Eagle Lake Fishing Guide, Ketchikan Gateway Borough, Alaska

• Overview

  Eagle Lake sits in Ketchikan Gateway Borough, out in Alaska. The ground round it is farm and woodlot. About 1,053 acres, so local knowledge or a boat saves a lot of walking. The perimeter runs near 9.5 miles, so plan the walk before you start. Size puts it in the front rank of our Ketchikan Gateway Borough list. Wrangell at 46 miles is the nearest place to stop. The nearest city of size is Vancouver, 585 miles away. No border sits close enough to matter.

• Where to Fish on Eagle Lake

  Nothing in our records gives a depth for this one. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Survey and observation records for Ketchikan Gateway Borough include pink salmon, Chum salmon, Chinook salmon, Coho salmon and sockeye salmon. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. The near bank of Eagle Lake is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between 26°F in January and 55°F in July. The calendar is generous: something works in nearly every month. Cover comes and goes, so treat it with suspicion rather than trust. Spring and autumn carry the year; summer squeezes it into the ends of the day. Time your trip to Eagle Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Access points are not mapped for this water, which suits people who like quiet. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. If the gate is shut, Little Eagle Lake at 4.7 miles is the nearest alternative. For Eagle Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.