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Fishing Kelly Lake: what the data says
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. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
Rainbow Trout fishing at Kelly Lake
Start shallow in spring: rainbow trout sit in 5 to 20 ft that time of year. 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. 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 Kelly Lake
Spring coho salmon on Kelly Lake hold shallow, usually 3 to 25 ft. By summer they slide out to 12 to 41 ft, and by winter most fish are in 12 to 41 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 33 ft of water that rates prime for coho salmon in summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in 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 | 12 to 41 ft | dawn & dusk | Dodger + fly, Medium spoon above the thermocline |
| Fall | 8 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Casting spoon, Spinner (chartreuse) |
| Winter | 12 to 41 ft | midday | Small spoon, slow troll |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 33 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 20 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 6 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 6 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 5 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 4 ft
Common questions
How deep is Kelly Lake?
Kelly Lake is about 41 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 Kelly Lake?
Anglers target rainbow trout, coho salmon on Kelly Lake.
Where is the best fishing spot 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.
When is the best time to fish Kelly 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
Egumen Lake · Engineer Lake · Watson Lake · Skilak Lake · Hidden Lake · Jean Lake
See how Kelly 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.