Fishing at Lower Ella Lake, Ketchikan Gateway Borough, Alaska

• Overview

  Ketchikan Gateway Borough, Alaska, is where Lower Ella Lake sits. The sea is 2.6 miles distant. Around 91 acres of surface means several distinct areas to work. There is roughly 2.3 miles of shoreline here, which is a short walk end to end. Ketchikan lies 26 miles from the water. Vancouver is the closest city, 546 miles away. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Lower Ella Lake

  Depth is not on record here, which means reading the ground instead. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Records held for Ketchikan Gateway Borough cover pink salmon, Chum salmon, Chinook salmon and Coho salmon. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. The shape of Lower Ella Lake rewards a slow walk along one bank.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The range across the year is 29°F to 57°F. Most months fish reasonably, given the right weather. In a normal year the cover is thin and short-lived. The cooler months are the comfortable ones to fish here. Lower Ella Lake fishes to that pattern most years. Settled weather over several days beats a single fine one.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. No made access appears within a short radius, so plan to park on a verge and walk. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. Failing this one, try Manzanita Lake, 3 miles away. Treat Lower Ella Lake as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.