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24-acre stocked lake in the Anchorage area. ADF&G sonar-surveyed water with stocked rainbow trout and 3 more species. The lake tops out around 57 ft. The depth chart is built from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the humps, channels and drop-offs you see are measured, not guessed. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
On the chart, Cheney Lake draws 24 acres inside 1.2 miles of shoreline, with a single island in the mix. Index 1.8 on the shoreline: a few honest points and pockets, nothing labyrinthine. Littoral water — the productive band under ~15 ft — makes up 25% of this chart. End to end it runs roughly 0.4 mi. You'll find it in Anchorage Borough. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: University Lake, 2 mi southwest of here.
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 Shallow feeding flat, a feeding flat in about 19 ft of water that rates good 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 | Shallow feeding flat (19 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow feeding flat (19 ft) | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 8 to 40 ft | dawn | open water | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
Come spring, look for arctic char tight to the bank in 4 to 15 ft. They move out to 17 to 57 ft in summer and finish the year down in 10 to 40 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow feeding flat: a feeding flat around 13 ft that scores good in spring. Best bite is early morning. A jigging spoon vertical or a tube jig (smelt) is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow feeding flat (13 ft) | Small casting spoon (silver/orange), Jerkbait (small) |
| Summer | 17 to 57 ft | dawn | open water | Jigging spoon vertical, Tube jig (smelt) |
| Fall | 8 to 30 ft | midday & dusk | open water | Casting spoon (orange/gold), Beadhead streamer |
| Winter | 10 to 40 ft | midday & dawn | open water | Jigging spoon (glow/silver), Tungsten jig + plastic |
Start shallow in spring: chinook salmon sit in 5 to 40 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 17 to 57 ft; cold water stacks them in 17 to 57 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. Throw a flasher + fly (green/white) or a magnum spoon on downrigger until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Trolled spoon (orange/gold), Stickbait off planer boards |
| Summer | 17 to 57 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Flasher + fly (green/white), Magnum spoon on downrigger |
| Fall | 10 to 50 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | J-plug (glow), Flasher + fly |
| Winter | 17 to 57 ft | midday | open water | Small spoon on a slow troll, Stickbait deep |
Spring puts coho salmon in skinny water — 3 to 25 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 17 to 57 ft; cold water stacks them in 17 to 57 ft. 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 | open water | Small orange dodger + peanut fly, Thin spoon (orange/silver) |
| Summer | 17 to 57 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Dodger + fly, Medium spoon above the thermocline |
| Fall | 8 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Casting spoon, Spinner (chartreuse) |
| Winter | 17 to 57 ft | midday | open water | Small spoon, slow troll |
The chart marks 2 structure features on Cheney Lake; the deepest is Shallow feeding flat at about 19 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 Cheney Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Alaska fishing regulations →
Cheney Lake is about 57 ft (17 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart here comes from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the contours reflect measured depths.
Anglers target rainbow trout, arctic char, chinook salmon, coho salmon on Cheney Lake.
Shallow feeding flat is the top-rated area: a feeding flat in about 13 ft of water that rates good for arctic char in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
For rainbow trout, the summer bite is best in early morning and the evening. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Fishing on Cheney 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.
University Lake 2 mi · Lake Otis 3 mi · Waldron Lake 3 mi · Triangle Lake 5 mi · Fish Lake 5 mi · Taku Lake 5 mi · Hillberg Lake 5 mi · Upper Six Mile Lake 6 mi · Green Lake 6 mi · Spring Lake 6 mi · Otter Lake 6 mi · DeLong Lake 7 mi
See how Cheney Lake stacks up: best rainbow trout lakes in Alaska · best chinook salmon lakes in Alaska · best coho salmon lakes in Alaska · best arctic char lakes in Alaska
More water nearby: Anchorage Borough fishing maps (29 charts). Browse all Alaska fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. 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.