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1,359-acre lake near Willow. A trail-in lake in the Nancy Lake State Recreation Area, a well-known Southcentral northern pike destination. The lake tops out around 50 ft. These contours are modeled — built from the real shoreline and the water's maximum depth — so read them as a guide, never as navigation. Here's the year, species by species, as the scoring engine sees it.
On the chart, Red Shirt Lake draws 1,170 acres inside 13.6 miles of shoreline, broken up by 7 islands. That shoreline is heavily fingered (development index 2.8) — bays, points and pockets everywhere, which multiplies the fishable edge. 59% of the surface is littoral (under ~15 ft), per the model — cover, weeds and forage water. The basin spans about 3.4 mi end to end and 1 mi across at its widest. You'll find it in Matanuska-Susitna Borough. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: Nancy Lake, 7 mi northeast of here.
Start shallow in spring: northern pike sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 8 to 20 ft; cold water stacks them in 5 to 15 ft. Top water on the chart: Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in the 6 ft range, prime in spring. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. Throw a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage until the fish tell you otherwise.
| 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 |
Count 8 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Deep basin, sits near 43 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 Red Shirt Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Alaska fishing regulations →
Red Shirt Lake is about 50 ft (15 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 on Red Shirt 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. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by 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 Red Shirt 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.
Nancy Lake 7 mi · Big Lake 11 mi · Zero lake 12 mi · Prator Lake 14 mi · Memory Lake 25 mi · Beach Lake 25 mi · Walden Lake 26 mi · Spring Lake 26 mi · Green Lake 26 mi · Wasilla Lake 26 mi · Clunie Lake 26 mi · Hillberg Lake 27 mi
See how Red Shirt Lake stacks up: best northern pike 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.