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417-acre lake near Sterling. A Kenai NWR lake in the Swanson River country with coho salmon, rainbow trout and Dolly Varden. The lake tops out around 42 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.
Drawn out, this is 420 acres of water rimmed by 5.7 miles of bank. Index 2 on the shoreline: a few honest points and pockets, nothing labyrinthine. Roughly 26% of the water is 15 ft or less, the band where the food chain lives. Tip to tip the water measures near 1.6 mi with a 0.9-mi widest point. You'll find it in Kenai Peninsula Borough. The nearest mapped water is Paddle Lake, 6 mi to the southwest.
Spring puts coho salmon in skinny water — 3 to 25 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 13 to 42 ft; cold water stacks them in 13 to 42 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 36 ft, rated prime for summer coho salmon. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A dodger + fly or a medium spoon above the thermocline covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Creek inflow (2 ft) | Small orange dodger + peanut fly, Thin spoon (orange/silver) |
| Summer | 13 to 42 ft | dawn & dusk | Deep basin (36 ft) | Dodger + fly, Medium spoon above the thermocline |
| Fall | 8 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Creek inflow (2 ft) | Casting spoon, Spinner (chartreuse) |
| Winter | 13 to 42 ft | midday | Deep basin (36 ft) | Small spoon, slow troll |
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 Old creek channel, a creek channel in about 20 ft of water that rates prime for rainbow trout in summer. 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 | Creek inflow (2 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Old creek channel (20 ft) | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Old creek channel (20 ft) | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 8 to 40 ft | dawn | Break off the point (20 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 13 to 42 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 36 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 | Creek inflow (2 ft) | Small casting spoon (silver/orange), Jerkbait (small) |
| Summer | 13 to 42 ft | dawn | Deep basin (36 ft) | Jigging spoon vertical, Tube jig (smelt) |
| Fall | 8 to 30 ft | midday & dusk | Break off the point (20 ft) | Casting spoon (orange/gold), Beadhead streamer |
| Winter | 10 to 40 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (36 ft) | Jigging spoon (glow/silver), Tungsten jig + plastic |
Pepper Lake carries 8 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Deep basin, about 36 ft down.
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 Pepper Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Alaska fishing regulations →
Pepper Lake is about 42 ft (13 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 coho salmon, rainbow trout, arctic char on Pepper Lake.
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 36 ft of water that rates prime for coho salmon in summer. Every other rated spot, per species and season, is on the map above.
For coho salmon, 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 Pepper 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.
Paddle Lake 6 mi · Bird Lake 9 mi · Swan Lake 12 mi · Silver Lake 18 mi · Watson Lake 21 mi · Egumen Lake 22 mi · Kelly Lake 23 mi · Jean Lake 25 mi · Engineer Lake 26 mi · Hidden Lake 26 mi · Jewel Lake 26 mi · Campbell Point Lake 26 mi
See how Pepper 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 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.