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282,350-acre lake near Egegik. Alaska's second-largest lake, a vast Alaska Peninsula water in the Becharof National Wildlife Refuge holding lake trout, Arctic char, rainbows, grayling, pike and burbot above one of the world's great sockeye runs. The lake tops out around 594 ft. The contours come from a model of the real basin shape and its known max depth. Read them as probabilities, not soundings, and keep them out of navigation decisions. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
Drawn out, this is 288,854 acres of water rimmed by 219.9 miles of bank, with 54 islands in the mix. With a shoreline index of 2.9, this water is all arms and coves — edge habitat well beyond its acreage. 6% of the surface is littoral (under ~15 ft), per the model — cover, weeds and forage water. Tip to tip the water measures near 39.4 mi with a 21.7-mi widest point. The water lies in Lake and Peninsula Borough. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: Upper Ugashik Lake, 16 mi southwest of here.
Spring puts lake trout in skinny water — 10 to 40 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 50 to 120 ft, wintering in 20 to 80 ft. Fall lake trout concentrate at Rock reef, a prime-rated rock pile around 12 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning. A white tube jig (deep) or a magnum spoon on downrigger covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Rock reef (12 ft) | Casting spoon over shoals, Jerkbait (shallow) |
| Summer | 50 to 120 ft | dawn | Sharp break (54 ft) | White tube jig (deep), Magnum spoon on downrigger |
| Fall | 10 to 50 ft | dusk & dawn | Rock reef (12 ft) | Heavy casting spoon, Jigging rap over reefs |
| Winter | 20 to 80 ft | dawn | Offshore hump (17 ft) | White tube jig, Airplane jig |
Early season arctic char use the shallows, holding in 4 to 15 ft. Expect a summer slide to 20 to 60 ft, then a winter hold in 10 to 40 ft. Put Rock reef first on the milk run — a rock pile near 12 ft that grades prime for fall. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. Tie on a jigging spoon vertical or a tube jig (smelt) and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Creek inflow (8 ft) | Small casting spoon (silver/orange), Jerkbait (small) |
| Summer | 20 to 60 ft | dawn | Sharp break (49 ft) | Jigging spoon vertical, Tube jig (smelt) |
| Fall | 8 to 30 ft | midday & dusk | Rock reef (12 ft) | Casting spoon (orange/gold), Beadhead streamer |
| Winter | 10 to 40 ft | midday & dawn | Offshore hump (17 ft) | Jigging spoon (glow/silver), Tungsten jig + plastic |
Spring puts rainbow trout in skinny water — 5 to 20 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 8 to 30 ft; cold water stacks them in 8 to 40 ft. Creek inflow is the standout, an inflow / creek mouth at roughly 8 ft, rated prime for spring rainbow trout. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Creek inflow (8 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Creek inflow (8 ft) | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Rock reef (12 ft) | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 8 to 40 ft | dawn | Creek inflow (8 ft) | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
In spring, arctic grayling run shallow here, mostly 2 to 10 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 3 to 15 ft before dropping to 8 to 25 ft for winter. Spring arctic grayling concentrate at Creek inflow, a prime-rated inflow / creek mouth around 8 ft. Fish it in the evening and early morning and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a dry fly (parachute adams, elk hair caddis) or a small inline spinner most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday & dusk | Creek inflow (8 ft) | 1/16 oz spinner (silver), Small dry fly (Adams, Griffith's) |
| Summer | 3 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | Creek inflow (8 ft) | Dry fly (parachute Adams, elk hair caddis), Small inline spinner |
| Fall | 6 to 20 ft | midday | Rock reef (12 ft) | Small spoon, Beadhead nymph under indicator |
| Winter | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Rock reef (12 ft) | Tungsten jig + waxworm, Small jigging spoon (gold) |
Start shallow in spring: northern pike sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 20 ft, and winter fish settle into 5 to 15 ft. The spot to know is Creek inflow, an inflow / creek mouth in about 8 ft of water that rates prime for northern pike in spring. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. Throw a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Creek inflow (8 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow flat (9 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Shoreline point (9 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Spring puts burbot in skinny water — 25 to 70 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 50 to 120 ft, wintering in 15 to 60 ft. Winter burbot concentrate at Offshore hump, a prime-rated offshore hump around 17 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around after dark and midday. A heavy jig + cut bait covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 25 to 70 ft | night & dusk | Sharp break (49 ft) | Glow jigging spoon + cut bait, Rattle bait (dark) |
| Summer | 50 to 120 ft | night & midday | Sharp break (54 ft) | Heavy jig + cut bait |
| Fall | 30 to 80 ft | night & dusk | Sharp break (49 ft) | Glow spoon + minnow head, Blade bait (slow) |
| Winter | 15 to 60 ft | night & dusk | Offshore hump (17 ft) | Glow tungsten + cut bait, Rattle spoon + minnow head |
Becharof Lake also holds coho salmon (30 to 70 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Structure-wise the chart holds 38 features, led in depth by Deep basin at roughly 505 ft.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Alaska waters are set by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game — and special regulations can apply to Becharof Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Alaska fishing regulations →
Becharof Lake is about 594 ft (181 m) deep at its deepest point. The contours here are modeled from the water's real shape and maximum depth, so treat them as a rough guide.
Anglers target lake trout, arctic char, rainbow trout, arctic grayling, northern pike, burbot, coho salmon on Becharof Lake.
Creek inflow is the top-rated area: an inflow / creek mouth in about 8 ft of water that rates prime for rainbow trout in spring. Every other rated spot, per species and season, is on the map above.
For lake trout, the summer bite is best in early morning. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Fishing on Becharof Lake is regulated by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. Check the official Alaska regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Upper Ugashik Lake 16 mi · Lower Ugashik Lake 30 mi · Iliamna Lake 130 mi · Nunavaugaluk Lake 132 mi · Crescent Lake 214 mi · Kasilof River 249 mi · Tustumena Lake 253 mi · Kenai River (Middle) 273 mi · Silver Lake 276 mi · Skilak Lake 280 mi · Watson Lake 280 mi · Egumen Lake 281 mi
See how Becharof Lake stacks up: best northern pike lakes in Alaska · best rainbow trout lakes in Alaska · best coho salmon lakes in Alaska · best lake trout lakes in Alaska
Browse all Alaska fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. How we build these maps. Fish here with a sonar unit that logs? Send us your depth data and we'll improve this chart, credited to you. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.