Best pink salmon lakes in Alaska
10 Alaska waters hold pink salmon, 10 mapped with real state-agency depth surveys. Ranked below by size and depth-data quality — open any water to see exactly where to fish it: depth contours, scored spots with plain-English reasons, seasonal windows and bait picks. A schooling Southeast Alaska salmon that follows nearshore forage before returning to coastal streams, with run strength varying sharply by year and drainage.
- Silver Bay — 400 ft max · survey depth data · Chinook Salmon, Coho Salmon, Pink Salmon, Chum SalmonWhy #1: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
- Ketchikan Harbor Anchorage Area — 162 ft max · survey depth data · Coho Salmon, Pink Salmon, Chum Salmon, Pacific HalibutWhy #2: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
- Hoonah Harbor — 275 ft max · survey depth data · Chinook Salmon, Coho Salmon, Pink Salmon, Chum SalmonWhy #3: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
- Ward Cove — 171 ft max · survey depth data · Coho Salmon, Steelhead, Cutthroat Trout, Pink SalmonWhy #4: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
- Ryus Bay — 92 ft max · survey depth data · Chinook Salmon, Coho Salmon, Pink Salmon, Chum SalmonWhy #5: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
- Halibut Cove Lagoon — 223 ft max · survey depth data · Chinook Salmon, Coho Salmon, Pink Salmon, Chum SalmonWhy #6: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
- Wrangell Harbor — 43 ft max · survey depth data · Chinook Salmon, Coho Salmon, Pink Salmon, Chum SalmonWhy #7: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
- Crescent Bay — 63 ft max · survey depth data · Chinook Salmon, Coho Salmon, Pink Salmon, Dolly VardenWhy #8: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
- Bald Headed Cove — 44 ft max · survey depth data · Coho Salmon, Pink Salmon, Chum Salmon, Pacific HalibutWhy #9: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
- Clam Cove — 38 ft max · survey depth data · Chinook Salmon, Coho Salmon, Pink Salmon, Chum SalmonWhy #10: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
Find the closest pink salmon waters to you →
How to use this ranking
The order is a map-planning ranking, not a claim about today's fish population. It favors larger mapped waters and gives survey-backed contours a three-times data-quality boost. Agency population surveys, current regulations, access and recent conditions should make the final decision.
Compare maximum depth across 37,233 lake records · See Alaska waters with public access data
When to fish pink salmon in Alaska
- Spring 8–60 ft — Mostly a broad nearshore search period; confirm bait and local reports before committing.
- Summer 3–70 ft — Follow visible schools along shoreline points, rock-lined travel lanes and stream approaches; run timing varies sharply by year and drainage.
- Fall 2–60 ft — Late fish concentrate near freshwater influence and shoreline travel structure; release dark spawning fish and observe local closures.
- Winter 20–90 ft — Not a dependable winter bay target; treat any encounter as incidental.
Also in Alaska: best northern pike lakes · best rainbow trout lakes · best chinook salmon lakes · best coho salmon lakes · best lake trout lakes · best lake whitefish lakes · best burbot lakes · best arctic grayling lakes · best arctic char lakes · best chum salmon lakes · best pacific halibut lakes · best lingcod lakes · best black rockfish lakes
Pink Salmon elsewhere: British Columbia · Washington