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Fishing Big Lake: what the data says
2,990-acre lake near Big Lake. the busy road-accessible recreation lake in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough, holding Dolly Varden, burbot, northern pike and stocked rainbow trout. The lake tops out around 89 ft. The contours are modeled from the water's real shoreline and maximum depth. Treat them as a rough guide, and never use them for navigation. Here is how the season plays out for each species, straight from the data behind the map.
Arctic Char fishing at Big Lake
Spring arctic char on Big Lake hold shallow, usually 4 to 15 ft. They move out to 20 to 60 ft in summer and finish the year down in 10 to 40 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Rock reef: a rock pile around 8.068638249719397 ft that scores prime in fall. Best bite is early morning. Summer baits: a jigging spoon vertical or a tube jig (smelt) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Small casting spoon (silver/orange), Jerkbait (small) |
| Summer | 20 to 60 ft | dawn | Jigging spoon vertical, Tube jig (smelt) |
| Fall | 8 to 30 ft | midday & dusk | Casting spoon (orange/gold), Beadhead streamer |
| Winter | 10 to 40 ft | midday & dawn | Jigging spoon (glow/silver), Tungsten jig + plastic |
Burbot fishing at Big Lake
Start shallow in spring: burbot sit in 25 to 70 ft that time of year. They move out to 27 to 89 ft in summer and finish the year down in 15 to 60 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 76 ft of water that rates prime for burbot in summer. Best bite is after dark and midday. A heavy jig + cut bait covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 25 to 70 ft | night & dusk | Glow jigging spoon + cut bait, Rattle bait (dark) |
| Summer | 27 to 89 ft | night & midday | Heavy jig + cut bait |
| Fall | 30 to 80 ft | night & dusk | Glow spoon + minnow head, Blade bait (slow) |
| Winter | 15 to 60 ft | night & dusk | Glow tungsten + cut bait, Rattle spoon + minnow head |
Northern Pike fishing at Big Lake
In spring, northern pike run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. They move out to 8 to 20 ft in summer and finish the year down in 5 to 15 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 6 ft, rated prime for spring northern pike. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Tie on a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Rainbow Trout fishing at Big Lake
Spring rainbow trout on Big Lake hold shallow, usually 5 to 20 ft. They move out to 8 to 30 ft in summer and finish the year down in 8 to 40 ft. Break off the point is the standout, a drop-off at roughly 40 ft, rated prime for winter rainbow trout. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 8 to 40 ft | dawn | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 76 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 40 ft
- Shoreline point: point, around 32.57425971936661 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 22 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 22 ft
- Sharp break: drop-off, around 11.144237322396647 ft
- Rock reef: rock pile, around 8.068638249719397 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 6 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 6 ft
- Shoreline point: point, around 5.674768243691243 ft
- Weed flat: weed flat, around 3.59589048239921 ft
- Weed flat: weed flat, around 2.7440904249826605 ft
- Rock reef: rock pile, around 2.0290959756154083 ft
Common questions
How deep is Big Lake?
Big Lake is about 89 ft 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.
What fish are in Big Lake?
Anglers target northern pike, rainbow trout, burbot, arctic char on Big Lake.
Where is the best fishing spot on Big Lake?
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 76 ft of water that rates prime for burbot in summer. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Big Lake?
For arctic char, 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.
Nearby waters
Zero lake · Prator Lake · Nancy Lake · Green Lake · Spring Lake · Hillberg Lake
See how Big Lake stacks up: best northern pike lakes in Alaska · best rainbow trout lakes in Alaska · best burbot lakes in Alaska · best arctic char lakes in Alaska
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