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Fishing Cheney Lake: what the data says
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.
Rainbow Trout fishing at Cheney Lake
In spring, rainbow trout run shallow here, mostly 5 to 20 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 8 to 40 ft. 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) |
Arctic Char fishing at Cheney Lake
In spring, arctic char run shallow here, mostly 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. 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 | 17 to 57 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 |
Chinook Salmon fishing at Cheney Lake
In spring, chinook salmon run shallow here, mostly 5 to 40 ft. By summer they slide out to 17 to 57 ft, and by winter most fish are in 17 to 57 ft. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a flasher + fly (green/white) or a magnum spoon on downrigger gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Trolled spoon (orange/gold), Stickbait off planer boards |
| Summer | 17 to 57 ft | dawn & dusk | Flasher + fly (green/white), Magnum spoon on downrigger |
| Fall | 10 to 50 ft | dawn & dusk | J-plug (glow), Flasher + fly |
| Winter | 17 to 57 ft | midday | Small spoon on a slow troll, Stickbait deep |
Coho Salmon fishing at Cheney Lake
Start shallow in spring: coho salmon sit in 3 to 25 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 17 to 57 ft, and winter fish settle into 17 to 57 ft. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a dodger + fly or a medium spoon above the thermocline and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Small orange dodger + peanut fly, Thin spoon (orange/silver) |
| Summer | 17 to 57 ft | dawn & dusk | Dodger + fly, Medium spoon above the thermocline |
| Fall | 8 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Casting spoon, Spinner (chartreuse) |
| Winter | 17 to 57 ft | midday | Small spoon, slow troll |
Notable structure
- Shallow feeding flat: feeding flat, around 19 ft
- Shallow feeding flat: feeding flat, around 13 ft
Common questions
How deep is Cheney Lake?
Cheney Lake is about 57 ft at its deepest point. The depth chart here comes from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the contours reflect measured depths.
What fish are in Cheney Lake?
Anglers target rainbow trout, chinook salmon, coho salmon, arctic char on Cheney Lake.
Where is the best fishing spot 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.
When is the best time to fish Cheney Lake?
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.
Nearby waters
University Lake · Upper Six Mile Lake · Lake Otis · Fish Lake · Triangle Lake · Otter Lake
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
Browse all Alaska fishing maps or every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.