Fishing Duff Lake in Haines Borough, Alaska

• Overview

  Duff Lake stands in Haines Borough, Alaska. Height above sea level is 4,032 feet. At some 299 acres it is far too large to cover on foot in a day. There is roughly 3.7 miles of bank, more than one visit can cover properly. It sits higher than most water we list in Alaska. Start from Skagway, 36 miles down the road. Haines is 44 miles and Whitehorse 73 miles. No border sits close enough to matter.

• Where to Fish on Duff Lake

  Our records hold no depth for this water. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Records held for Haines Borough cover pink salmon, Coho salmon, Dolly Varden, sockeye salmon and Chinook salmon. At least one recorded species is protected in parts of its range; read the local rules before targeting anything. On Duff Lake that means starting tight and working out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The range across the year is 7°F to 48°F. The middle months are generous; the ends are demanding. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough late May. Ice clears near late May and comes back about mid October in a typical year. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. On Duff Lake the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Formal access is not mapped, so the last stretch is likely on foot. For salmon, swing spoons or flies through the moving water and mind the local method rules. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. Goodwin Lake at 3.7 miles is the sensible second choice. For Duff Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.