Fishing at Walker Lake, Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area, Alaska

• Overview

  Set in Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area, Walker Lake is an Alaska water. Country round the bank runs to pine and birch. About 390 acres, so local knowledge or a boat saves a lot of walking. The perimeter runs near 5.1 miles, so plan the walk before you start. It is among the larger waters listed here for Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area. For supplies, Ketchikan is 50 miles out. Then Metlakatla, 58 miles, and Wrangell, 85 miles. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Walker Lake

  Open data we checked carries no depth for this water. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Survey and observation records for Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area include pink salmon, Chum salmon and Chinook salmon. At least one recorded species is protected in parts of its range; read the local rules before targeting anything. At Walker Lake the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect August to average close to 53°F, with January the cold end at about 24°F. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. The lid usually goes in mid April, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. Open water usually runs from mid April until about late November. Fishing peaks soon after break-up and again before the cold returns. The season on Walker Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing we hold confirms whether access is permitted. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Access is unmapped, which usually means a farm track and a walk. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Gilbert Lake at 9.8 miles is the sensible second choice. Nothing here settles the position at Walker Lake for certain.