Species guide · Alaska
Coho salmon fishing in Alaska
Oncorhynchus kisutch, a sea-run species also called silver salmon, silvers and hooknose. Listed for the Alaska region. Peak season, changing this week.
Right now it scores best in Bristol Bay from Cape Chichagof to Cape Pierce out to 15 NM at 76, one of 66 Alaska bay systems where the Waterlands engine is scoring it.
Season now
Peak seasonSeason by month
From the Waterlands saltwater species research: when the fish are present and biting, not whether retention is open.
Alaska
Peak season, changing this week- Jan: Not present
- Feb: Not present
- Mar: Not present
- Apr: Not present
- May: Off season
- Jun: Off season
- Jul: Shoulder season
- Aug: Peak season
- Sep: Peak season
- Oct: Off season
- Nov: Not present
- Dec: Not present
Peak: Aug to Sep. In season (shoulder or peak): Jul to Sep.
Research notes, Alaska region
Sitka: coho show in the catch mid-May through June, build through mid-August, peak around the third week of August, and saltwater fishing is essentially over by the end of September. Resurrection Bay (Seward): late June to mid-September with boats peaking in August and beach fishing peaking mid-September. Prince William Sound (Cordova) peaks mid-September.
Seasons and limits in these notes are background. The regulations below and the regulator’s own page govern.
Where it's scoring now · 66
Alaska bay systems ranked by the Waterlands engine's coho salmon score this hour.
Best window today 7-10 PM (81) · Best day Fri, Sep 18 at 8 PM (81) · 50 named spots
Best window today 8-11 PM (82) · Best day Fri, Sep 18 at 8 AM (83) · 29 named spots
Best window today 8-11 PM (77) · Best day Fri, Sep 18 at 9 AM (82) · 10 named spots
Best window today 8-11 PM (83) · Best day Fri, Sep 18 at 9 PM (83) · 42 named spots
Best window today 1-3 PM (73) · Best day Fri, Sep 18 at 9 AM (75) · 85 named spots
Best window today 1-6 PM (72) · Best day Fri, Sep 18 at 8 AM (79) · 4 named spots
Best window today 9 PM-12 AM (74) · Best day Fri, Sep 18 at 9 AM (75) · 203 named spots
Best window today 4-9 PM (80) · Best day Fri, Sep 18 at 10 AM (80) · 7 named spots
Best window today 5-11 PM (75) · Best day Fri, Sep 18 at 8 AM (79) · 15 named spots
Best window today 1-5 PM (76) · Best day Mon, Sep 21 at 8 AM (78) · 378 named spots
Best window today 7-11 PM (73) · Best day Fri, Sep 18 at 8 AM (75) · 14 named spots
Best window today 1-3 PM (70) · Best day Fri, Sep 18 at 9 AM (76) · 28 named spots
Best window today 2-6 PM (76) · Best day Mon, Sep 21 at 8 AM (78) · 423 named spots
Best window today 5 PM-12 AM (77) · Best day Fri, Sep 18 at 8 AM (82) · 14 named spots
Best window today 1-6 PM (72) · Best day Mon, Sep 21 at 8 AM (76) · 186 named spots
Best window today 8-11 PM (72) · Best day Fri, Sep 18 at 8 AM (74) · 6 named spots
Best window today 1-6 PM (71) · Best day Mon, Sep 21 at 8 AM (77) · 37 named spots
Best window today 8-11 PM (73) · Best day Tue, Sep 22 at 9 AM (75) · 215 named spots
Best window today 4-9 PM (73) · Best day Sat, Sep 19 at 8 AM (78) · 18 named spots
Best window today 4-11 PM (75) · Best day Fri, Sep 18 at 9 AM (78) · 21 named spots
Best window today 2-6 PM (74) · Best day Mon, Sep 21 at 8 AM (78) · 81 named spots
Best window today 2-11 PM (73) · Best day Mon, Sep 21 at 8 AM (75) · 151 named spots
Best window today 5-10 PM (68) · Best day Sat, Sep 19 at 9 PM (71) · 9 named spots
Best window today 1 PM-12 AM (67) · Best day Tue, Sep 22 at 9 AM (73) · 55 named spots
Best window today 3-8 PM (65) · Best day Sat, Sep 19 at 1 PM (71) · 5 named spots
Best window today 7-11 PM (76) · Best day Fri, Sep 18 at 8 AM (78) · 40 named spots
Best window today 1-6 PM (67) · Best day Thu, Sep 24 at 5 PM (75) · 153 named spots
