Kukaklek Lake

Kukaklek Lake
Location	Lake and Peninsula Borough
Coordinates	59°10′12″N 155°20′28″W / 59.17000°N 155.34111°WCoordinates: 59°10′12″N 155°20′28″W / 59.17000°N 155.34111°W
Primary outflows	Alagnak River
Basin countries	United States
Surface area	46,080 acres (18,650 ha)[1]
Average depth	810 feet (247 m)

'Kukaklek is a lake in southern Alaska, near the base of the Alaska Peninsula. Located in Katmai National Park and Preserve, the lake is 46,080 acres (18,650 ha) in area and is the source for the Alagnak River, a designated Wild River.^[2] Notable for its excellent sport fishing, it is rated as one of the top wilderness destinations in Alaska. Wildlife in the area is typical of the Alaskan Peninsula, with grizzly bears, moose, gray wolf, and caribou frequently seen around the lake's shores. Grizzly bears in particular are frequently seen around the lake during the salmon run.^[3] The lake has recently been the source for a controversial grizzly bear hunt in Katmai Preserve.^[4][5]

On September 20,07 20, near the end of the controversial 2007 bear hunt, an overloaded Helio Courier suffered a wing failure and crashed, killing all four men aboard.^[6] A similar incident without loss of life occurred in 2010, with a de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver.^[7]

References

1. "Fishing Kukaklek Lake, AK". The Lake Review.
2. Alagnak Watershed Rainbow Trout Seasonal Movement, United States Geological Survey, 2000
3. "Alagnak River". AMR Guides.
4. "The bears of Katmai". Anchorage Press. Retrieved February 18, 2009.
5. "Kukaklek Lake". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2014-04-27.
6. "Fatal crash caused by wing failure, NTSB says". Anchorage Daily News. Retrieved September 20, 2008.
7. "Pilot, passengers injured in Kukaklek Lake float plane crash". KTUU. Retrieved June 29, 2010.