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146-acre lake near Sterling. A clear Kenai NWR lake off Skilak Lake Road with rainbow trout and coho salmon. The lake tops out around 41 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. Here's the year, species by species, as the scoring engine sees it.
The outline encloses 145 acres, worked by 2.9 miles of shoreline — one island included. A middling shoreline index (1.7) gives it some bays to work without being a maze. 23% of the surface is littoral (under ~15 ft) — cover, weeds and forage water. Tip to tip the water measures near 1 mi with a 0.4-mi widest point. It sits in Kenai Peninsula Borough. Its nearest charted neighbour, Egumen Lake, is 2 mi to the west.
When the water first warms, rainbow trout slide up into 5 to 20 ft. By summer they slide out to 8 to 30 ft, and by winter most fish are in 8 to 40 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Break off the point: a drop-off around 20 ft that scores prime in winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Keep a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (6 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (20 ft) | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (20 ft) | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 8 to 40 ft | dawn | Break off the point (20 ft) | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
Spring coho salmon on Kelly Lake hold shallow, usually 3 to 25 ft. They move out to 12 to 41 ft in summer and finish the year down in 12 to 41 ft. Put Deep basin first on the milk run — a deep basin near 33 ft that grades prime for summer. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a dodger + fly or a medium spoon above the thermocline.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (6 ft) | Small orange dodger + peanut fly, Thin spoon (orange/silver) |
| Summer | 12 to 41 ft | dawn & dusk | Deep basin (33 ft) | Dodger + fly, Medium spoon above the thermocline |
| Fall | 8 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (20 ft) | Casting spoon, Spinner (chartreuse) |
| Winter | 12 to 41 ft | midday | Deep basin (33 ft) | Small spoon, slow troll |
Count 6 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Deep basin, sits near 33 ft.
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 Kelly Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Alaska fishing regulations →
Kelly Lake is about 41 ft (12 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, coho salmon on Kelly Lake.
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 33 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.
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 Kelly 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.
Egumen Lake 2 mi · Engineer Lake 3 mi · Watson Lake 3 mi · Hidden Lake 5 mi · Skilak Lake 6 mi · Jean Lake 7 mi · Kenai River (Middle) 9 mi · Swan Lake 12 mi · Lower Russian Lake 14 mi · Silver Lake 17 mi · Paddle Lake 18 mi · Upper Russian Lake 21 mi
See how Kelly Lake stacks up: best rainbow trout lakes in Alaska · best coho salmon lakes in Alaska
More water nearby: Kenai Peninsula Borough fishing maps (23 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.