Fishing at Whitham Lake, Copper River Census Area, Alaska

• Overview

  The Copper River Census Area entry here is Whitham Lake, in Alaska. The land about it is boreal forest. With some 75 acres of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. The edge runs 2.0 miles or so, easy to work in an afternoon. It sits higher than most water we list in Alaska. For supplies, Tok is 69 miles out. Deltana lies 127 miles off, Valdez another 139 miles. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Whitham Lake

  Our records hold no depth for this water. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Public occurrence data for Copper River Census Area names Arctic grayling, Chinook salmon and round whitefish. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. At Whitham Lake the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about -7°F and July at about 54°F, the water has a wide range to work through. Winter owns most of the year at this latitude. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near mid May. Ice clears near mid May and comes back about mid October in a typical year. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. It holds true on Whitham Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Nothing formal is recorded here: no ramp, no car park, no marked path. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. Virginia Lake, 2.1 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Treat access at Whitham Lake as something to verify.