Fishing Marten Arm Lake in Ketchikan Gateway Borough, Alaska

• Overview

  Marten Arm Lake falls in Ketchikan Gateway Borough, part of Alaska. The setting is farm and woodlot on every side. The water covers around 329 acres, which puts most of it out of reach from the bank. The outline measures near 4.9 miles, so local knowledge counts. Metlakatla lies 39 miles from the water. After that come Ketchikan at 43 miles and Prince Rupert at 59 miles. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Marten Arm Lake

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Species logged across Ketchikan Gateway Borough include 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. On Marten Arm Lake the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  August is the warm end of the year here, averaging about 57°F, while January sits near 29°F. A long season, with weather mattering more than the month. In milder years the edges alone go, and the middle never sets. November and March are the quiet, comfortable months to be out. Expect Marten Arm Lake to follow that timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. No car park, ramp or path is recorded within easy reach of the shore. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Bank access can be seasonal on ground like this. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. For a change of water, Quadra Lakes is 3.8 miles distant. Treat Marten Arm Lake as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.