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Best rainbow trout lakes in Alaska

70 Alaska waters list rainbow trout (official records or labelled estimates), 51 mapped with survey or official-chart depth data. Ranked below by size and depth-data quality, leading with the waters in our reviewed search catalog — open any water to see exactly where to fish it: depth contours, scored spots with plain-English reasons, seasonal windows and bait picks. The classic stocked cold-water trout. Depth is everything: rainbows follow the temperature layer they like.

1. Iliamna Lake — 988 ft max · Northern Pike, Rainbow Trout, Chinook Salmon, Lake TroutWhy #1: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 2 public access sites
2. Tustumena Lake — 942 ft max · real survey depth contours · 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. Kenai Lake — 569 ft max · real survey depth contours · Rainbow Trout, Lake Trout, Lake Whitefish, Arctic GraylingWhy #3: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 3 public access sites
4. Skilak Lake — 633 ft max · real survey depth contours · Rainbow Trout, Coho Salmon, Lake Trout, Arctic CharWhy #4: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
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. Eklutna Lake — 189 ft max · real survey depth contours · Rainbow Trout, Kokanee, Arctic CharWhy #6: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
7. Hidden Lake — 148 ft max · real survey depth contours · Rainbow Trout, Coho Salmon, Lake Trout, Arctic CharWhy #7: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
8. Cooper Lake — 476 ft max · Rainbow Trout, Arctic CharWhy #8: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 1 public access site
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. Big Lake — 89 ft max · Northern Pike, Rainbow Trout, Burbot, Arctic CharWhy #11: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 3 public access sites
12. Pepper Lake — 42 ft max · real survey depth contours · Rainbow Trout, Coho Salmon, Arctic CharWhy #12: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
13. Swan Lake — 44 ft max · real survey depth contours · Rainbow Trout, Coho Salmon, Arctic Char, Sockeye SalmonWhy #13: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
14. Bird Lake — 27 ft max · real survey depth contours · Rainbow TroutWhy #14: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
15. Nancy Lake — 65 ft max · Northern Pike, Rainbow TroutWhy #15: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 1 public access site
16. Jean Lake — 70 ft max · real survey depth contours · Rainbow Trout, Coho Salmon, Sockeye SalmonWhy #16: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
17. Kelly Lake — 41 ft max · real survey depth contours · Rainbow Trout, Coho SalmonWhy #17: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
18. Clunie Lake — 107 ft max · real survey depth contours · Rainbow Trout, Chinook Salmon, Coho Salmon, Lake TroutWhy #18: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
19. Paddle Lake — 41 ft max · real survey depth contours · Rainbow Trout, Arctic CharWhy #19: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
20. Lower Fire Lake — 71 ft max · real survey depth contours · Northern Pike, Rainbow Trout, Arctic GraylingWhy #20: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
21. Zero lake — 31 ft max · real survey depth contours · Rainbow TroutWhy #21: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
22. Watson Lake — 14 ft max · real survey depth contours · Rainbow Trout, Coho Salmon, Sockeye SalmonWhy #22: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
23. Upper Six Mile Lake — 34 ft max · real survey depth contours · Rainbow TroutWhy #23: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
24. Beach Lake — 31 ft max · real survey depth contours · Rainbow Trout, Chinook Salmon, Coho Salmon, Arctic GraylingWhy #24: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
25. Mirror Lake — 33 ft max · real survey depth contours · Rainbow Trout, Chinook Salmon, Coho Salmon, Arctic CharWhy #25: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site

…plus 45 more Alaska waters holding rainbow trout.

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When to fish rainbow trout in Alaska

• Spring 5–20 ft — Post-ice-out trout roam shallow; fish inflows and windblown shorelines.
• Summer 8–30 ft — Rainbows hold near cold inflows, current seams and the thermocline — find the cool water and you've found the fish.
• Fall 10–35 ft — Fall feeding on rock shoals, current and channel edges as water cools.
• Winter 8–40 ft — Trout are comfortable in cold water — one of the best winter targets; streams and tailwaters fish shallow, deep lakes hold on basin edges.

Also in Alaska: best northern pike lakes · best chinook salmon lakes · best coho salmon lakes · best lake trout lakes · best lake whitefish lakes · best burbot lakes · best arctic grayling lakes · best arctic char lakes · best pink salmon lakes · best chum salmon lakes · best pacific halibut lakes · best lingcod lakes · best black rockfish lakes

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