Fishing at Susitna Lake, Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Alaska

• Overview

  Alaska holds Susitna Lake, in Matanuska-Susitna Borough. The setting is northern bush. This is big water, about 14.1 sq miles, and in a wind it behaves like a small sea. Size puts it in the front rank of our Matanuska-Susitna Borough list. For a base, Sutton-Alpine sits 86 miles out. The big place round here is Anchorage, 132 miles distant. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Susitna Lake

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Survey and observation records for Matanuska-Susitna Borough include rainbow trout, Coho salmon and sockeye salmon. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. At Susitna Lake light and wind decide more than tackle does.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between -4°F in January and 55°F in July. A short, intense season is the rule this far north. Winter locks it down, and mid May brings it back. The season between ice runs from about mid May to late October. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. Plan any trip to Susitna Lake around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public data does not answer the access question here. Nothing in the way of made access shows up nearby: no ramp, no car park, no path. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. Little Lake Louise sits 4.2 miles off and takes the overflow. Confirm access to Susitna Lake locally before you travel.