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766-acre lake near Willow. The centerpiece of the Nancy Lake State Recreation Area near Willow, a canoe-trail lake now dominated by northern pike alongside rainbow trout. The lake tops out around 65 ft. This chart interpolates between a real shoreline and a known maximum depth. It will point you at likely water, but it is not a navigation product. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.
The drawn water covers 768 acres wrapped in 14.8 miles of bank. With a shoreline index of 3.8, this water is all arms and coves — edge habitat well beyond its acreage. The shallow band under 15 ft claims about 26% of the surface on the model — that's where the groceries are. Tip to tip the water measures near 2.6 mi with a 1.4-mi widest point. Matanuska-Susitna Borough claims this one. If the bite dies, Zero lake is 7 mi to the southeast.
Come spring, look for northern pike tight to the bank in 2 to 8 ft. Expect a summer slide to 8 to 20 ft, then a winter hold in 5 to 15 ft. Start at Shallow bay flat. It's a weed flat holding about 6 ft of water and rates prime come spring. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. A bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Early season rainbow trout use the shallows, holding in 5 to 20 ft. Summer is an 8 to 30 ft game here, winter an 8 to 40 ft one. The chart's best answer is Break off the point — drop-off, 29 ft, prime for winter. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (16 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (29 ft) | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (16 ft) | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 8 to 40 ft | dawn | Break off the point (29 ft) | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
Structure-wise the chart holds 6 features, led in depth by Deep basin at roughly 55 ft.
Access data: Alaska Dept. of Fish & Game — Launch Ramps. 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 Nancy Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Alaska fishing regulations →
Nancy Lake is about 65 ft (20 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 northern pike, rainbow trout on Nancy Lake.
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for northern pike in spring. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every species and season.
For northern pike, 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 Nancy 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.
Zero lake 7 mi · Red Shirt Lake 7 mi · Prator Lake 10 mi · Big Lake 11 mi · Memory Lake 19 mi · Wasilla Lake 21 mi · Kings Lake 22 mi · Anderson Lake 22 mi · Beach Lake 24 mi · Walden Lake 26 mi · Mirror Lake 27 mi · Clunie Lake 27 mi
See how Nancy Lake stacks up: best northern pike lakes in Alaska · best rainbow trout lakes in Alaska
More water nearby: Matanuska-Susitna Borough fishing maps (15 charts). Browse all Alaska fishing maps or 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.