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Rating depth structure for chinook salmon.
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195-acre Seal Cove fishing map at West Gravina with NOAA BlueTopo survey contours (54.08% measured, 100% assessed), time-stamped ADF&G fish evidence, measured fishing spots and verified Ketchikan boat access. The water tops out around 51 ft. The depth chart is built from real agency bathymetry referenced to NAVD88; directly measured coverage remains distinguished from source interpolation. The channels, holes and drop-offs come from the source data, not a distance-from-shore model. Every species below gets its seasonal read from the same numbers driving the chart.
The outline encloses 195 acres, worked by 2.9 miles of shoreline. A middling shoreline index (1.5) gives it some bays to work without being a maze. Roughly 39% of the water is 15 ft or less, the band where the food chain lives. Call it 1 mi long by 0.6 mi wide at the broadest reach. Clam Cove sits 10 mi north — the closest neighbouring chart.
Spring chinook salmon on Seal Cove hold shallow, usually 5 to 40 ft. They move out to 15 to 51 ft in summer and finish the year down in 15 to 51 ft. Put Surveyed channel edge first on the milk run — a drop-off near 25 ft that grades good for spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a flasher + fly (green/white) or a magnum spoon on downrigger.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (25 ft) | Trolled spoon (orange/gold), Stickbait off planer boards |
| Summer | 15 to 51 ft chart-limited; documented 50 to 120 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (25 ft) | Flasher + fly (green/white), Magnum spoon on downrigger |
| Fall | 10 to 50 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (25 ft) | J-plug (glow), Flasher + fly |
| Winter | 15 to 51 ft chart-limited; documented 30 to 90 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (25 ft) | Small spoon on a slow troll, Stickbait deep |
Early season coho salmon use the shallows, holding in 3 to 25 ft. Expect a summer slide to 15 to 51 ft, then a winter hold in 15 to 51 ft. Put Surveyed channel edge first on the milk run — a drop-off near 25 ft that grades good for summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a dodger + fly or a medium spoon above the thermocline and you're in the game.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (25 ft) | Small orange dodger + peanut fly, Thin spoon (orange/silver) |
| Summer | 15 to 51 ft chart-limited; documented 30 to 70 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (25 ft) | Dodger + fly, Medium spoon above the thermocline |
| Fall | 8 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (25 ft) | Casting spoon, Spinner (chartreuse) |
| Winter | 15 to 51 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 60 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (25 ft) | Small spoon, slow troll |
Start shallow in spring: pink salmon sit in 7 to 51 ft that time of year. They don't go far with the seasons — 2 to 51 ft covers summer, 11 to 51 ft covers winter. The spot to know is NOAA charted underwater rock, a rock pile in about 15 ft of water that rates prime for pink salmon in summer. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. Throw a pink or orange casting spoon or a small hoochie until the fish tell you otherwise.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 7 to 51 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 60 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (25 ft) | Small chrome spoon, Compact herring-pattern jig |
| Summer | 2 to 51 ft chart-limited; documented 3 to 70 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted underwater rock (15 ft) | Pink or orange casting spoon, Small hoochie |
| Fall | 2 to 51 ft chart-limited; documented 2 to 60 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted underwater rock (15 ft) | Small bright spoon, Pink jig |
| Winter | 11 to 51 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 90 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (25 ft) | Small vertical jig |
Come spring, look for chum salmon tight to the bank in 7 to 51 ft. Through summer count on 3 to 51 ft; the winter hold is 13 to 51 ft. If you only fish one area, make it NOAA charted underwater rock: a rock pile around 15 ft that scores prime in summer. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A chartreuse or pink hoochie or a bright spoon is the honest summer answer here.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 7 to 51 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 70 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (25 ft) | Chrome spoon, Compact baitfish jig |
