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225-acre Ward Cove fishing map with NOAA H10967/H07869 and BlueTopo survey contours (97.99% measured, 97.99% assessed), ten measured source-traceable wreck, rock, pier and pile spots, six exact-water ADF&G fish profiles, two forage calendars, roadside access and current Ketchikan rules. The water tops out around 171 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. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.
On the chart, Ward Cove draws 224 acres inside 3.7 miles of shoreline, with 7 islands in the mix. The shoreline is moderately structured (index 1.8) — enough points and pockets to pattern. 4% of the surface is littoral (under ~15 ft) — cover, weeds and forage water. End to end it runs roughly 1.1 mi, about 0.5 mi across. The nearest mapped water is Ketchikan Harbor Anchorage Area, 5 mi to the southeast.
Come spring, look for pink salmon tight to the bank in 8 to 60 ft. They move out to 3 to 70 ft in summer and finish the year down in 20 to 90 ft. If you only fish one area, make it NOAA charted underwater rock: a rock pile around 36 ft that scores prime in summer. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A pink or orange casting spoon or a small hoochie is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 8 to 60 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (14 ft) | Small chrome spoon, Compact herring-pattern jig |
| Summer | 3 to 70 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted underwater rock (36 ft) | Pink or orange casting spoon, Small hoochie |
| Fall | 2 to 60 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted underwater rock (36 ft) | Small bright spoon, Pink jig |
| Winter | 20 to 90 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (62 ft) | Small vertical jig |
When the water first warms, steelhead slide up into 3 to 20 ft. Summer is a 5 to 45 ft game here, winter a 4 to 15 ft one. Start at Surveyed channel edge. It's a drop-off holding about 14 ft of water and rates good come summer. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. Keep an orange dodger + fly high in the column or a thin spoon off boards rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (14 ft) | Small spoon or spinner at the mouths, Jig + waxworm under float |
| Summer | 5 to 45 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (14 ft) | Orange dodger + fly high in the column, Thin spoon off boards |
| Fall | 5 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (14 ft) | Spinner (silver/blue), Casting spoon |
| Winter | 4 to 15 ft | midday | open water | Float jig (black/purple), Bead rig |
Spring puts sockeye salmon in skinny water — 5 to 70 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 3 to 80 ft, wintering in 25 to 110 ft. Spring sockeye salmon concentrate at Surveyed channel edge, a good-rated drop-off around 62 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. A small red or pink fly behind a flasher or a compact squid or hoochie covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 70 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (62 ft) | Small red or pink hoochie, Compact plankton-profile fly |
| Summer | 3 to 80 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (62 ft) | Small red or pink fly behind a flasher, Compact squid or hoochie |
| Fall | 2 to 55 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Small bright fly, Compact spinner where legal |
| Winter | 25 to 110 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (106 ft) |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: coho salmon in 3 to 25 ft. As the season builds they drop to 30 to 70 ft, wintering in 20 to 60 ft. Top water on the chart: Surveyed channel edge, a drop-off in the 62 ft range, good in summer. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a dodger + fly or a medium spoon above the thermocline gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (14 ft) | Small orange dodger + peanut fly, Thin spoon (orange/silver) |
| Summer | 30 to 70 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (62 ft) | Dodger + fly, Medium spoon above the thermocline |
| Fall | 8 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (14 ft) | Casting spoon, Spinner (chartreuse) |
| Winter | 20 to 60 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (62 ft) | Small spoon, slow troll |
Come spring, look for dolly varden tight to the bank in 1 to 30 ft. Expect a summer slide to 2 to 40 ft, then a winter hold in 8 to 45 ft. Start at NOAA charted pier. It's a dock line holding about 4 ft of water and rates prime come spring. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. A small chrome spoon or a baitfish streamer is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 30 ft | dawn & midday | NOAA charted pier (4 ft) | Small silver spoon, Inline spinner |
| Summer | 2 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted pier (4 ft) | Small chrome spoon, Baitfish streamer |
| Fall | 1 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted pier (4 ft) | Small spinner, Egg or fry pattern |
| Winter | 8 to 45 ft | midday | NOAA charted pile (10 ft) | Small slow spoon, Weighted baitfish fly |
Come spring, look for cutthroat trout tight to the bank in 3 to 15 ft. They move out to 10 to 35 ft in summer and finish the year down in 10 to 40 ft. If you only fish one area, make it NOAA charted underwater rock: a rock pile around 36 ft that scores prime in summer. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A trolled spoon (small) or an inline spinner is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted wreck (10 ft) | Inline spinner (silver/gold), Small spoon |
| Summer | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted underwater rock (36 ft) | Trolled spoon (small), Inline spinner |
| Fall | 5 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted wreck (10 ft) | Casting spoon, Inline spinner |
| Winter | 10 to 40 ft | dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (36 ft) | Small jigging spoon, Marabou jig |
Structure-wise the chart holds 14 features, led in depth by Surveyed channel edge at roughly 106 ft.
Access data: Alaska Department of Fish and Game - Roadside Sport Fishing Locations in the Ketchikan Area, map key 8. 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 Ward Cove specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Alaska fishing regulations →
Ward Cove is about 171 ft (52 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 pink salmon, steelhead, sockeye salmon, coho salmon, dolly varden, cutthroat trout on Ward Cove.
NOAA charted pier is the top-rated area: a dock line in about 4 ft of water that rates prime for dolly varden in spring. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every species and season.
For pink 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 Ward 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.
Ketchikan Harbor Anchorage Area 5 mi · Clam Cove 6 mi · Bald Headed Cove 7 mi · Ryus Bay 33 mi · Border Lake 77 mi, BC · Wrangell Harbor 78 mi · Union Lake 78 mi, BC · Sarah Lake 88 mi, BC · Jade Lake 94 mi, BC · Bill Lake 96 mi, BC · Toon Lake 96 mi, BC · Tom Mackay Lake 97 mi, BC
See how Ward Cove stacks up: best coho salmon lakes in Alaska · best pink salmon lakes in Alaska
Browse all Alaska fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: NOAA BlueTopo (NAVD88; 98% measured, 0% 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.