Fishing at Salmon Creek Reservoir, Juneau City and Borough, Alaska

• Overview

  Juneau City and Borough in Alaska is where Salmon Creek Reservoir sits. Everything around it is lake country bush. It measures about 198 acres, which is a comfortable size for bank fishing. Bank access stretches around 2.9 miles in total. For a base, Juneau sits 3 miles out. Beyond it, Haines at 72 miles and Skagway at 84 miles. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Salmon Creek Reservoir

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. Points where the flooded channel swings in are the reliable ones. A reservoir gives you a hard edge, a shelf, and not much else. Reported across Juneau City and Borough: Chum salmon, sockeye salmon, Coho salmon and pink salmon. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. The shape of Salmon Creek Reservoir rewards a slow walk along one bank.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs 19°F to 50°F. Cold locks it up for a good stretch each year. Winter fishing happens on the ice here, with open water back around early May. Averages place the thaw at early May and the freeze at mid November. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. On Salmon Creek Reservoir the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing we hold confirms whether access is permitted. There is no mapped parking or launch nearby, which keeps numbers down. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. Mendenhall Lake sits 8.4 miles off and takes the overflow. Treat Salmon Creek Reservoir as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.