Crooked Lake in Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Within Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area, Alaska, you have Crooked Lake. Height above sea level is 302 feet. This is a pocket water of some 18 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. On size it sits at the modest end of our Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area list. Craig lies 23 miles from the water. Vancouver is the closest city, 624 miles away. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Crooked Lake

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Open biodiversity records for Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area list pink salmon, Chum salmon, Chinook salmon, Coho salmon and sockeye salmon. At least one recorded species is protected in parts of its range; read the local rules before targeting anything. On Crooked Lake that means starting tight and working out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 56°F at the top of summer and 34°F at the bottom of winter. The season stretches long at both ends here. In milder years the edges alone go, and the middle never sets. Autumn steadies things again once the heat lets go. The season on Crooked Lake follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. Public data shows nothing built here, so treat the whole approach as informal. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. Failing this one, try Hook Lake, 0.2 miles away. Check the position on Crooked Lake before loading the car.