Swan Lake in Ketchikan Gateway Borough: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  You will find Swan Lake in Ketchikan Gateway Borough, Alaska. The surface lies 292 feet up. It measures some 1,431 acres, and wind has room to build across it. Some 13 miles of bank gives room to move when the wind turns. It ranks high for size among our Ketchikan Gateway Borough listings. Nearest place of any size is Ketchikan, 24 miles away. The big place round here is Vancouver, 558 miles distant. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Swan Lake

  Our records hold no depth for this water. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Records held for Ketchikan Gateway Borough cover 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. Anyone new to Swan Lake should walk it once before setting up.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 56°F at the top of summer and 28°F at the bottom of winter. A lid forms in a hard winter only. It should never be assumed safe, whatever the month says. June to September is hot work, so the first and last hours are what count. The season on Swan Lake follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. Records list it as a dammed water rather than a natural one, which shows in the shape of the basin. No made access appears within a short radius, so plan to park on a verge and walk. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. North Saddle Lake at 6.3 miles is the sensible second choice. Check the current arrangement for Swan Lake.