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 are 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 the take home fish are important 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 salt water wilderness surrounding Sitka.

Halibut Regulations

Daily bag limit, February 1 – July 14 2024: 1 per person per day either under 40″ or over 80″

Daily bag limit, July 15 – December 31 2024: 1 per person per day either under 36″ or over 80″

Annual limit: None

Day of Week Closure: Retention of halibut is prohibited on Fridays beginning on July 19 through September 13, 2024.

Timing: Expect fast halibut action all season. We have great success catching halibut up to the 40/36-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 August 25: Nonresident annual harvest limit is one king salmon, 28 inches or greater in length
• August 26 through December 31: By emergency order, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game will shut down all sport harvest of king salmon in Southeast Alaska at 12:01 AM, Monday, August 26. This closure will last through the end of our season. 

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, 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, 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 and August 1–November 30.

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.

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.