2023 Alaska Fishing Regulations

Halibut Regulations:

Daily limit: 1 per person per day either under 40″ or over 80″

Annual limit: None

Day of Week Closure: Retention of halibut is prohibited on Mondays beginning on July 24 until the end of the season.

Timing: Expect fast halibut action all season. We have great success catching halibut up to the 40-inch maximum from May thru September. We do catch the very occasional halibut over the 80-inch mark – especially in May and June.

Size: 10-450 pounds. We see halibut of all sizes in Sitka. Best fishing is on the ocean,so as long as weather permits, we’ll get them!

Chinook (King) Salmon:

Daily limit: one king salmon per person, 28 inches or greater in length.

• January 1 through June 30: Nonresident annual limit is three king salmon
• July 1 through July 15, Nonresident annual harvest limit is two king salmon, 28 inches or greater in length
• July 16 through December 31, Nonresident annual harvest limit is one king salmon, 28 inches or greater in length

Note: Any king harvested applies toward the annual limit at the time you fishing. For instance, if a non-resident harvests a king in June and returns in August – that person has already reached their annual limit.

Coho (Silver) Salmon:

Daily limit: 6 per person

Annual limit: none

Timing: Late June/early July – mid September

Size: Average size 6-10 pounds in June through late July, 8-12 pounds August and September. Silvers gain weight rapidly throughout the summer. By mid-August silvers of 12- 15 pounds are fairly common and the elusive 20 pound hooknose is possible.

Chum (Dog) Salmon:

Daily limit: 6 per person

Annual limit: none

Timing: Mid-July – mid August

Size: Average size 6-10 pounds with some reaching mid to high teens. Not an every year target, but very abundant some years. Hard fighting, aggressive feeders, and highly underrated as tablefare when they are bright and in the ocean.

Ling Cod:

Daily limit: 1 per day; 30–40 inches or 55 inches and longer, annual limit of 2 fish, one of which is 30–40 inches in length, and one that is 55 inches or greater in length, harvest record required

Annual limit: 2 – one must be between 30-40″ and the other must be over 55″.

Timing: May 16 through November 30

Size: 30-40 inches or 55 inches and longer.

Pelagic Rockfish (Sea Bass):

Daily limit: 3 per day, no size limit

Annual limit: None

Timing: All season

Size: 3-8 pounds

Species: Pelagic rockfish include black, dusky, blue, yellowtail, widow, and dark

Slope Non-Pelagic:

Slope rockfish include: Blackgill, Blackspotted, Bocaccio, Brown, Chilipepper, Darkblotched, Greenstriped, Harlequin, Northern, Pacific Ocean Perch, Puget Sound, Pygmy, Redstripe, Redbanded, Rougheye, Sharpchin, Shortbelly, Shortraker, Silvergray, Splitnose, Stripetail, Vermilion, and Yellowmouth.

No size limit: 1 per day, no size limit

Non-Pelagic Rockfish:

Non-pelagic rockfish include: Yelloweye, quillback, copper, silvergray, tiger, and china.

Daily limit: Zero retention of all non-pelagic rockfish.

Black Cod:

Daily limit: 4 per person

Annual limit: 8 per person

Timing: Available in deep water – in excess of 600 feet all season long.

Size: Most are 5-10 pounds, occasionally up to 25 pounds.

Salmon Shark:

Daily limit: 1 per person

Annual limit: 2 per person

Timing: Tend to show up mostly in July through September.

Size: Range from 60 – 300 pounds.

We seldom target Salmon Sharks and their presence in our waters seems highly variable, ranging from seeing them on an off to not seeing them at all.

Pacific Cod:

Daily limit: unlimited

Annual limit: none

Timing: all season.

Size: Range from 3 – 15 pounds.

We don’t specifically target Pacific cod. They are a bonus fish when we target halibut. Very willing to take a bait or jig, Pacific cod produce a delicious mild white-meat filet.