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Best arctic char lakes in Alaska

40 Alaska waters hold arctic char, 24 mapped with real state-agency depth surveys. Ranked below by size and depth-data quality — open any water to see exactly where to fish it: depth contours, scored spots with plain-English reasons, seasonal windows and bait picks. Cold-water beauty that thrives where trout sulk — shallow at ice-out, deep all summer, electric through the ice.

1. Iliamna Lake — 988 ft max · Northern Pike, Rainbow Trout, Chinook Salmon, Lake Trout
2. Becharof Lake — 594 ft max · Northern Pike, Rainbow Trout, Coho Salmon, Lake Trout
3. Tustumena Lake — 942 ft max · survey depth data · Rainbow Trout, Coho Salmon, Lake Trout, Arctic Char
4. Kenai Lake — 569 ft max · survey depth data · Rainbow Trout, Lake Trout, Lake Whitefish, Arctic Grayling
5. Skilak Lake — 633 ft max · survey depth data · Rainbow Trout, Coho Salmon, Lake Trout, Arctic Char
6. Upper Ugashik Lake — 492 ft max · Coho Salmon, Arctic Grayling, Arctic Char
7. Lower Ugashik Lake — 394 ft max · Arctic Grayling, Arctic Char
8. Klutina Lake — 295 ft max · Rainbow Trout, Arctic Char
9. Nunavaugaluk Lake — 525 ft max · Rainbow Trout, Chinook Salmon, Coho Salmon, Arctic Char
10. Eklutna Lake — 189 ft max · survey depth data · Rainbow Trout, Kokanee, Arctic Char
11. Hidden Lake — 148 ft max · survey depth data · Rainbow Trout, Coho Salmon, Lake Trout, Arctic Char
12. Crescent Lake — 100 ft max · Rainbow Trout, Coho Salmon, Lake Trout, Arctic Grayling
13. Cooper Lake — 476 ft max · Rainbow Trout, Arctic Char
14. Swan Lake — 44 ft max · survey depth data · Rainbow Trout, Coho Salmon, Arctic Char
15. Upper Trail Lake — 146 ft max · Rainbow Trout, Coho Salmon, Lake Trout, Arctic Char
16. Big Lake — 89 ft max · Northern Pike, Rainbow Trout, Burbot, Arctic Char
17. Tonsina Lake — 295 ft max · Chinook Salmon, Coho Salmon, Lake Trout, Burbot
18. Stephan Lake — 91 ft max · Rainbow Trout, Chinook Salmon, Coho Salmon, Lake Trout
19. Pepper Lake — 42 ft max · survey depth data · Rainbow Trout, Coho Salmon, Arctic Char
20. Ptarmigan Lake — 246 ft max · Rainbow Trout, Arctic Char
21. Engineer Lake — 17 ft max · survey depth data · Coho Salmon, Arctic Char
22. Upper Russian Lake — 260 ft max · Rainbow Trout, Coho Salmon, Arctic Char
23. Clunie Lake — 107 ft max · survey depth data · Rainbow Trout, Chinook Salmon, Coho Salmon, Lake Trout
24. Paddle Lake — 41 ft max · survey depth data · Rainbow Trout, Arctic Char
25. Sand Lake — 39 ft max · survey depth data · Northern Pike, Rainbow Trout, Chinook Salmon, Coho Salmon

…plus 15 more Alaska waters holding arctic char.

When to fish arctic char in Alaska

• Spring 4–15 ft — The weeks after ice-out are the year's best shallow shot — small spoons along the drop.
• Summer 20–60 ft — Char follow the cold down — vertical jig small spoons and tubes over the deepest basins.
• Fall 8–30 ft — Fall brings them back to gravel shoals in spawning color — the prettiest fish of the year.
• Winter 10–40 ft — A premier ice target — char roam under the ice and hit small jigging spoons hard.

Also in Alaska: best northern pike lakes · best rainbow trout lakes · best chinook salmon lakes · best coho salmon lakes · best lake trout lakes · best lake whitefish lakes · best burbot lakes · best arctic grayling lakes