| Summer | 3 to 51 ft chart-limited; documented 4 to 70 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted underwater rock (15 ft) | Chartreuse or pink hoochie, Bright spoon |
| Fall | 3 to 51 ft chart-limited; documented 3 to 60 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted underwater rock (15 ft) | Bright spinner, Pink or chartreuse jig |
| Winter | 13 to 51 ft chart-limited; documented 25 to 100 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (25 ft) | Compact vertical jig |
In spring, pacific halibut run shallow here, mostly 11 to 51 ft. Summer keeps them at 6 to 51 ft, and they winter in 13 to 51 ft. Fall pacific halibut concentrate at NOAA charted rock bottom, a prime-rated hard bottom around 24 ft. Fish it in midday and early morning and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a heavy vertical jig or a large swimbait most summer days.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 11 to 51 ft chart-limited; documented 35 to 160 ft | dawn | NOAA charted rock bottom (24 ft) | Heavy glow jig, Large grub on lead head |
| Summer | 6 to 51 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 180 ft | midday & dawn | NOAA charted rock bottom (24 ft) | Heavy vertical jig, Large swimbait |
| Fall | 8 to 51 ft chart-limited; documented 35 to 220 ft | midday | NOAA charted rock bottom (24 ft) | Heavy glow jig, Large grub |
| Winter | 13 to 51 ft chart-limited; documented 70 to 280 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (25 ft) | Heavy slow-pitch jig |
Early season lingcod use the shallows, holding in 9 to 51 ft. Even in summer they hold at 6 to 51 ft; winter keeps them in 13 to 51 ft. Put NOAA charted underwater rock first on the milk run — a rock pile near 15 ft that grades prime for spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in midday and early morning. Tie on a heavy swimbait or a metal jig and you're in the game.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 9 to 51 ft chart-limited; documented 25 to 140 ft | dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (15 ft) | Heavy swimbait, Metal jig |
| Summer | 6 to 51 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 180 ft | midday & dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (15 ft) | Heavy swimbait, Metal jig |
| Fall | 8 to 51 ft chart-limited; documented 30 to 200 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (15 ft) | Heavy metal jig, Large swimbait |
| Winter | 13 to 51 ft chart-limited; documented 60 to 240 ft | midday | NOAA charted rock bottom (24 ft) | Heavy slow-pitch jig |
Seal Cove also holds black rockfish (4 to 51 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Seal Cove carries 17 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at NOAA charted rock bottom, about 25 ft down.
Access data: City of Ketchikan Mountain Point Boat Launch Ramp and Port & Harbors pages. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Alaska waters are set by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (Southeast sport fishing) — and special regulations can apply to Seal Cove specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Alaska fishing regulations →
Seal Cove is about 51 ft (16 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart is built from real agency bathymetry referenced to NAVD88; directly measured coverage remains distinguished from source interpolation. The contours reflect measured and quality-assessed source depths.
Anglers target chinook salmon, coho salmon, pink salmon, chum salmon, pacific halibut, lingcod, black rockfish on Seal Cove.
NOAA charted underwater rock is the top-rated area: a rock pile in about 15 ft of water that rates prime for lingcod in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
For chinook salmon, the summer bite is best in early morning and the evening. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Fishing on Seal Cove is regulated by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (Southeast sport fishing). Check the official Alaska regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Clam Cove 10 mi · Bald Headed Cove 10 mi · Ketchikan Harbor Anchorage Area 11 mi · Ward Cove 15 mi · Ryus Bay 19 mi · Union Lake 69 mi, BC · Sarah Lake 78 mi, BC · Masset Sound 82 mi, BC · Bill Lake 86 mi, BC · Marion Lake 87 mi, BC · Toon Lake 88 mi, BC · Kergin Lake 89 mi, BC
See how Seal Cove stacks up: best chinook salmon lakes in Alaska · best coho salmon lakes in Alaska · best pink salmon lakes in Alaska · best chum salmon lakes in Alaska
Browse all Alaska fishing maps. See every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: NOAA BlueTopo (NAVD88; 54% measured, 46% source-interpolated). How we build these maps. Fish here with a sonar unit that logs? Send us your depth data and we'll improve this chart, credited to you. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.