After catching the first fish of his life, the reaction of Anchorage's Niko Vang was about what you'd expect from a 10-year-old boy. Proudly holding the wriggling 10-inch trout aloft for fellow anglers to see, Vang giggled as he pushed the fish into his sister's face.
"Ew!" said Niko's sister Sirena, 12.
The kids' aunt, Ann Justo, finally stepped in, helping Niko slide the fish onto a stringer and back into Little Campbell Lake.
The trio was among about a dozen anglers enjoying the spring sun at the lake, located just inside the boundary of Kincaid Park off of Raspberry Road. Many fished from a long wooden dock, while others stood along the shoreline lazily watching bobbers float across a lake whose flat surface was intermittently broken by a curious muskrat or someone's stick-chasing Labrador retriever.
Later, Niko explained he was watching his bobber when he felt a tug.
"I just pulled it up and there was a fish," he said, grinning ear to ear before adding that landing his first fish was "easy," and that he plans to catch many more fish this summer.
Justo said she's been bringing the kids fishing just about every day since school got out, drawn to the lakes by their easy access and abundance of fish.
28 Anchorage lakes
Anchorage's many lakes provide some of the easiest and most accessible fishing opportunities for beginners and experts alike. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game lists 28 lakes in the Anchorage area, and almost all have been stocked with rainbow trout this spring. Of those, nine are located on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, which requires anglers to obtain special permission before coming on base. Several others have limited or no public access, making them difficult for anglers to utilize. However, a handful of lakes in the heart of the city are both accessible and chock full of fish, making them a perfect place for anglers to get in some springtime fishing before the salmon runs pick up steam.
Most of the fish are about the size of Vang's, but Fish and Game stocks some heftier trout too. Earlier this year, for example, they stocked Cheney, Jewel, Sand, DeLong, Campbell Point and Green lakes with 388 rainbows longer than 20 inches. Even on a world-class rainbow trout waterway like the Kenai River, that's a memorable fish. Check the Fish and Game website to seen what fish are being stocked in your favorite lakes.
Lake fishing is both easy and inexpensive. A set of children's fishing gear – a pole and some tackle – can be had for $20. After that, all that's needed is a bit of local knowledge and some patience.
Almost all lake anglers in Anchorage use one of two techniques to fish for rainbow trout, Arctic char and landlocked salmon found in area lakes. The first requires a bobber, a "split shot" weight (less than an ounce is plenty), a small hook and a single salmon egg. Attach the bobber about two feet above the hook, with the weight about eight inches above the baited hook. That's it. Cast the rig into the water and wait for the bobber to disappear beneath the surface.
The second common technique is to use a spinner – a small, brightly-colored lure – to attract the fish. Spinners are cast out into the lake and retrieved quickly enough to keep them from snagging bottom but not so fast that the fish can't keep up.
A good way to hone lakes fishing technique is to watch others. In other words, if fish are being caught on bait, switch to bait; if they're being taken with spinners, use spinners.
Be assured, there are plenty of fish out there. According to Fish and Game public information office Ryan Ragan, 166,150 catchable-size fish were stocked in Anchorage-area waterways, including 110,000 rainbows, 49,000 king salmon, 2,500 grayling and 4,500 Arctic char.
Five favorites
For most anglers, lake fishing is just a matter of deciding where to go. Here are five lakes in the Anchorage Bowl that have easy public access, ample parking and plenty of places to fish:
1. Cheney Lake. This East Anchorage lake has a couple hundred yards of fishable shoreline, parking for about two dozen vehicles, a couple picnic tables and a playground. Public access is located at Beaver Place off of Debarr Road.
2. Jewel Lake. One of the most popular fishing holes in the city, Jewel Lake has a large parking area adjacent to West Dimond Boulevard, a fishing dock and lots of room along the shore. There's also a nearby swimming beach at Jewel Lake Park, located at the west end of West 88th Avenue.
3. DeLong Lake. Located in a quiet residential neighborhood near Jewel Lake Road and West 63rd Avenue, DeLong Lake Park has a small fishing dock and short section of shoreline from which canoes can be launched.
4. Little Campbell Lake. To find Little Campbell Lake (also known as Campbell Point Lake), take Raspberry Road to the entrance of Kincaid Park. There's a sign on the right side marking a dirt road to the lake. There, anglers can find a fishing dock and an oval-shaped shoreline that can accommodate about a half dozen anglers. There's also several spots to fish along the lakeshore that can be accessed from nearby Kincaid Park trails.
5. Taku Lake. Tucked away in a busy commercial district near Dimond Boulevard, Taku Campbell Park is a hidden oasis of summertime fun. In addition to plenty of parking, the park has numerous picnic tables, a pedestrian bridge and trails encircling the lake. It's often packed with sunbathers, dog-walkers and couples with picnic baskets, but there is also ample room for anglers. To find the lake, take King Street north off of Dimond Boulevard and follow it to 76th Avenue, which ends at the park.
WEEKEND BEST BETS
Hungry for hooligan?
Hooligan reportedly have been running strong along Turnagain Arm near the mouth of the Twentymile River. Fish and Game also reports strong fishing near the mouth of the Little Susitna River. The end of May is typically when fishing for the silvery smelt peters out, so this weekend may be the last chance for anglers to fill their buckets. The season ends May 31 in saltwater and continues until June 15 in freshwater. There is no limit, but the fishery is open to Alaska residents only and anglers must possess a valid sport fishing license or a permanent ID card from Fish and Game. Other than the proper documentation, all that's needed to catch the small, thin fish is a fine-mesh net.
Watching and waiting
Historic fish count numbers show that kings usually start showing up in the Deshka River around the beginning of June, meaning Fish and Game's fish counters should be busy over the next few days. According to the department's online fishing report, just 49 kings had been counted at the Deshka weir as of Tuesday. However, the first time more than 100 fish were counted in a single day last year was June 2, meaning the kings could be in any day or hanging around the river mouth before venturing upstream past the weir. Fish counts are updated daily at adfg.alaska.gov.
Take to the lakes
Fishing in Mat-Su area lakes is reportedly "excellent," according to Fish and Game, and most lakes on the road system have been stocked this spring with 10-inch rainbow trout.
Reporter Matt Tunseth is a longtime and avid Alaska angler. Reach him at mtunseth@alaskadispatch.com.