Gokachin Lakes Fishing in Ketchikan Gateway Borough, Alaska

• Overview

  Set in Ketchikan Gateway Borough, Gokachin Lakes is an Alaska water. Tidal water begins 2.9 miles from here. It measures some 395 acres, and wind has room to build across it. The margin runs to about 7.1 miles in total. The nearest town is Ketchikan, 21 miles away. Further out sit Metlakatla (26 miles) and Craig (79 miles). It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Gokachin Lakes

  Depth figures are not published for this one. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Reported across Ketchikan Gateway Borough: pink salmon, Chum salmon and Chinook salmon. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. On Gokachin Lakes the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year August sits at 57°F and January at 31°F. The calendar is generous: something works in nearly every month. It is not guaranteed from one year to the next. The hot months push the fishing to dawn and dusk. Time your trip to Gokachin Lakes by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. There is no mapped parking or launch close by, which usually means walking in. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Bank access can be seasonal on ground like this. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. Basin Lake, 1.2 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Confirm access to Gokachin Lakes locally before you travel.