Rabbit Lake

[ak_sierra]

Anyone ever fish Rabbit Lake? I'm told it's around 7 miles from the McHugh Creek area. Since it's quite the hike there it can't be getting a lot of fishing pressure and with years of stocking there should be some nice size bows up there. I was thinking about hiking in with the float tube and trying it out.
Travis

 

[akjw7]

Many many years ago you used to be able to drive to a trail head up off of upper deArmoun, golden view, or clarks road or somewhere up there. It was a much closer hike instead of coming from McHugh - never tried that. Never fished it but used to hike there, as I said long long ago. I bet it's peacfull! Probably a private property crossing now, which is why you have to go the long way round. Powerline pass might get you closer and perhaps a less difficult hike?

 

[akpryde]

The elusive trailhead

The elusive trailhead

I can't remember where exactly the trailhead for the "other" route is either but I used it to get back to Rabbit Lake just two years ago. I didn't fish when I went back there but I did see a couple folks with poles headed out on my way in and they said they had been catching smallish trout throughout the afternoon (they didn't have float tubes though). It's a neat little area back there - alpine tundra throughout the head of the valley, feels surprisingly remote given how close it is to the highway and Anchorage itself.

I scrambled up South Suicide Peak while I was back there - very cool view of the Anchorage/Turnagain area. As an aside, there's a tall saddle between North and South Suicide Peaks and cold winds can really come ripping down through the valley where Rabbit Lake sits - some sort of local weather effect.

 

[AKMarmot]

rabbit lake

rabbit lake

I used to get there a couple times a summer & usually see someone there fishing it. Never on a float tube though, I would think the water would be real cold for that.
The access that a lot of people use is the back side of flat top mtn, where the back country skiers go to ski peak 2 & 3.
Take upper deArmoun to Canyon Creek rd, go right & follow it to the end. I think it is about 4 mile hike into the lake from where you park.
Don't know about the private property though. People have been using it for so long mabey it qualifies as an established trail but I remember there being a debate about this a year or two ago.