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

• Overview

  Sykes Lake is a Ketchikan Gateway Borough water, in Alaska. Tidal water begins 2.7 miles from here. At about 226 acres, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. The shoreline runs about 3.5 miles, so it pays to pick a stretch and stay with it. Start from Metlakatla, 23 miles down the road. Beyond it, Ketchikan at 29 miles and Prince Rupert at 64 miles. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Sykes Lake

  The records we hold are silent on depth, so plan to find it yourself. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Species logged across Ketchikan Gateway Borough include pink salmon, Chum salmon, Chinook salmon and Coho salmon. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. The near bank of Sykes Lake is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warmest month averages 56°F, the coldest about 31°F. Fishing continues through most of the calendar, with quiet spells rather than closures. Cover comes and goes, so treat it with suspicion rather than trust. June to September is hot work, so the first and last hours are what count. On Sykes Lake the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. No slipway, car park or made path shows up nearby in mapping, so treat access as rough. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Failing this one, try Kah Shakes Lake, 7 miles away. Treat access at Sykes Lake as something to verify.