The Truth about Skagway Lakes

The beautiful and poorly named Lost Lake. Just one of the four Skagway lakes.

Last week, we shared a blog about Skagway Rivers. Piles of fan mail came pouring into the M&M Tours’ Office so today’s blog is all about Skagway Lakes. People like lakes because they’re peaceful, full of fish, and a great spot for a picnic. Some people like to waterski, canoe, or kayak. Even laying out on the shore of a lake and soaking up the sun can make for a memorable day.

If you’re traveling to Skagway on a cruise, you may want to hike to a lake for some fun and frivolity. It’s your vacation, so feel free to go hog wild. Take a dip. Catch a few fish. Snap a few photos. After all, you’re in Skagway, which is the best place in all of Alaska.

There aren’t many Skagway Lakes

We learned last week that there are only two Skagway rivers. There aren’t many Skagway lakes either, mostly because Skagway isn’t very big. While there may be some remote lakes hidden in the mountains, I am only going to list the lakes you can access by car or foot. That’s just how I roll.

Skagway Lakes – A comprehensive guide

Okay, so let’s dive in and get this blog rolling. See what I did there? “Dive in?” Too funny!

Lower Dewey Lake – This is undeniably the most popular lake in all of Skagway. I suppose you could deny it but why would you? Lower Dewey Lake is a short hike from Downtown Skagway. It takes less than 30 minutes to hike up to the lake and an hour to hike all the way around. 

Popular local activities at Lower Dewey Lake include sunbathing, fishing, and picnicking. For some reason, everyone also loves chucking rocks into the lake. I suppose splashing sounds are interesting. I figure that tens of thousands of rocks are thrown into the lake every year. Where do all these rocks come from? Will they ever fill up the lake? Does a rock ever hit a fish in the head and kill it? I have so many questions. I like catching the brook trout that live in Lower Dewey Lake. I also like eating them. 

Upper Dewey Lake – If there’s a Lower Dewey Lake, it stands to reason there’s also an Upper Dewey Lake. Reaching Upper Dewey Lake requires a steep two-hour hike. The trail is two-and-a-half miles long with 3,200 feet of elevation gain. Upper Dewey Lake is in the alpine and it’s very beautiful. The water is also very cold. I see people swimming in Upper Dewey Lake and I think they’re nuts. There are brook trout in the lake but there are fewer then there used to be because I catch them and eat them. 

Lost Lake – This is probably Skagway’s most poorly named lake because it’s not lost at all. In fact, there is a trail leading right to it and another trail being cut. Once the new trail is completed, Lost Lake will be the only Skagway lake with two trails leading to its shores, making it the easiest lake to find. At that point, Lost Lake will be the least lost lake of all Skagway lakes. Fun things to do at Lost Lake include blueberry picking, camping, and throwing rocks in the lake. I catch the rainbow trout that live in the lake and then cook them over a fire by the shore. Meanwhile, I try not to think about the massive grizzly bears that hand out around Lost Lake.

Lost Lost Lake – A half-mile past Lost Lake is Lost Lost Lake, so named because people sometimes just run out of ideas. Lost Lost Lake is slightly more lost than Lost Lake but not totally lost because you can hike along a primitive trail to reach Lost Lost Lake. If Lost Lost Lake were truly lost, you also wouldn’t be reading about it right now. There are no fish in Lost Lost Lake so I don’t care about it.

That’s about all for Skagway lakes

So, I guess there are four Skagway lakes and I was really pushing it with Lost Lost Lake. Before some wiseacre says, “You forgot Goat Lake,” I’m pointing out that Goat Lake is not within the Skagway Borough boundary, so mind your own business!

Thank you for joining us for today’s informative blog about Skagway Lakes. Take some time to enjoy tossing some rocks in the water while you’re in Skagway and make memories you will never forget for a while.