Reflection Lake Fishing Guide, Ketchikan Gateway Borough, Alaska

• Overview

  Reflection Lake belongs to Ketchikan Gateway Borough, Alaska. It sits 4.8 miles in from the sea. This is sizeable water at about 1,091 acres, and a boat opens up most of it. Some 9.9 miles of bank gives room to move when the wind turns. Size puts it in the front rank of our Ketchikan Gateway Borough list. For a base, Wrangell sits 43 miles out. Ketchikan follows at 48 miles, then Metlakatla at 63 miles. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Reflection Lake

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Reported across Ketchikan Gateway Borough: pink salmon, Chum salmon, Chinook salmon, Coho salmon and sockeye salmon. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. On Reflection Lake the first feature you find is usually worth a session.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warm month here averages 54°F; the cold one sits at 25°F. The freeze here is occasional rather than annual. It is not guaranteed even in a cold spell, so check yourself. Spring and autumn carry the year; summer squeezes it into the ends of the day. Plan around that when you fish Reflection Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. There is no mapped parking or launch close by, which usually means walking in. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Local rules can differ across the county line, so check where you stand. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. If the gate is shut, Lake Nellie at 1.9 miles is the nearest alternative. Confirm access to Reflection Lake locally before you travel.