Ella Lake in Ketchikan Gateway Borough: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Ella Lake is a Ketchikan Gateway Borough water, in Alaska. The ground round it is open valley. About 2.9 sq miles, so local knowledge or a boat saves a lot of walking. The outline measures near 15 miles, so local knowledge counts. Nothing else we list in Ketchikan Gateway Borough covers more water. For supplies, Ketchikan is 23 miles out. Beyond it, Metlakatla at 30 miles and Craig at 80 miles. No border sits close enough to matter.

• Where to Fish on Ella Lake

  Depth is unmeasured here, so let the shoreline guide you. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Reported across Ketchikan Gateway Borough: pink salmon, Chum salmon, Chinook salmon, Coho salmon and sockeye salmon. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. The shape of Ella Lake decides where the fish sit.

• Seasonal Patterns

  August is the warm end of the year here, averaging about 57°F, while January sits near 30°F. Conditions shift steadily rather than sharply. It is not guaranteed from one year to the next. March through May is the strongest run, with October and November a second stretch. It holds true on Ella Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. No made access appears within a short radius, so plan to park on a verge and walk. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Season dates differ by species, so read the table. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. Loon Lake, 2.4 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. The position on Ella Lake is worth confirming on the day.