Tongass National Forest

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Lake Fishing

When it comes to angling, there are two kinds of lakes in southeast Alaska, those that have salmon passing through them on their way to spawn, and those that do not.

You can't always tell which is which by looking at a map. Although a map may show a stream from the lake to the ocean, it does not guarantee that salmon can negotiate the stream to reach the lake. Barriers may prevent salmon from traveling upstream to spawn.

This can be especially important for trout anglers that are looking to catch larger fish. Barriered lakes may be nutrient poor; most fish in the lake may not have enough food to grow to larger sizes. So, many barriered lakes have relatively small trout that average less than 9 inches long. This is a decent assumption to begin with when you are planning a trip, but be careful, because some of the larger barriered lakes in the forest do have trout that are at least 20 inches long. Check with local biologists before you rule a lake out as a final destination.

Lakes that do have salmon runs typically will also have larger trout on average. This is because the salmon that die after spawning become fertilizer for the lake, and aquatic insects that feed young fish become more plentiful in these systems. More bugs means more small fish surviving (salmon and trout juveniles) and more small fish means bigger cutthroat trout and dolly varden char, both of which can be aggressive fish eaters (piscivores). Dolly Varden and Cutthroat greater than 20 inches long are not uncommon.

A variety of lures and flies work well in lakes. If you are using casting gear, small spinners and jigs with plastic grub tails work well. Jig weights are typically an 1/8 of an ounce or less. If you are at a Forest Service Cabin that has a boat, you may try using diving plugs trolled from the boat for larger trout. If salmon are present, they can usually be caught near either the inlet or the outlet streams connected to the lake. Flies for salmon and trout are not fancy. If you are after coho or pinks, flash flies, orange-colored flies, and egg-sucking leech patterns all work well. Trout are not very selective, especially in the summertime. Small streamers, small leech patterns, and simple caddis and mosquito dryfly imitations all work reasonably well.

Visit the Alaska State Fishing Regulations

USDA Forest Service - Tongass National Forest Accessibility Statement
Last Modified: November 29, 2007