Fishing at Gilbert Lake, Ketchikan Gateway Borough, Alaska

• Overview

  Gilbert Lake is one of the Ketchikan Gateway Borough waters in Alaska. The country here is open valley. With some 130 acres of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. Some 3.2 miles of bank gives room to move when the wind turns. The nearest town is Ketchikan, 44 miles away. Metlakatla follows at 54 miles, then Wrangell at 76 miles. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Gilbert Lake

  Open data we checked carries no depth for this water. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Species logged across Ketchikan Gateway Borough include pink salmon, Chum salmon and Chinook salmon. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. Work Gilbert Lake in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, August reads 55°F and January reads 26°F. Spring and autumn are the strongest, but nothing is truly closed. Hard water here is never dependable, so check for yourself before stepping out. March through May is the strongest run, with October and November a second stretch. Gilbert Lake runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. There is no recorded infrastructure here; expect to find your own way in. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Read any posted signs at the access point rather than assuming. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. Heart Lake sits 5.7 miles off and takes the overflow. Nothing on Gilbert Lake should be assumed from this page alone.