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Fishing Jean Lake: what the data says
113-acre lake near Sterling. a roadside Kenai NWR lake along the Sterling Highway stocked with rainbow trout, also holding coho salmon. The lake tops out around 70 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. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.
Rainbow Trout fishing at Jean Lake
Start shallow in spring: rainbow trout sit in 5 to 20 ft that time of year. They move out to 8 to 30 ft in summer and finish the year down in 8 to 40 ft. Main-lake point is the standout, a point at roughly 12 ft, rated prime for spring rainbow trout. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon covers the summer program.
| 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) |
Coho Salmon fishing at Jean Lake
In spring, coho salmon run shallow here, mostly 3 to 25 ft. They move out to 30 to 70 ft in summer and finish the year down in 20 to 60 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 59 ft that scores prime in summer. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a dodger + fly or a medium spoon above the thermocline gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Small orange dodger + peanut fly, Thin spoon (orange/silver) |
| Summer | 30 to 70 ft | dawn & dusk | Dodger + fly, Medium spoon above the thermocline |
| Fall | 8 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Casting spoon, Spinner (chartreuse) |
| Winter | 20 to 60 ft | midday | Small spoon, slow troll |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 59 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 44 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 12 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 11 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 8 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 7 ft
Common questions
How deep is Jean Lake?
Jean Lake is about 70 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 Jean Lake?
Anglers target rainbow trout, coho salmon on Jean Lake.
Where is the best fishing spot on Jean Lake?
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 59 ft of water that rates prime for coho salmon in summer. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Jean 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
Hidden Lake · Engineer Lake · Skilak Lake · Lower Russian Lake · Kelly Lake · Egumen Lake
See how Jean Lake stacks up: best rainbow trout lakes in Alaska · best coho salmon 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.