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Best coho salmon lakes in Alaska

40 Alaska waters hold coho salmon, 27 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. Aggressive schooling salmon that rides warmer, shallower water than kings — a spring nearshore brawler.

1. Becharof Lake — 594 ft max · Northern Pike, Rainbow Trout, Coho Salmon, Lake TroutWhy #1: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
2. Tustumena Lake — 942 ft max · survey depth data · Rainbow Trout, Coho Salmon, Lake Trout, Arctic CharWhy #2: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
3. Skilak Lake — 633 ft max · survey depth data · Rainbow Trout, Coho Salmon, Lake Trout, Arctic CharWhy #3: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
4. Upper Ugashik Lake — 492 ft max · Coho Salmon, Arctic Grayling, Arctic CharWhy #4: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
5. Nunavaugaluk Lake — 525 ft max · Rainbow Trout, Chinook Salmon, Coho Salmon, Arctic CharWhy #5: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 1 public access site
6. Hidden Lake — 148 ft max · survey depth data · Rainbow Trout, Coho Salmon, Lake Trout, Arctic CharWhy #6: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
7. Crescent Lake — 100 ft max · Rainbow Trout, Coho Salmon, Lake Trout, Arctic GraylingWhy #7: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
8. Chelatna Lake — 410 ft max · Northern Pike, Rainbow Trout, Chinook Salmon, Coho SalmonWhy #8: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
9. Kenai River (Middle) — 15 ft max · Rainbow Trout, Chinook Salmon, Coho SalmonWhy #9: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 4 public access sites
10. Upper Trail Lake — 146 ft max · Rainbow Trout, Coho Salmon, Lake Trout, Arctic CharWhy #10: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 1 public access site
11. Tonsina Lake — 295 ft max · Chinook Salmon, Coho Salmon, Lake Trout, BurbotWhy #11: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
12. Shell Lake — 94 ft max · Northern Pike, Rainbow Trout, Coho Salmon, Arctic GraylingWhy #12: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
13. Silver Bay — 400 ft max · survey depth data · Chinook Salmon, Coho Salmon, Pink Salmon, Chum SalmonWhy #13: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
14. Stephan Lake — 91 ft max · Rainbow Trout, Chinook Salmon, Coho Salmon, Lake TroutWhy #14: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
15. Pepper Lake — 42 ft max · survey depth data · Rainbow Trout, Coho Salmon, Arctic CharWhy #15: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
16. Swan Lake — 44 ft max · survey depth data · Rainbow Trout, Coho Salmon, Arctic CharWhy #16: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
17. Engineer Lake — 17 ft max · survey depth data · Coho Salmon, Arctic CharWhy #17: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
18. Jean Lake — 70 ft max · survey depth data · Rainbow Trout, Coho SalmonWhy #18: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
19. Kelly Lake — 41 ft max · survey depth data · Rainbow Trout, Coho SalmonWhy #19: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
20. Upper Russian Lake — 260 ft max · Rainbow Trout, Coho Salmon, Arctic CharWhy #20: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
21. Clunie Lake — 107 ft max · survey depth data · Rainbow Trout, Chinook Salmon, Coho Salmon, Lake TroutWhy #21: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
22. Watson Lake — 14 ft max · survey depth data · Rainbow Trout, Coho SalmonWhy #22: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
23. Beach Lake — 31 ft max · survey depth data · Rainbow Trout, Chinook Salmon, Coho Salmon, Arctic GraylingWhy #23: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
24. Mirror Lake — 33 ft max · survey depth data · Rainbow Trout, Chinook Salmon, Coho Salmon, Arctic CharWhy #24: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
25. DeLong Lake — 74 ft max · survey depth data · Rainbow Trout, Chinook Salmon, Coho Salmon, Arctic GraylingWhy #25: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site

…plus 15 more Alaska waters holding coho salmon.

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When to fish coho salmon in Alaska

• Spring 3–25 ft — The famous spring coho bite: schools stack in the warmest nearshore water and mud lines, often in the top 15 feet.
• Summer 30–70 ft — Cohos hold at and just above the thermocline — shallower than kings, and they hit moving baits hard.
• Fall 8–40 ft — Staging and running fish concentrate off river mouths; cohos stay aggressive right up to the spawn.
• Winter 20–60 ft — Mostly offshore and scattered.

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

Coho Salmon elsewhere: Ontario · British Columbia · Michigan · Washington · Idaho