Fishing at Submarine Lake, Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area, Alaska

• Overview

  The Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area end of Alaska holds Submarine Lake. Elevation runs to 1,050 feet. The water covers around 322 acres, which puts most of it out of reach from the bank. You are looking at roughly 7.2 miles of shoreline, with plenty of water between access points. Susitna North is the closest place, 126 miles off. For a city, Anchorage is 155 miles off. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Submarine Lake

  Depth remains unrecorded, so treat the first session as a survey. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Survey and observation records for Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area include bering cisco, least cisco, lake whitefish and Arctic grayling. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. Take Submarine Lake a stretch at a time.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from -1°F in January up to 57°F in July. Cold dominates the year and the fishing works around it. Once it clears, about mid May, the fishing comes on quickly. Climate figures give an open season running mid May to mid October. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. It sets the rhythm of the year at Submarine Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Formal access is not mapped, so the last stretch is likely on foot. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. Should this one be busy, John Lake is 0.6 miles off. Check the position on Submarine Lake before loading the car.