Simple Tides / Guides / Ketchikan Tides

Ketchikan Tide Chart

Ketchikan — Alaska’s self-proclaimed Salmon Capital of the World — answers to a thirteen-foot mixed semidiurnal tide that floods the Inside Passage channels twice daily.

The pattern

Two unequal highs and two unequal lows daily with around thirteen feet of range — a bit less than Juneau’s, still enormous. The Tongass Narrows — the waterfront channel — runs hard on the big exchanges, with floatplanes, ferries, and fishing boats all reading the same current.

Salmon capital

Kings, silvers, pinks, and chums all pass Ketchikan’s waters — the charter fleet and shore anglers at Mountain Point and the waterfront work the tide changes. Halibut lurk the deeper holes. Creek Street’s boardwalk overlooks it all.

Boating the Narrows

The Narrows’ current, cruise ship traffic, and floatplane lanes make it busy water — small boats should stay sharp and give way. Misty Fjords’ glassy water is the reward for the run out. For the state, see our Alaska tide guide.