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Fishing Upper Russian Lake: what the data says
1,137-acre lake near Cooper Landing. a deep Kenai lake at the head of the world-famous Russian River, reached by the Resurrection Pass trail, holding wild rainbow trout and Dolly Varden. The lake tops out around 260 ft. The contours are modeled from the water's real shoreline and maximum depth. Treat them as a rough guide, and never use them for navigation. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
Rainbow Trout fishing at Upper Russian Lake
In spring, rainbow trout run shallow here, mostly 5 to 20 ft. They move out to 8 to 30 ft in summer and finish the year down in 8 to 40 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Creek inflow: a inflow / creek mouth around 8 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon gets it done.
| 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 Upper Russian Lake
Spring arctic char on Upper Russian Lake hold shallow, usually 4 to 15 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 20 to 60 ft, and winter fish settle into 10 to 40 ft. Creek inflow is the standout, a inflow / creek mouth at roughly 8 ft, rated prime for spring arctic char. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. A jigging spoon vertical or a tube jig (smelt) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Small casting spoon (silver/orange), Jerkbait (small) |
| Summer | 20 to 60 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 |
Coho Salmon fishing at Upper Russian Lake
In spring, coho salmon run shallow here, mostly 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 Creek inflow: a inflow / creek mouth around 8 ft that scores prime in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a dodger + fly or a medium spoon above the thermocline gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Small orange dodger + peanut fly, Thin spoon (orange/silver) |
| Summer | 30 to 70 ft | dawn & dusk | Dodger + fly, Medium spoon above the thermocline |
| Fall | 8 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Casting spoon, Spinner (chartreuse) |
| Winter | 20 to 60 ft | midday | Small spoon, slow troll |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 221 ft
- Old creek channel: creek channel, around 130 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 117 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 65 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 65 ft
- Creek inflow: inflow / creek mouth, around 8 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 6 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 6 ft
Common questions
How deep is Upper Russian Lake?
Upper Russian Lake is about 260 ft 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.
What fish are in Upper Russian Lake?
Anglers target rainbow trout, coho salmon, arctic char on Upper Russian Lake.
Where is the best fishing spot on Upper Russian Lake?
Creek inflow is the top-rated area: a inflow / creek mouth in about 8 ft of water that rates prime for rainbow trout in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Upper Russian 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
Cooper Lake · Lower Russian Lake · Kenai Lake · Jean Lake · Hidden Lake · Skilak Lake
See how Upper Russian Lake stacks up: best rainbow trout lakes in Alaska · best coho salmon lakes in Alaska · best arctic char lakes in Alaska
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