Wildlife and Habitat

Leask Lakes is a 4,856-acre low elevation, temperate rainforest watershed, supporting salmon, trout, dense black bear populations and migratroy waterfowl habitat.

Leask Lakes is unique because of the open, grassy meadows along the lakes and stream, which provide excellent opportunities for hiking and wildlife observation.

Species list includes: Sitka black-tailed deer, black bear, beaver, marten, wolf, trumpeter swans, loons, Vancouver Canada Geese, bufflehead, goldeneye, greater/lesser scaup, mergansers, Queen Charlotte goshawks

• The two lakes and Leask Creek provide prime fish habitat for cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarki), Dolly Varden (Salvelinus malma), coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch), and sockeye (red) salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka). These fish are vital to Southeast Alaska's economy.

• Leask Lakes offers habitat for trumpeter swans due to their winter habitat requirements: low elevation, low human disturbance, grass flats adjoining open bodies of water, low elevation ice-free muskegs and lakes
  
• Forested areas within the Leask Lakes parcel host significant Sitka black-tailed deer wintering habitat. According to the Alaska Dept. of Fish and Game (Dec. 4, 2003), "...deer are generally restricted to uneven-aged old-growth forest below 1,500 feet in elevation. The old-growth forest provides optimal winter habitat because the high broken canopy intercepts much snow but still provides enough light for the growth of forage plants used by deer... During extreme snow accumulation, many deer congregate in heavily timbered stands at lower elevations, and some may even move onto the beach."

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