Fish Stocking in Benka Depends on Access

After two years without stocking, Benka Lake may be getting more fish this year. That’s according to Alaska Department of Fish and Game Stocking Coordinator Marley Loomis. But ADF&G can only stock the lake if permanent public access is restored.

Benka Lake’s last stocking was the spring of 2022. Lakeview Street’s public access and boat launch was gated by private landowners Jan and Britta Brunz that August. Though the access is open now through a temporary injunction, Loomis says they can’t stock until the public access is permanently restored.

Since the spring of 2023, fish destined for Benka Lake have been allocated to nearby lakes. Rainbow trout and arctic char have historically been stocked in Benka. And if the settlement between the State of Alaska, the Brunzes, and the Friends of Benka Lake goes through this spring, 3,000 rainbow trout fingerling and 1,000 catchable arctic char will be stocked in the lake.

Loomis says it’s difficult to provide a firm timeline on when Benka and nearby lakes will be stocked because it depends on a number of factors, including weather. But for now, she says they are waiting for confirmation that public access has been restored.