Sign inSign up freeRecent catches at Matcharak Lake
Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
Fishing Matcharak Lake: what the data says
748-acre lake near Noatak Preserve. a deep tundra lake in the upper Noatak country of Gates of the Arctic, holding lake trout and Arctic grayling in classic far-north cold water. The lake tops out around 115 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.
Lake Trout fishing at Matcharak Lake
Spring lake trout on Matcharak Lake hold shallow, usually 10 to 40 ft. They move out to 35 to 115 ft in summer and finish the year down in 20 to 80 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 90 ft of water that rates prime for lake trout in summer. Plan around early morning in the warm months. Summer baits: a white tube jig (deep) or a magnum spoon on downrigger gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Casting spoon over shoals, Jerkbait (shallow) |
| Summer | 35 to 115 ft | dawn | White tube jig (deep), Magnum spoon on downrigger |
| Fall | 10 to 50 ft | dusk & dawn | Heavy casting spoon, Jigging rap over reefs |
| Winter | 20 to 80 ft | dawn | White tube jig, Airplane jig |
Arctic Grayling fishing at Matcharak Lake
Start shallow in spring: arctic grayling sit in 2 to 10 ft that time of year. By summer they slide out to 3 to 15 ft, and by winter most fish are in 8 to 25 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 9 ft of water that rates good for arctic grayling in spring. Plan around the evening and early morning in the warm months. Tie on a dry fly (parachute adams, elk hair caddis) or a small inline spinner and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday & dusk | 1/16 oz spinner (silver), Small dry fly (Adams, Griffith's) |
| Summer | 3 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | Dry fly (parachute Adams, elk hair caddis), Small inline spinner |
| Fall | 6 to 20 ft | midday | Small spoon, Beadhead nymph under indicator |
| Winter | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Tungsten jig + waxworm, Small jigging spoon (gold) |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 90 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 45 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 28 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 13 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 9 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 2 ft
Common questions
How deep is Matcharak Lake?
Matcharak Lake is about 115 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 Matcharak Lake?
Anglers target lake trout, arctic grayling on Matcharak Lake.
Where is the best fishing spot on Matcharak Lake?
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 90 ft of water that rates prime for lake trout in summer. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Matcharak Lake?
For lake trout, 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.
Nearby waters
Kipmik Lake · Skeeter Lake · Lake Gigi · Chelatna Lake · Shell Lake · Hewitt Lake
See how Matcharak Lake stacks up: best lake trout lakes in Alaska · best arctic grayling 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.