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2,199-acre lake near Cooper Landing. A deep, cold mountain lake above Cooper Landing on the Kenai Peninsula, holding Dolly Varden and rainbow trout. The lake tops out around 476 ft. What you see is a modeled chart: the shoreline is real, the max depth is published, and the contours between are estimated. Plan with it; don't navigate by it. Species by species, here's what the data says the year looks like.
Drawn out, this is 2,373 acres of water rimmed by 17.1 miles of bank, broken up by 4 islands. A development index of 2.5 means a maze of bays and points: far more casting targets than a round bowl of the same size. Roughly 2% of the water is 15 ft or less as modeled, the band where the food chain lives. Tip to tip the water measures near 5.9 mi with a 1.8-mi widest point. You'll find it in Kenai Peninsula Borough. The nearest mapped water is Upper Russian Lake, 6 mi to the southwest.
Come spring, look for arctic char tight to the bank in 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 Creek inflow: an inflow / creek mouth around 8 ft that scores prime 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 | Creek inflow (8 ft) | Small casting spoon (silver/orange), Jerkbait (small) |
| Summer | 20 to 60 ft | dawn | Deep basin (405 ft) | Jigging spoon vertical, Tube jig (smelt) |
| Fall | 8 to 30 ft | midday & dusk | Creek inflow (8 ft) | Casting spoon (orange/gold), Beadhead streamer |
| Winter | 10 to 40 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (405 ft) | Jigging spoon (glow/silver), Tungsten jig + plastic |
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 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 | 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 | Creek inflow (8 ft) | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 8 to 40 ft | dawn | Creek inflow (8 ft) | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
Cooper Lake carries 8 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Deep basin, about 405 ft down.
Access data: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) — community-mapped launches. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
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 Cooper Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Alaska fishing regulations →
Cooper Lake is about 476 ft (145 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 arctic char, rainbow trout on Cooper 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 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.
Fishing on Cooper 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 Russian Lake 6 mi · Kenai Lake 6 mi · Lower Russian Lake 8 mi · Upper Trail Lake 15 mi · Jean Lake 16 mi · Ptarmigan Lake 17 mi · Hidden Lake 18 mi · Skilak Lake 19 mi · Engineer Lake 20 mi · Kelly Lake 22 mi · Egumen Lake 24 mi · Watson Lake 26 mi
See how Cooper Lake stacks up: best rainbow trout lakes in Alaska · best arctic char lakes in Alaska
More water nearby: Kenai Peninsula Borough fishing maps (23 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.