Native village
Klawock
Tlingit town at the island's road crossroads, with a totem park and the only paved runway.
0.0 mi
Fishing spot
Klawock River
Hatchery-boosted river with the island's largest coho return, right at Klawock.
Tongass National Forest · USFS
- Water kind
- River
- Species
- Coho salmon · Steelhead · Cutthroat trout
- Run timing
- {"coho":"late August to September"}
- Methods
- Artificial lures · Fly · Bait (below weir, Sept 15 to Oct 15)
- Shore access
- Yes
- Access modes
- Road
- Regulations summary
- Closed to sockeye upstream of the Klawock River Bridge, and no fishing from the bridge. Artificial lures or flies only above the ADF&G markers. Bait allowed below the weir from September 15 to October 15.
- Regulations url
- adfg.alaska.gov/static/regulations/fishregulations/PDFs/southeast/2026se_sfregs_princeofwalesisland.pdf
- Reg year
- 2026
Road
The Klawock River has the island's largest coho return, supported by a hatchery; fishing is best from late August through September. Trout are in the river and Klawock Lake, and it is also a steelhead drainage.
Run timing
| Species | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| coho |
Approximate timing; conditions and openings vary.
Location
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
Last updated 2026-11-05
Nearby within 25 miles
Native villages
Lodges
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.
0.3 mi
Lodge
Waterfall Resort
A historic salmon cannery turned full-service fishing resort on 52 acres of Prince of Wales Island, reached only by air or sea. Guests fish for king and silver salmon, halibut, lingcod and more than 20 other species.
18.9 mi
Lodge
Steamboat Bay Fishing Club
A high-end private fishing club on remote Noyes Island off Prince of Wales Island, about 40 minutes by floatplane from Ketchikan. It is known for king and coho salmon, halibut, lingcod and rockfish, and whales are often seen in the bay.
21.7 mi
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.
23.5 mi
Airports
Floatplane bases
Fishing spots
Fishing spot
Prince of Wales outer coast
Saltwater salmon and halibut out of Craig, Klawock and Waterfall.
6.0 mi
Fishing spot
Harris River
Roadside coho river beside Harris River Campground.
10.9 mi
Fishing spot
Staney Creek
Road-accessible west-side creek for coho and steelhead, with free campsites and a cabin.
17.5 mi
Fishing spot
Karta River
Wilderness steelhead and trout river reached by boat or floatplane to Karta Bay.
20.0 mi
Fishing spot
Thorne River
The island's biggest road-accessible river for steelhead, coho and trout, reached at Gravelly Creek.
21.4 mi
Public use cabins
Public-use cabin
Black Bear Lake Cabin
Fly-in lake cabin below Patricia Peak, reachable only by floatplane.
9.0 mi
Public-use cabin
Point Amargura Cabin
Remote saltwater cabin on San Fernando Island west of Craig.
12.9 mi
Public-use cabin
Control Lake Cabin
Road-access lake cabin a short row from the Control Lake junction.
13.0 mi
Public-use cabin
Staney Creek Cabin
Easy-access cabin a half mile by boardwalk from Forest Road 2054, near Staney Creek's salmon and steelhead.
18.5 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.
18.5 mi
Public-use cabin
Twelvemile Cabin
Fully accessible road cabin off the Hydaburg road.
19.2 mi
Public-use cabin
Karta River Cabin
Cedar cabin at Karta Bay, at the start of the Karta River Trail.
20.0 mi
Public-use cabin
Honker Lake Cabin
Small cabin on the Honker Divide canoe route, by floatplane or a 6-mile paddle.
20.7 mi
Campgrounds
Campground
Harris River Campground
Quiet 14-site USFS campground beside the Harris River on the Hollis–Klawock highway.
10.9 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.
14.0 mi
Campground
Staney Bridge Dispersed Campsite
Free two-site camp at the Staney Creek bridge on Forest Road 2050.
17.5 mi
Campground
Horseshoe Hole Dispersed Campsite
Free two-site forest camp near Staney Creek on the island's west side.
18.0 mi
Campground
Lake No. 3 Dispersed Campsite
Free two-site lakeside camp near the Salt Chuck mine trail, west of Thorne Bay.
20.7 mi
Waterfalls
Trails
Trail
Canoe Point Trail
- Distance
- 12.5051682001921 mi
Quarter-mile boat-access trail in Trocadero Bay to a 130-foot waterfall.
12.5 mi
Trail
Balls Lake Trail
- Distance
- 14.2313077212579 mi
Lakeshore loop from the Balls Lake picnic shelter, linked to Eagles Nest Campground.
14.2 mi
Trail
Karta River Trail
- Distance
- 19.9552487783904 mi
Wilderness river trail from Karta Bay to Salmon Lake.
20.0 mi
