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Fishing Paddle Lake: what the data says
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. Here is how the season plays out for each species, straight from the data behind the map.
Rainbow Trout fishing at Paddle Lake
Spring rainbow trout on Paddle Lake hold shallow, usually 5 to 20 ft. They move out to 8 to 30 ft in summer and finish the year down in 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. 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) |
Arctic Char fishing at Paddle Lake
In spring, arctic char run shallow here, mostly 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. Summer baits: a jigging spoon vertical or a tube jig (smelt) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Small casting spoon (silver/orange), Jerkbait (small) |
| Summer | 12 to 41 ft | dawn | Jigging spoon vertical, Tube jig (smelt) |
| Fall | 8 to 30 ft | midday & dusk | Casting spoon (orange/gold), Beadhead streamer |
| Winter | 10 to 40 ft | midday & dawn | Jigging spoon (glow/silver), Tungsten jig + plastic |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 32 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 13 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 10 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 8 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 7 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
Common questions
How deep is Paddle Lake?
Paddle 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 Paddle Lake?
Anglers target rainbow trout, arctic char on Paddle Lake.
Where is the best fishing spot 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. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Paddle 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
Swan Lake · Pepper Lake · Bird Lake · Watson Lake · Egumen Lake · Kelly Lake
See how Paddle Lake stacks up: best rainbow trout lakes in Alaska · best arctic char 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.