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Best coho salmon lakes in Alaska

39 Alaska waters hold coho salmon, 26 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 Trout
2. Tustumena Lake — 942 ft max · survey depth data · Rainbow Trout, Coho Salmon, Lake Trout, Arctic Char
3. Skilak Lake — 633 ft max · survey depth data · Rainbow Trout, Coho Salmon, Lake Trout, Arctic Char
4. Upper Ugashik Lake — 492 ft max · Coho Salmon, Arctic Grayling, Arctic Char
5. Nunavaugaluk Lake — 525 ft max · Rainbow Trout, Chinook Salmon, Coho Salmon, Arctic Char
6. Hidden Lake — 148 ft max · survey depth data · Rainbow Trout, Coho Salmon, Lake Trout, Arctic Char
7. Crescent Lake — 100 ft max · Rainbow Trout, Coho Salmon, Lake Trout, Arctic Grayling
8. Chelatna Lake — 410 ft max · Northern Pike, Rainbow Trout, Chinook Salmon, Coho Salmon
9. Kenai River (Middle) — 15 ft max · Rainbow Trout, Chinook Salmon, Coho Salmon
10. Swan Lake — 44 ft max · survey depth data · Rainbow Trout, Coho Salmon, Arctic Char
11. Upper Trail Lake — 146 ft max · Rainbow Trout, Coho Salmon, Lake Trout, Arctic Char
12. Tonsina Lake — 295 ft max · Chinook Salmon, Coho Salmon, Lake Trout, Burbot
13. Shell Lake — 94 ft max · Northern Pike, Rainbow Trout, Coho Salmon, Arctic Grayling
14. Stephan Lake — 91 ft max · Rainbow Trout, Chinook Salmon, Coho Salmon, Lake Trout
15. Pepper Lake — 42 ft max · survey depth data · Rainbow Trout, Coho Salmon, Arctic Char
16. Engineer Lake — 17 ft max · survey depth data · Coho Salmon, Arctic Char
17. Jean Lake — 70 ft max · survey depth data · Rainbow Trout, Coho Salmon
18. Kelly Lake — 41 ft max · survey depth data · Rainbow Trout, Coho Salmon
19. Upper Russian Lake — 260 ft max · Rainbow Trout, Coho Salmon, Arctic Char
20. Clunie Lake — 107 ft max · survey depth data · Rainbow Trout, Chinook Salmon, Coho Salmon, Lake Trout
21. Sand Lake — 39 ft max · survey depth data · Northern Pike, Rainbow Trout, Chinook Salmon, Coho Salmon
22. Silver Lake — 34 ft max · survey depth data · Rainbow Trout, Coho Salmon
23. Egumen Lake — 32 ft max · survey depth data · Rainbow Trout, Coho Salmon
24. Memory Lake — 20 ft max · survey depth data · Rainbow Trout, Chinook Salmon, Coho Salmon, Arctic Char
25. Watson Lake — 14 ft max · survey depth data · Rainbow Trout, Coho Salmon

…plus 14 more Alaska waters holding coho salmon.

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: Michigan · Washington