Eagle River (Bradfield Canal)
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| Eagle River | |
|---|---|
  Location of the mouth of the Eagle River in Alaska | |
| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Alaska |
| Borough | City and Borough of Wrangell |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | Eagle Lake |
| • location | Coast Mountains, Tongass National Forest |
| • coordinates | 56°04′19″N 131°29′02″W / 56.07194°N 131.48389°W[1] |
| • elevation | 376 ft (115 m)[2] |
| Mouth | Eagle Bay |
• location | 5 miles (8 km) southwest of the head of Bradfield Canal |
• coordinates | 56°09′49″N 131°35′51″W / 56.16361°N 131.59750°W[1] |
• elevation | 0 ft (0 m)[1] |
| Length | 8 mi (13 km)[3] |
The Eagle River is a stream, 8 miles (13 km) long, in the borough of Wrangell in the U.S. state of Alaska.[1] Heading at Eagle Lake in the Coast Mountains, it flows northwest through part of the Tongass National Forest into Eagle Bay on the Bradfield Canal.[1][4] Near the midpoint of its course, the river passes through Little Eagle Lake.[4] On the shore opposite Eagle Bay and the Eagle River mouth, the Harding River enters Bradfield Canal.[4]
The United States Forest Service manages a public-use cabin, accessible only by floatplane, at Eagle Lake. Eagle Lake Cabin, about 1 mile (2 km) from the Eagle River outlet, comes with a 14-foot (4.3 m) oared skiff for fishing. Eagle Lake supports a population of "trophy" coastal cutthroat trout.[5]
Although the cabin is open year-round, lake ice may prevent floatplanes from landing. Amenities are minimal and do not include electricity or drinking water. Hunters as well as fishers sometimes rent the cabin.[6]
Major game fish in the Eagle River itself include pink and chum salmon, and Dolly Varden char, as well as coastal cutthroat trout.[7] These fish are accessible by boat traveling upriver from the mouth.[8]
The Forest Service manages a public-use cabin, the Harding River Cabin, about 2 miles (3 km) across Bradfield Canal from the Eagle River mouth. Renters of this cabin sometimes fish along the Eagle River or hunt for waterfowl on its tidal flats.[8]