Fishing Y Lake in Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Alaska

• Overview

  Y Lake lies in Matanuska-Susitna Borough, in Alaska. It lies 407 feet above sea level. At about 41 acres, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. About 1.9 miles of bank, so nothing stays unexplored for long. The nearest place of any size is Susitna North, 12 miles away. The big place round here is Anchorage, 75 miles distant. Rules here are straightforward: one county, one set of rules.

• Where to Fish on Y Lake

  Depth is not on record here, which means reading the ground instead. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. County-wide records name rainbow trout, Coho salmon, sockeye salmon, longnose sucker and Arctic charr. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. Y Lake responds to conditions more than to tactics.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warm month here averages 58°F; the cold one sits at 12°F. Four clear seasons, with a proper winter at one end. Ice is part of the season here, ending near early May. Ice clears near early May and comes back about late October in a typical year. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. The season on Y Lake follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. A campsite is mapped about half a mile away, which makes an early start easier. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. The nearest alternative is X Lake, 0.6 miles out. For Y Lake in particular, ask before you travel.