Union Lake, Alaska: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Union Lake is one of the Kenai Peninsula Borough listings for Alaska. It sits in pine and birch country. At about 81 acres, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. Bank access stretches around 1.7 miles in total. The town to know is Ridgeway, 2 miles out. Soldotna is 2.5 miles away, with Kenai at 8 miles. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Union Lake

  Nothing we hold settles how deep this runs. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Survey and observation records for Kenai Peninsula Borough include northern pike, sockeye salmon and rainbow trout. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. Union Lake fishes better once you know its edges.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 57°F, with January the cold end at about 14°F. The middle months are generous; the ends are demanding. The lid arrives early and lasts until roughly late April. Averages place the thaw at late April and the freeze at early November. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Union Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. There is no mapped parking or launch close by, which usually means walking in. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. For a change of water, Sports Lake is 0.9 miles distant. Nothing on Union Lake should be assumed from this page alone.