdez (148 miles). It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Soda Lake

  No figure exists for depth, so let the water show you. 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. County-wide records name Arctic grayling, Chinook salmon, round whitefish, longnose sucker and Dolly Varden. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. At Soda Lake light and wind decide more than tackle does.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-term averages put July at about 49°F and January near -5°F. Open water is the exception rather than the rule here. Winter fishing happens on the ice here, with open water back around late May. Break-up near late May, freeze-up near early October: that is the shape of an average year. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. Soda Lake runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Mapping is blank for access, so scout the approach before committing the car. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Failing this one, try Karen Lake, 3.3 miles away. Treat access at Soda Lake as something to verify.