Sign inSign up free Sign inSign up free Sign inSign up freeShared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
96-acre lake near Sterling. A small Kenai NWR canoe-route lake with rainbow trout and Arctic char. 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. Species by species, here's what the data says the year looks like.
Traced from the shoreline, Paddle Lake runs 107 acres with 3.6 miles of edge. With a shoreline index of 2.5, this water is all arms and coves — edge habitat well beyond its acreage. The shallow band under 15 ft claims about 40% of the surface — that's where the groceries are. The basin spans about 1.1 mi end to end and 0.4 mi across at its widest. You'll find it in Kenai Peninsula Borough. The nearest mapped water is Pepper Lake, 6 mi to the northeast.
Start shallow in spring: rainbow trout sit in 5 to 20 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 8 to 40 ft. The spot to know is Break off the point, a drop-off in about 13 ft of water that rates prime for rainbow trout in winter. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. Throw a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (10 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (13 ft) | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (10 ft) | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 8 to 40 ft | dawn | Break off the point (13 ft) | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
Come spring, look for arctic char tight to the bank in 4 to 15 ft. They move out to 12 to 41 ft in summer and finish the year down in 10 to 40 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 32 ft that scores prime in summer. Best bite is early morning. A jigging spoon vertical or a tube jig (smelt) is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Break off the point (13 ft) | Small casting spoon (silver/orange), Jerkbait (small) |
| Summer | 12 to 41 ft | dawn | Deep basin (32 ft) | Jigging spoon vertical, Tube jig (smelt) |
| Fall | 8 to 30 ft | midday & dusk | Break off the point (13 ft) | Casting spoon (orange/gold), Beadhead streamer |
| Winter | 10 to 40 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (32 ft) | Jigging spoon (glow/silver), Tungsten jig + plastic |
Structure-wise the chart holds 6 features, led in depth by Deep basin at roughly 32 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 Paddle Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Alaska fishing regulations →
Paddle 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, arctic char on Paddle Lake.
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 32 ft of water that rates prime for arctic char in summer. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by 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 Paddle 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.
Pepper Lake 6 mi · Swan Lake 7 mi · Silver Lake 13 mi · Bird Lake 15 mi · Watson Lake 16 mi · Egumen Lake 17 mi · Kelly Lake 18 mi · Kenai River (Middle) 21 mi · Engineer Lake 21 mi · Hidden Lake 21 mi · Jean Lake 21 mi · Skilak Lake 24 mi
See how Paddle Lake stacks up: best rainbow trout lakes in Alaska · best arctic char 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.