Harvey Lake in City and Borough of Wrangell: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  This water sits in City and Borough of Wrangell, Alaska. The setting is rolling hill. With some 164 acres of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. The bank runs about 3.1 miles all the way round, so one visit can cover most of it. Head to Petersburg, 18 miles away, for anything you forgot. Further out sit Wrangell (26 miles) and Craig (75 miles). It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Harvey Lake

  Nothing we hold settles how deep this runs. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Open biodiversity records for City and Borough of Wrangell list Chinook salmon, sockeye salmon, Coho salmon, pink salmon and cutthroat trout. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. Work Harvey Lake in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between 32°F in January and 56°F in July. Spring and autumn are the strongest, but nothing is truly closed. It should never be assumed safe, whatever the month says. Autumn steadies things again once the heat lets go. Harvey Lake runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Mapping shows no built access close by; expect to walk in from wherever you can leave the car. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. For a change of water, Harrys Lake is 1.5 miles distant. Check the current arrangement for Harvey Lake.