Fishing Three Lakes in Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area, Alaska

• Overview

  Within Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area, Alaska, you have Three Lakes. This is open dry country ground. At 693 acres this is proper open water rather than a pond. You are looking at roughly 5.2 miles of shoreline, with plenty of water between access points. It ranks high for size among our Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area listings. Supplies mean a trip to Farmers Loop, 104 miles off. Badger is 108 miles away, with Fairbanks at 108 miles. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Three Lakes

  Open data we checked carries no depth for this water. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Survey and observation records for Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area include bering cisco, least cisco, lake whitefish and Arctic grayling. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. Three Lakes gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The range across the year is -18°F to 61°F. Open water is the exception rather than the rule here. Hard cover is dependable here; it goes around mid May. The water is typically free of ice between mid May and mid October. Spring is short and heavy here; autumn is longer and steadier. That is the shape of the year on Three Lakes.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. There is no mapped parking or launch nearby, which keeps numbers down. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. For a change of water, Twin Island Lake is 1.7 miles distant. Treat Three Lakes as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.