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

• Overview

  The Ketchikan Gateway Borough entry here is Long Lake, in Alaska. It lies 236 feet above sea level. At about 184 acres, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. Shoreline length is close to 4.7 miles, and each section fishes a little differently. The nearest town is Ketchikan, 40 miles away. Beyond it, Wrangell at 52 miles and Metlakatla at 54 miles. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Long Lake

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Records held for Ketchikan Gateway Borough cover pink salmon, Chum salmon and Chinook salmon. At least one recorded species is protected in parts of its range; read the local rules before targeting anything. Take Long Lake a stretch at a time.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year August sits at 55°F and January at 28°F. A long season, with weather mattering more than the month. Cover comes and goes, so treat it with suspicion rather than trust. Autumn steadies things again once the heat lets go. Time your trip to Long Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Nothing is listed nearby for parking or launching a boat. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. Pine Lake sits 3.5 miles off and takes the overflow. Rules at Long Lake are worth checking on the day.