Fishing Baranof Lake in Sitka City and Borough, Alaska

• Overview

  Alaska holds Baranof Lake, in Sitka City and Borough. It lies 144 feet above sea level. Roughly 715 acres of surface: treat each bay as a water in its own right. The margin runs to about 8.6 miles in total. It is among the larger waters listed here for Sitka City and Borough. The nearest place of any size is Sitka, 17 miles away. Petersburg follows at 75 miles, then Juneau at 87 miles. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Baranof Lake

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Public occurrence data for Sitka City and Borough names pink salmon, Chum salmon, Coho salmon, Chinook salmon and Dolly Varden. At least one recorded species is protected in parts of its range; read the local rules before targeting anything. On Baranof Lake the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate records put August near 53°F and January near 29°F. The freeze here is occasional rather than annual. In milder years the edges alone go, and the middle never sets. March through May is the strongest run, with October and November a second stretch. Anyone fishing Baranof Lake regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. No made access appears within a short radius, so plan to park on a verge and walk. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. If the gate is shut, Sadie Lake at 2.6 miles is the nearest alternative. None of that is settled for Baranof Lake in what we hold.