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

• Overview

  Lake Shelokum falls in Ketchikan Gateway Borough, part of Alaska. This is farm and woodlot country. This is sizeable water at about 360 acres, and a boat opens up most of it. Around 4.2 miles of bank, which is a long day on foot. Wrangell lies 44 miles from the water. Beyond it, Ketchikan at 45 miles and Metlakatla at 59 miles. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Lake Shelokum

  Open data we checked carries no depth for this water. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. County-wide records name 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. Anyone new to Lake Shelokum should walk it once before setting up.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical August readings run about 56°F; by January the average is down near 27°F. Ice comes and goes from one year to the next. It is not guaranteed from one year to the next. Autumn steadies things again once the heat lets go. Anyone fishing Lake Shelokum regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Mapping is blank for access, so scout the approach before committing the car. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Parking space is the usual limit rather than the bank itself. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Lake Bess sits 1.2 miles off and takes the overflow. Treat access at Lake Shelokum as something to verify.