Ketchikan is rainy year-round — plan for it. The wettest months are October through January, when storms roll in off the Pacific and rainfall can exceed 20 inches in a single month. Summers are mild and the driest period of the year, though "dry" is relative: July and August still see frequent overcast days and light rain. Temperatures rarely exceed 65°F (18°C) in summer or drop below 30°F (-1°C) in winter, making the climate remarkably temperate by Alaskan standards.
May to September is the main visitor season. The Alaska Marine Highway operates year-round, but summer sailings are more frequent. Cruise ships arrive from May through September, with July and August seeing the heaviest traffic. If you want the town to yourself, late May or early September offer good weather with far fewer visitors.
Salmon fishing peaks at different times depending on the species. King (chinook) salmon run from May to July; silver (coho) salmon are best from August to October. The Fourth of July Salmon Derby draws serious sport fishers from across the region.
Southeast Alaska State Fair, held in Haines but relevant for timing the broader region visit, falls in August. Ketchikan's own summer events include the Blueberry Arts Festival in early August — a local favourite celebrating the wild blueberries that ripen on every hillside. The Wearable Art Show in March is a genuinely distinctive event, a fashion-theatre hybrid that has been running for decades.
Winter travel is quiet, peaceful, and cheap. The forest is green year-round (it's a rainforest), and you'll have the totem parks nearly to yourself. The lack of daylight is real: December days in Ketchikan last only about seven hours.