Trail
Karta River Trail
- Distance
- 0 mi
Wilderness river trail from Karta Bay to Salmon Lake.
0.0 mi
Fishing spot
Karta River
Wilderness steelhead and trout river reached by boat or floatplane to Karta Bay.
Tongass National Forest · USFS
- Water kind
- River
- Species
- Steelhead · Cutthroat trout · Rainbow trout
- Run timing
- {"steelhead (fall)":"late October to mid-January, peak late November and December","steelhead (spring)":"early March to May, peak early April to mid-May"}
- Methods
- Artificial lures · Fly
- Shore access
- Yes
- Access modes
- Boat · Floatplane · Hike
- Regulations summary
- Includes Karta and Salmon lakes. One unbaited single-hook artificial lure or fly only, year-round. Cutthroat and rainbow combined 2 per day, 14 to 22 inches. Steelhead catch-and-release only.
- Regulations url
- adfg.alaska.gov/static/regulations/fishregulations/PDFs/southeast/2026se_sfregs_princeofwalesisland.pdf
- Reg year
- 2026
BoatFloatplaneHike
A fly-out or boat-in river in the Karta River Wilderness, listed by ADF&G among the island's steelhead drainages. The Karta River Trail follows it from Karta Bay to Salmon Lake, with Forest Service cabins at both ends of the system.
Run timing
| Species | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| steelhead (fall) | ||||||||||||
| steelhead (spring) |
Approximate timing; conditions and openings vary.
Location
Hiking · Fishing · Fly fishing
Sources
- 2026 Southeast Alaska Sport Fishing Regulations: Prince of Wales IslandAlaska Department of Fish and Game · Accessed 2026-11-05
- Prince of Wales Island Fishing InformationAlaska Department of Fish and Game · Accessed 2026-11-05
- Karta River TrailUSDA Forest Service, Tongass National Forest · Accessed 2026-11-05
- ADF&G Southeast sport fishingADF&G · Accessed 2026-11-09
Last updated 2026-11-05
Nearby within 25 miles
Trails
Public use cabins
Public-use cabin
Karta River Cabin
Cedar cabin at Karta Bay, at the start of the Karta River Trail.
0.0 mi
Public-use cabin
Karta Lake Cabin
Lake cabin in the Karta River country, 1.5 miles by trail from Karta Bay or by floatplane.
1.4 mi
Public-use cabin
Black Bear Lake Cabin
Fly-in lake cabin below Patricia Peak, reachable only by floatplane.
11.1 mi
Public-use cabin
Polk Camp Cabin
Three-bedroom road-access cabin near Polk Inlet, open year-round when the road is passable.
14.3 mi
Public-use cabin
Control Lake Cabin
Road-access lake cabin a short row from the Control Lake junction.
14.6 mi
Public-use cabin
Twelvemile Cabin
Fully accessible road cabin off the Hydaburg road.
14.7 mi
Public-use cabin
Troller's Cove Cabin
Small saltwater cabin with a mooring buoy, for boaters.
20.2 mi
Public-use cabin
Josephine Lake Cabin
High fly-in cabin at about 1,800 feet on the island's south end; no fish in the lake.
21.6 mi
Public-use cabin
Honker Lake Cabin
Small cabin on the Honker Divide canoe route, by floatplane or a 6-mile paddle.
22.4 mi
Campgrounds
Campground
Lake No. 3 Dispersed Campsite
Free two-site lakeside camp near the Salt Chuck mine trail, west of Thorne Bay.
5.6 mi
Campground
Harris River Campground
Quiet 14-site USFS campground beside the Harris River on the Hollis–Klawock highway.
12.7 mi
Campground
Eagles Nest Campground
Forest campground above Balls Lake in the center of the island, with a canoe launch and lakeside walk-in sites.
14.3 mi
Native villages
Lodges
Lodge
Boardwalk Lodge
An all-inclusive freshwater and saltwater fishing lodge at Cook's Cove in Thorne Bay on eastern Prince of Wales Island. Guests fish for all five Pacific salmon species, steelhead, halibut and black cod.
7.6 mi
Lodge
Sportsman's Cove Lodge
An all-inclusive saltwater fishing lodge on Prince of Wales Island near Ketchikan, reached by floatplane. Guests fish for salmon, halibut and cod, and the lodge also hosts corporate retreats.
14.3 mi
Lodge
Fireweed Lodge
A lodge owned by the Anderson family since 1990, overlooking the Klawock estuary on the west coast of Prince of Wales Island. Guests fish for king and coho salmon, halibut, lingcod and steelhead.
20.1 mi
Floatplane bases
Fishing spots
Fishing spot
Thorne River
The island's biggest road-accessible river for steelhead, coho and trout, reached at Gravelly Creek.
10.8 mi
Fishing spot
Harris River
Roadside coho river beside Harris River Campground.
12.7 mi
Fishing spot
Klawock River
Hatchery-boosted river with the island's largest coho return, right at Klawock.
20.0 mi
Fishing spot
Prince of Wales outer coast
Saltwater salmon and halibut out of Craig, Klawock and Waterfall.
23.2 mi
