Fishing Ward Lake in Ketchikan Gateway Borough, Alaska

• Overview

  Set in Ketchikan Gateway Borough, Alaska, this is Ward Lake. It sits in open valley. It runs to roughly 57 acres — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. Shoreline comes to about 1.3 miles, small enough to learn in a day. It is a small entry by Ketchikan Gateway Borough standards. The nearest place of any size is Ketchikan, 5.3 miles away. It is 558 miles to Vancouver, the nearest city. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Ward Lake

  Depth figures are not published for this one. 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. Across Ketchikan Gateway Borough, recorded fish include pink salmon, Chum salmon and Chinook salmon. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. Treat Ward Lake as a water to read rather than to cover.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year August sits at 57°F and January at 33°F. Most months fish reasonably, given the right weather. Hard water here is never dependable, so check for yourself before stepping out. Spring and autumn carry the year; summer squeezes it into the ends of the day. Plan around that when you fish Ward Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. There is recorded parking some half a mile off. A campsite is mapped about half a mile away, which makes an early start easier. A picnic spot sits half a mile from the bank. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. Lake Perseverance sits 1.5 miles off and takes the overflow. Treat access at Ward Lake as something to verify.