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

• Overview

  The Ketchikan Gateway Borough end of Alaska holds Granite Lake. It lies 226 feet above sea level. It measures about 26 acres, which is a comfortable size for bank fishing. Our Ketchikan Gateway Borough list holds plenty of bigger water. Ketchikan lies 19 miles from the water. Metlakatla is 24 miles away, with Craig at 77 miles. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Granite Lake

  No figure exists for depth, so let the water show you. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Records held for Ketchikan Gateway Borough cover 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. Granite Lake responds to conditions more than to tactics.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical August readings run about 58°F; by January the average is down near 32°F. Some winters cap it and some do not. Cover comes and goes, so treat it with suspicion rather than trust. March through May is the strongest run, with October and November a second stretch. The season on Granite Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. Formal access is not mapped, so the last stretch is likely on foot. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Bank access can be seasonal on ground like this. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. Star Lake at 0.5 miles is the sensible second choice. Treat access at Granite Lake as something to verify.