Ives Lake Fishing Guide, Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area, Alaska

• Overview

  Look for Ives Lake in the Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area part of Alaska. Height above sea level is 112 feet. Small at around 21 acres: two anglers spread out cover most of it. It is a small entry by Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area standards. Craig at 26 miles is the nearest place to stop. The big place round here is Vancouver, 584 miles distant. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Ives Lake

  Depth figures are not published for this one. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Fish documented in Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area include pink salmon, Chum salmon, Chinook salmon, Coho salmon and sockeye salmon. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. At Ives Lake the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 57°F at the top of summer and 32°F at the bottom of winter. Conditions shift steadily rather than sharply. In milder years the edges alone go, and the middle never sets. February into May fishes hardest as the water warms. That shapes the year on Ives Lake. Cool nights slow the mornings but sharpen the evenings.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. No car park, ramp or path is recorded within easy reach of the shore. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. Lake Mary sits 3.5 miles off and takes the overflow. What applies at Ives Lake may have changed since it was mapped.