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Fishing Upper Trail Lake: what the data says
1,754-acre lake near Moose Pass. a road-accessible Kenai lake at Moose Pass in the Trail Lakes system, with lake trout, Dolly Varden, rainbows and a coho run. The lake tops out around 146 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. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.
Lake Trout fishing at Upper Trail Lake
Start shallow in spring: lake trout sit in 10 to 40 ft that time of year. By summer they slide out to 50 to 120 ft, and by winter most fish are in 20 to 80 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 124 ft that scores prime in summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. A white tube jig (deep) or a magnum spoon on downrigger covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Casting spoon over shoals, Jerkbait (shallow) |
| Summer | 50 to 120 ft | dawn | White tube jig (deep), Magnum spoon on downrigger |
| Fall | 10 to 50 ft | dusk & dawn | Heavy casting spoon, Jigging rap over reefs |
| Winter | 20 to 80 ft | dawn | White tube jig, Airplane jig |
Arctic Char fishing at Upper Trail Lake
In spring, arctic char run shallow here, mostly 4 to 15 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 20 to 60 ft, and winter fish settle into 10 to 40 ft. Trail Creek inflow is the standout, a inflow / creek mouth at roughly 8 ft, rated prime for spring arctic char. Best bite is early morning. Tie on a jigging spoon vertical or a tube jig (smelt) and you're in the game.
| 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 |
Rainbow Trout fishing at Upper Trail Lake
In spring, rainbow trout run shallow here, mostly 5 to 20 ft. By summer they slide out to 8 to 30 ft, and by winter most fish are in 8 to 40 ft. Trail Creek inflow is the standout, a inflow / creek mouth at roughly 8 ft, rated prime for spring rainbow trout. In summer the feeding windows fall in 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 | 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) |
Coho Salmon fishing at Upper Trail Lake
Start shallow in spring: coho salmon sit in 3 to 25 ft that time of year. 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 Trail Creek inflow: a inflow / creek mouth around 8 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. A dodger + fly or a medium spoon above the thermocline covers the summer program.
| 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 124 ft
- Old creek channel: creek channel, around 73 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 66 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 37 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 37 ft
- Trail Creek inflow: inflow / creek mouth, around 8 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 Trail Lake?
Upper Trail Lake is about 146 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 Trail Lake?
Anglers target rainbow trout, coho salmon, lake trout, arctic char on Upper Trail Lake.
Where is the best fishing spot on Upper Trail Lake?
Trail 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 Trail Lake?
For lake trout, the summer bite is best in early morning. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Nearby waters
Ptarmigan Lake · Kenai Lake · Cooper Lake · Upper Russian Lake · Alder Pond · Airstrip Pond
See how Upper Trail Lake stacks up: best rainbow trout lakes in Alaska · best coho salmon lakes in Alaska · best lake trout lakes in Alaska · best arctic char lakes in Alaska
Browse all Alaska fishing maps or every water on DepthScout. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.