Taku Inlet, Glacial inlet near Juneau, United States

Taku Inlet is a glacial waterway near Juneau that extends from Stephens Passage into the interior, where the Taku River flows and the Taku Glacier descends to meet the water. The inlet forms a wide basin surrounded by steep mountainsides and ice fields.

The Taku Glacier has been advancing into the inlet since the late 1800s, continuously pushing sediment and rock into the water. This ongoing process continuously reshapes the shoreline and depth of the waterway.

The Taku River Tlingit First Nation maintains traditional practices in the region, conducting seal hunting and fishing activities throughout the inlet's waters.

This waterway is best explored by small boat with shallow draft, since water depths are limited in many areas. Visitors should be aware of constantly shifting sandbars and sediment deposits that change the navigable channels.

A clear channel 1.25 miles wide and over 10 fathoms deep runs between Taku Point and the Norris Glacier moraine, even though the inlet silts up at its head. The U.S. Coast & Geodetic Survey prepared a 1:10,000 preliminary chart from field surveys so navigators could bring ships in to view the glaciers.