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

• Overview

  Out in Ketchikan Gateway Borough, Alaska, sits Manzanita Lake. The ground round it is farm and woodlot. This is sizeable water at about 2.6 sq miles, and a boat opens up most of it. You have roughly 20 miles of edge to choose from, which rewards a scouting trip. On our Ketchikan Gateway Borough list it sits near the top for size. Ketchikan at 27 miles is the nearest place to stop. Metlakatla follows at 35 miles, then Wrangell at 81 miles. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Manzanita Lake

  Depth is not on record here, which means reading the ground instead. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Survey and observation records for Ketchikan Gateway Borough include pink salmon, Chum salmon and Chinook salmon. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. Fish Manzanita Lake to its features, not to its size.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about 29°F in January to roughly 57°F in August. The swings are modest, so patterns change slowly. It should never be assumed safe, whatever the month says. March through May is the strongest run, with October and November a second stretch. Manzanita Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. No car park, ramp or path is recorded within easy reach of the shore. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. Should this one be busy, Lower Ella Lake is 3 miles off. Ask locally about Manzanita Lake if anything is unclear.