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3,904-acre lake near Talkeetna. A deep fly-in lake at the head of Lake Creek in the Yentna drainage, holding lake trout, rainbows, grayling, pike and salmon. The lake tops out around 410 ft. These contours are modeled — built from the real shoreline and the water's maximum depth — so read them as a guide, never as navigation. The rest of this page walks each species through its year, using the map's own scoring.
On the chart, Chelatna Lake draws 3,879 acres inside 18 miles of shoreline. Index 2.1 on the shoreline: a few honest points and pockets, nothing labyrinthine. About 0% of the surface sits shallower than 15 ft on the modeled chart — that's the weed-and-bait zone. The basin spans about 7.9 mi end to end and 1.4 mi across at its widest. You'll find it in Matanuska-Susitna Borough. For a second option, Hewitt Lake lies 33 mi south.
The spring pattern is a shallow one: lake trout in 10 to 40 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 50 to 120 ft before dropping to 20 to 80 ft for winter. The spot to know is Offshore hump, an offshore hump in about 59 ft of water that rates prime for lake trout in summer. Plan around early morning in the warm months. Summer baits: a white tube jig (deep) or a magnum spoon on downrigger gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Shoreline point (38 ft) | Casting spoon over shoals, Jerkbait (shallow) |
| Summer | 50 to 120 ft | dawn | Offshore hump (59 ft) | White tube jig (deep), Magnum spoon on downrigger |
| Fall | 10 to 50 ft | dusk & dawn | Shoreline point (38 ft) | Heavy casting spoon, Jigging rap over reefs |
| Winter | 20 to 80 ft | dawn | Offshore hump (59 ft) | White tube jig, Airplane jig |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: burbot in 25 to 70 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 50 to 120 ft before dropping to 15 to 60 ft for winter. The spot to know is Offshore hump, an offshore hump in about 59 ft of water that rates prime for burbot in winter. Plan around after dark and midday in the warm months. Summer baits: a heavy jig + cut bait gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 25 to 70 ft | night & dusk | Offshore hump (59 ft) | Glow jigging spoon + cut bait, Rattle bait (dark) |
| Summer | 50 to 120 ft | night & midday | Offshore hump (59 ft) | Heavy jig + cut bait |
| Fall | 30 to 80 ft | night & dusk | Offshore hump (59 ft) | Glow spoon + minnow head, Blade bait (slow) |
| Winter | 15 to 60 ft | night & dusk | Offshore hump (59 ft) | Glow tungsten + cut bait, Rattle spoon + minnow head |
Start shallow in spring: rainbow trout sit in 5 to 20 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 8 to 40 ft. The spot to know is Coffee Creek inflow, an inflow / creek mouth in about 8 ft of water that rates prime for rainbow trout in spring. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. Throw a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Coffee Creek inflow (8 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Coffee Creek inflow (8 ft) | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Shoreline point (38 ft) | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 8 to 40 ft | dawn | Sharp break (38 ft) | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: arctic grayling in 2 to 10 ft. As the season builds they drop to 3 to 15 ft, wintering in 8 to 25 ft. Top water on the chart: Coffee Creek inflow, an inflow / creek mouth in the 8 ft range, prime in spring. Time it for the evening and early morning. Summer baits: a dry fly (parachute adams, elk hair caddis) or a small inline spinner gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday & dusk | Coffee Creek inflow (8 ft) | 1/16 oz spinner (silver), Small dry fly (Adams, Griffith's) |
| Summer | 3 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | Coffee Creek inflow (8 ft) | Dry fly (parachute Adams, elk hair caddis), Small inline spinner |
| Fall | 6 to 20 ft | midday | Coffee Creek inflow (8 ft) | Small spoon, Beadhead nymph under indicator |
| Winter | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Tungsten jig + waxworm, Small jigging spoon (gold) |
In spring, northern pike run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 8 to 20 ft before dropping to 5 to 15 ft for winter. Spring northern pike concentrate at Coffee Creek inflow, a prime-rated inflow / creek mouth around 8 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Coffee Creek inflow (8 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 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 coho salmon in skinny water — 3 to 25 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 30 to 70 ft; cold water stacks them in 20 to 60 ft. Coffee Creek inflow is the standout, an inflow / creek mouth at roughly 8 ft, rated prime for spring coho salmon. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A dodger + fly or a medium spoon above the thermocline covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Coffee Creek inflow (8 ft) | Small orange dodger + peanut fly, Thin spoon (orange/silver) |
| Summer | 30 to 70 ft | dawn & dusk | Sharp break (38 ft) | Dodger + fly, Medium spoon above the thermocline |
| Fall | 8 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Coffee Creek inflow (8 ft) | Casting spoon, Spinner (chartreuse) |
| Winter | 20 to 60 ft | midday | Sharp break (38 ft) | Small spoon, slow troll |
Chelatna Lake also holds chinook salmon (50 to 120 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Chelatna Lake carries 11 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Deep basin, about 349 ft down.
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 Chelatna Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Alaska fishing regulations →
Chelatna Lake is about 410 ft (125 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, burbot, rainbow trout, arctic grayling, northern pike, coho salmon, chinook salmon on Chelatna Lake.
Offshore hump is the top-rated area: an offshore hump in about 59 ft of water that rates prime for burbot in winter. The interactive chart above rates every spot for each species and season.
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 Chelatna 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.
Hewitt Lake 33 mi · Shell Lake 36 mi · Byers Lake 46 mi · Nancy Lake 72 mi · Red Shirt Lake 72 mi · Zero lake 78 mi · Prator Lake 81 mi · Big Lake 83 mi · Stephan Lake 83 mi · Memory Lake 88 mi · Kings Lake 90 mi · Anderson Lake 91 mi
See how Chelatna Lake stacks up: best northern pike lakes in Alaska · best rainbow trout lakes in Alaska · best chinook salmon lakes in Alaska · best coho salmon lakes in Alaska
More water nearby: Matanuska-Susitna Borough fishing maps (15 charts). 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.