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988-acre lake near Talkeetna. A fly-in lake in the Talkeetna Mountains draining to Prairie Creek, holding rainbow trout, Dolly Varden, grayling, lake trout and salmon. The lake tops out around 91 ft. Depth here is modeled from the true shoreline and max depth rather than surveyed; use it to plan, not to navigate. Here's the year, species by species, as the scoring engine sees it.
The outline encloses 889 acres, worked by 9.9 miles of shoreline. A development index of 2.4 means a maze of bays and points: far more casting targets than a round bowl of the same size. Roughly 52% of the water is 15 ft or less as modeled, the band where the food chain lives. Call it 4.2 mi long by 0.6 mi wide at the broadest reach. Matanuska-Susitna Borough claims this one. If the bite dies, Byers Lake is 39 mi to the west.
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, 41 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 | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (23 ft) | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (23 ft) | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 8 to 40 ft | dawn | Break off the point (41 ft) | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: arctic char in 4 to 15 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 20 to 60 ft before dropping to 10 to 40 ft for winter. The spot to know is Break off the point, a drop-off in about 41 ft of water that rates prime for arctic char in summer. Plan around early morning in the warm months. Summer baits: a jigging spoon vertical or a tube jig (smelt) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | open water | Small casting spoon (silver/orange), Jerkbait (small) |
| Summer | 20 to 60 ft | dawn | Break off the point (41 ft) | Jigging spoon vertical, Tube jig (smelt) |
| Fall | 8 to 30 ft | midday & dusk | open water | Casting spoon (orange/gold), Beadhead streamer |
| Winter | 10 to 40 ft | midday & dawn | Break off the point (41 ft) | Jigging spoon (glow/silver), Tungsten jig + plastic |
Spring arctic grayling on Stephan Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 10 ft. They move out to 3 to 15 ft in summer and finish the year down in 8 to 25 ft. Put Shallow bay flat first on the milk run — a weed flat near 6 ft that grades good for spring. The feeding windows run the evening and early morning. The summer box starts with a dry fly (parachute adams, elk hair caddis) or a small inline spinner.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | 1/16 oz spinner (silver), Small dry fly (Adams, Griffith's) |
| Summer | 3 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Dry fly (parachute Adams, elk hair caddis), Small inline spinner |
| Fall | 6 to 20 ft | midday | Break off the point (41 ft) | Small spoon, Beadhead nymph under indicator |
| Winter | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (77 ft) | Tungsten jig + waxworm, Small jigging spoon (gold) |
Come spring, look for lake trout tight to the bank in 10 to 40 ft. They move out to 27 to 91 ft in summer and finish the year down in 20 to 80 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 77 ft that scores prime in summer. Best bite is early morning. A white tube jig (deep) or a magnum spoon on downrigger is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (23 ft) | Casting spoon over shoals, Jerkbait (shallow) |
| Summer | 27 to 91 ft | dawn | Deep basin (77 ft) | White tube jig (deep), Magnum spoon on downrigger |
| Fall | 10 to 50 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (23 ft) | Heavy casting spoon, Jigging rap over reefs |
| Winter | 20 to 80 ft | dawn | Deep basin (77 ft) | White tube jig, Airplane jig |
When the water first warms, chinook salmon slide up into 5 to 40 ft. Summer is a 27 to 91 ft game here, winter a 30 to 90 ft one. Start at Deep basin. It's a deep basin holding about 77 ft of water and rates prime come summer. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. Keep a flasher + fly (green/white) or a magnum spoon on downrigger rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (41 ft) | Trolled spoon (orange/gold), Stickbait off planer boards |
| Summer | 27 to 91 ft | dawn & dusk | Deep basin (77 ft) | Flasher + fly (green/white), Magnum spoon on downrigger |
| Fall | 10 to 50 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (41 ft) | J-plug (glow), Flasher + fly |
| Winter | 30 to 90 ft | midday | Deep basin (77 ft) | Small spoon on a slow troll, Stickbait deep |
When the water first warms, coho salmon slide up into 3 to 25 ft. By summer they slide out to 30 to 70 ft, and by winter most fish are in 20 to 60 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 77 ft that scores prime in summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Keep a dodger + fly or a medium spoon above the thermocline rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (23 ft) | Small orange dodger + peanut fly, Thin spoon (orange/silver) |
| Summer | 30 to 70 ft | dawn & dusk | Deep basin (77 ft) | Dodger + fly, Medium spoon above the thermocline |
| Fall | 8 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (23 ft) | Casting spoon, Spinner (chartreuse) |
| Winter | 20 to 60 ft | midday | Break off the point (41 ft) | Small spoon, slow troll |
Count 10 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Deep basin, sits near 77 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 Stephan Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Alaska fishing regulations →
Stephan Lake is about 91 ft (28 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 rainbow trout, arctic char, arctic grayling, lake trout, chinook salmon, coho salmon on Stephan Lake.
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 77 ft of water that rates prime for lake trout in summer. The interactive chart above rates every spot for each 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 Stephan 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.
Byers Lake 39 mi · Slipper (Eska) Lake 67 mi · Anderson Lake 76 mi · Memory Lake 76 mi · Kings Lake 76 mi · Wasilla Lake 78 mi · Nancy Lake 79 mi · Zero lake 79 mi · Prator Lake 80 mi · Chelatna Lake 83 mi · Red Shirt Lake 85 mi · Big Lake 87 mi
See how Stephan Lake stacks up: best rainbow trout lakes in Alaska · best chinook salmon lakes in Alaska · best coho salmon lakes in Alaska · best lake 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.