2025 Alaska Fishing Seasons & Regulations

Regarding Regulations

Angling Unlimited spends a good deal of time, effort, and money working toward the best regulations possible for the guided sport fishery. Our goals are supporting the long-term sustainability of the resources as well as fair access to the resource for sport fishers from around the country. If you would like to learn more about a new organization formed by Captain Tom Ohaus and other concerned lodge/charter operators in Southeast Alaska, go to www.seagoalaska.org.

Our philosophy toward the fishing remains the same – the fun, the beauty, the experience, and the camaraderie with friends and family remains unchanged – nobody can put a limit on any of these things. We recognize that the take-home fish are essential to your experience; that’s why we take such good care of your catch from the moment you catch it until it’s hard frozen and boxed for shipment home. Amidst this changing landscape of regulations, we believe that 99% of what people come to Alaska to experience remains right here with the quality of service at Angling Unlimited and on the beautiful saltwater wilderness surrounding Sitka.

Halibut Regulations

Daily bag limit: 1 per person per day, either under 37″ or over 80″

Annual limit: None

Day of Week Closure: Closed on Tuesdays for retention except by GAF.

Timing: Expect fast halibut action all season. We have achieved great success catching halibut, up to the 37-inch maximum, from May through 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 the weather permits, we’ll get them!

Chinook (King) Salmon:

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

Annual limit: one king salmon per person, 28 inches or greater in length. (King Salmon cannot be retained by non-resident anglers July 7, 2025 – August 3, 2025. Season to reopen August 4, 2025)

Timing: May – September

Note: Any king harvested applies toward the annual limit at the time you fish. 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 in 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 (Keta) 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 table fare when they are bright and in the ocean.

Ling Cod

Daily limit: 1 per day, 1 in possession between 30-35 inches or over 55 inches in length.

Annual limit: 2 fish, 1 of which is 30-35 inches in length, and 1 that is 55 inches or greater in length; a harvest record is required. Nonresident anglers shall immediately record the date and location (body of water fished), in ink, of all lingcod harvested either on their sport fishing license or on their nontransferable harvest record.

Timing: May 16–June 14, 2025, and August 16–November 30, 2025.

Size: 30-35 inches or 55 inches and longer.

Pelagic Rockfish (Sea Bass)

Daily limit: 2 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.

Daily limit: 1 per day, no size limit

Non-Pelagic Rockfish

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

Daily limit: 1 per person (Yelloweye exclusively)

Annual limit: 1 per person (Yelloweye exclusively)

Timing: July 1, 2025 – August 25, 2025

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 mainly 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 and 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 produces a delicious mild white-meat filet.