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Rating depth structure for rainbow trout.
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173-acre lake near Cooper Landing. A small Kenai Peninsula lake on the world-famous Russian River, holding resident rainbow trout and Dolly Varden alongside the river's legendary sockeye and coho runs. The lake tops out around 26 ft. Contours on this water are modeled from its actual shoreline and max depth. Good for finding likely water, never for navigation. The rest of this page walks each species through its year, using the map's own scoring.
Lower Russian Lake maps at 226 acres behind 4.5 miles of shoreline. A middling shoreline index (2.1) gives it some bays to work without being a maze. Littoral water — the productive band under ~15 ft — makes up 74% of this chart, as modeled. Tip to tip the water measures near 1.8 mi with a 0.5-mi widest point. It sits in Kenai Peninsula Borough. Jean Lake sits 8 mi northwest — the closest neighbouring chart.
When the water first warms, rainbow trout slide up into 5 to 20 ft. By summer they slide out to 7 to 26 ft, and by winter most fish are in 5 to 26 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Creek inflow: an inflow / creek mouth around 4 ft that scores prime in spring. 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.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Creek inflow (4 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 7 to 26 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Old creek channel (13 ft) | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 7 to 26 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 5 to 26 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 40 ft | dawn | Break off the point (12 ft) | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
In spring, arctic char run shallow here, mostly 4 to 15 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 26 ft, and winter fish settle into 7 to 26 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 22 ft, rated prime for summer arctic char. Time it for early morning. You won't need more than a jigging spoon vertical or a tube jig (smelt) most summer days.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Creek inflow (4 ft) | Small casting spoon (silver/orange), Jerkbait (small) |
| Summer | 8 to 26 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 60 ft | dawn | Deep basin (22 ft) | Jigging spoon vertical, Tube jig (smelt) |
| Fall | 7 to 26 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 30 ft | midday & dusk | Break off the point (12 ft) | Casting spoon (orange/gold), Beadhead streamer |
| Winter | 7 to 26 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 40 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (22 ft) | Jigging spoon (glow/silver), Tungsten jig + plastic |
Spring coho salmon on Lower Russian Lake hold shallow, usually 3 to 25 ft. They move out to 8 to 26 ft in summer and finish the year down in 8 to 26 ft. Put Creek inflow first on the milk run — an inflow / creek mouth near 4 ft that grades prime for spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a dodger + fly or a medium spoon above the thermocline.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Creek inflow (4 ft) | Small orange dodger + peanut fly, Thin spoon (orange/silver) |
| Summer | 8 to 26 ft chart-limited; documented 30 to 70 ft | dawn & dusk | Deep basin (22 ft) | Dodger + fly, Medium spoon above the thermocline |
| Fall | 5 to 26 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Creek inflow (4 ft) | Casting spoon, Spinner (chartreuse) |
| Winter | 8 to 26 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 60 ft | midday | Deep basin (22 ft) | Small spoon, slow troll |
Spring sockeye salmon on Lower Russian Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 26 ft. Depth-wise the year is flat: 1 to 26 ft in summer, 6 to 26 ft once it turns cold. The chart's best answer is Creek inflow — inflow / creek mouth, 4 ft, prime for summer. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a small red or pink fly behind a flasher or a compact squid or hoochie.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 26 ft chart-limited; documented 5 to 70 ft | dawn & dusk | Deep basin (22 ft) | Small red or pink hoochie, Compact plankton-profile fly |
| Summer | 1 to 26 ft chart-limited; documented 3 to 80 ft | dawn & dusk | Creek inflow (4 ft) | Small red or pink fly behind a flasher, Compact squid or hoochie |
| Fall | 1 to 26 ft chart-limited; documented 2 to 55 ft | dawn & dusk | Creek inflow (4 ft) | Small bright fly, Compact spinner where legal |
| Winter | 6 to 26 ft chart-limited; documented 25 to 110 ft | midday | Deep basin (22 ft) |
The chart marks 9 structure features on Lower Russian Lake; the deepest is Deep basin at about 22 ft.
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 Lower Russian Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Alaska fishing regulations →
Lower Russian Lake is about 26 ft (8 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 rainbow trout, arctic char, coho salmon, sockeye salmon on Lower Russian Lake.
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 22 ft of water that rates prime for arctic char in summer. Every other rated spot, per species and season, is on the map above.
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 Lower Russian 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.
Jean Lake 8 mi · Upper Russian Lake 8 mi · Cooper Lake 8 mi · Hidden Lake 10 mi · Skilak Lake 11 mi · Engineer Lake 12 mi · Kenai Lake 14 mi · Kelly Lake 14 mi · Egumen Lake 16 mi · Watson Lake 18 mi · Upper Trail Lake 21 mi · Kenai River (Middle) 21 mi
See how Lower Russian Lake stacks up: best rainbow trout lakes in Alaska · best coho salmon lakes in Alaska · best arctic char lakes in Alaska
More water nearby: Kenai Peninsula Borough fishing maps (23 charts). Browse all Alaska fishing maps. 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.