Marten Lake Fishing in City and Borough of Wrangell, Alaska

• Overview

  Look for Marten Lake in City and Borough of Wrangell, Alaska. The surface lies 171 feet up. Roughly 223 acres: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. The margin runs to about 4.3 miles in total. Wrangell is the closest town at 24 miles. After that come Petersburg at 56 miles and Ketchikan at 65 miles. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Marten Lake

  No published figure covers depth, so learn it as you fish. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Records held for City and Borough of Wrangell cover Chinook salmon, sockeye salmon and Coho salmon. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. The shape of Marten Lake rewards a slow walk along one bank.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 54°F, with January the cold end at about 25°F. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. Look for the thaw near mid April; the fishing lifts straight after. On the long-run averages the water opens up around mid April and starts locking again about late November. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Marten Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  No public source sets out the position on this bank. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Public data shows nothing built here, so treat the whole approach as informal. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. The nearest alternative is Clay Lake, 1.1 miles out. For Marten Lake in particular, ask before you travel.