Selawik Lake Fishing, Size, Depth, and More

Located in Alaska’s northern region, Selawik Lake is the third largest lake in the state. This impressive body of water is 263,000 acres. Additionally, the remote location surrounding the lake has abundant wildlife. This area of land is virtually untouched and features a rugged landscape not accessible by traditional means. To get to the lake, you must take a plane, a dogsled, or a boat. Once there, you will experience breathtaking views of foreboding mountains, dense forests, and vast tundra. Discover all there is to know about Selawik Lake, including its size, history, location, and activities.

Selawik Lake Location

Selawik Lake is located seven miles to the southwest of Selawik, Alaska. Selawik is a northwest Arctic borough of Alaska featuring a little over 800 people. The area began as an Inuit village in the 1800s but became incorporated in 1963. The town sits at the mouth of the Selawik River. Many lakes and tributaries surround it. 

Selawik Lake is near the Kobuk Valley National Park and adjacent to the Selawik National Wildlife Refuge. It feeds into the Hotham Inlet, which flows into the Kotzebue Sound, an arm of the Chukchi Sea.

Selawik Lake History

The Eskimo indigenous people of Alaska first reported the name of the lake as Chilivik, which most likely referred to a tribe in the area. “Selawik” comes from the Inupiaq word for “place of sheefish.” 

The first European to explore and record the area was Sir John Franklin, a British Navy officer and Arctic explorer. One of his expeditions led him to Selawik Lake in 1850.

Other than its ties to the indigenous peoples of Northern Alaska, people do not know much about the history of this lake. It is in a remote location and natives most likely fished it for hundreds of years.

Selawik Lake Size, Depth, and Water Level

Selawik Lake is a brackish lake in the Arctic Circle and features a surrounding landscape of mountains, meadows, Arctic tundra, and dense boreal forests. The lake is 263,000 acres, with a maximum length of 31 miles. It has an unknown depth and water level. This lake is the third-largest lake in Alaska and the seventeenth-largest in the United States.

Selawik Lake Fishing, Boating, and Other Activities

It is not like most lakes, where you can drive to its location and spend the day hanging out around the shore. It is not easy to get to; You must take a plane, boat, or sled to its location. And most people come here for one thing: fishing. Selawik is a world-class sheefishing lake where anglers from all over the world come to experience the Alaska wilderness and catch 50-pound sheefish. There are several ways to fish in the lake. You can take out a boat during the summer. Or you can icefish in the winter and spring. 

But the best thing about this lake and the surrounding land is that it is largely unchanged. Most parts of the world change rapidly with population, infrastructure, and modern luxuries. But Selawik is primarily the same today as it was a hundred years ago. It’s a perfect destination for those who want to experience the great outdoors in the Alaskan wilderness without other distractions. 

Here are a few more things you can do in the lake and around the area.

• Wildlife viewing and bird watching
• Hunting
• Rafting
• Soak in a hot spring
• Or just take in the sights and sounds of the Arctic

Selawik Lake Camping

The lake and surrounding wilderness are unmarked, undeveloped, and unguided. There are no roads, campgrounds, or cleared trails. Everything you do at the lake and refuge is at your own discretion. You can participate in self-guided hiking and primitive camping. But there are no modern amenities.

Wildlife Around Selawik Lake

The abundant native wildlife is one of the best reasons to visit Selawik Lake. Here are several species common in the area.

• Western Arctic caribou
• Moose
• Bears
• Wolves
• Red foxes
• Arctic foxes
• Lynx
• Wolverines
• And many migratory birds

The photo featured at the top of this post is © USFWS / Pixnio – License / Original