Fishing at Snow Lake, Ketchikan Gateway Borough, Alaska

• Overview

  You will find Snow Lake in Ketchikan Gateway Borough, Alaska. Salt water lies 3.6 miles off. Roughly 99 acres: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. A shoreline of some 2.1 miles keeps the choices simple. The nearest town is Ketchikan, 22 miles away. Metlakatla is 36 miles and Craig 67 miles. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Snow Lake

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. 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, Chinook salmon and Coho salmon. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. The shape of Snow Lake decides where the fish sit.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between 29°F in January and 56°F in August. The freeze here is occasional rather than annual. Hard water here is never dependable, so check for yourself before stepping out. March through May is the strongest run, with October and November a second stretch. That shapes the year on Snow Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Nothing is mapped in the way of a ramp or car park within a short radius. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Parking is often the real limit rather than the bank itself. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. Failing this one, try Orton Lake, 1.2 miles away. Signs at Snow Lake carry more weight than any list.