Best window today 12-2 PM (65) · Best day Fri, Sep 18 at 8 AM (77) · 7 named spots
Best window today 8-11 PM (71) · Best day Tue, Sep 22 at 8 AM (74) · 100 named spots
Best window today 2-6 PM (71) · Best day Mon, Sep 21 at 8 AM (74) · 23 named spots
Best window today 2-6 PM (71) · Best day Mon, Sep 21 at 8 AM (75) · 108 named spots
Best window today 1-6 PM (69) · Best day Tue, Sep 22 at 9 AM (74) · 12 named spots
Best window today 1-5 PM (69) · Best day Tue, Sep 22 at 8 AM (74) · 3 named spots
Best window today 8 PM-12 AM (72) · Best day Mon, Sep 21 at 10 AM (75) · 114 named spots
Best window today 8 PM-12 AM (71) · Best day Tue, Sep 22 at 9 AM (75) · 130 named spots
Best window today 8-11 PM (69) · Best day Mon, Sep 21 at 9 AM (72) · 8 named spots
Best window today 7-10 PM (69) · Best day Fri, Sep 18 at 8 PM (69) · 29 named spots
Best window today 6-10 PM (64) · Best day Sun, Sep 20 at 5 PM (71) · 39 named spots
Best window today 10 PM-12 AM (64) · Best day Sun, Sep 20 at 11 AM (70) · 53 named spots
Best window today 8 PM-12 AM (73) · Best day Mon, Sep 21 at 10 AM (77) · 84 named spots
Best window today 12-2 PM (62) · Best day Fri, Sep 18 at 8 AM (73) · 10 named spots
Best window today 2-6 PM (68) · Best day Tue, Sep 22 at 8 AM (72) · 5 named spots
Best window today 2 PM-12 AM (70) · Best day Mon, Sep 21 at 10 AM (74) · 184 named spots
Best window today 3 PM-12 AM (67) · Best day Tue, Sep 22 at 10 AM (77) · 33 named spots
Best window today 2-6 PM (72) · Best day Mon, Sep 21 at 9 AM (76) · 44 named spots
Best window today 2-6 PM (67) · Best day Tue, Sep 22 at 9 AM (73) · 34 named spots
Best window today 9 PM-12 AM (71) · Best day Wed, Sep 23 at 9 AM (72) · 112 named spots
Best window today 9-11 PM (65) · Best day Sat, Sep 19 at 9 AM (77) · 162 named spots
Best window today 6-11 PM (62) · Best day Fri, Sep 18 at 8 AM (63) · 21 named spots
Best window today 7 PM-12 AM (59) · Best day Sat, Sep 19 at 10 AM (75) · 214 named spots
Best window today 3-7 PM (67) · Best day Tue, Sep 22 at 10 AM (76) · 36 named spots
Best window today 7-11 PM (65) · Best day Fri, Sep 18 at 8 AM (69) · 40 named spots
Best window today 8 PM-12 AM (74) · Best day Mon, Sep 21 at 9 AM (76) · 28 named spots
Best window today 7-10 PM (68) · Best day Fri, Sep 18 at 8 PM (68) · 40 named spots
Best window today 6-10 PM (56) · Best day Fri, Sep 18 at 8 AM (61) · 2 named spots
Best window today 9 AM-3 PM (61) · Best day Sat, Sep 19 at 6 AM (63)
Best window today 5-8 PM (65) · Best day Sun, Sep 20 at 7 PM (66)
Best window today 4-8 PM (54) · Best day Sun, Sep 20 at 7 AM (57)
Best window today 8 AM-4 PM (60) · Best day Mon, Sep 21 at 7 AM (64)
Best window today 8 AM-3 PM (60) · Best day Tue, Sep 22 at 8 AM (66)
Best window today 9-11 PM (53) · Best day Tue, Sep 22 at 1 PM (68) · 4 named spots
Best window today 7 AM-9 PM (47) · Best day Tue, Sep 22 at 9 AM (57)
Best window today 10 PM-12 AM (50) · Best day Fri, Sep 25 at 6 PM (73) · 2 named spots
Best window today 9-11 PM (60) · Best day Sun, Sep 20 at 10 AM (69) · 27 named spots
Best window today 9-11 PM (62) · Best day Sun, Sep 20 at 8 PM (70) · 25 named spots
How and where it feeds
- Water temperature
- Feeds from 45°F to 63°F, best between 50°F and 58°F.
- Water depth
- 5 to 600 ft of water.
- Structure
- Rip, point, kelp, open water, estuary, bay and beach, in that order of preference.
- Tide and current
- Prefers moving water and incoming tide, with moderate current.ADF&G's Sitka guide says the best coho fishing is usually an hour or so before or after a tide change, in areas where currents and shoreline shape concentrate fish and bait. WDFW advises finding tide and current rips. When the run peaks, tide matters less.
- Light
- Bites best around dawn and dusk.
- Pressure
- Little response to pressure changes.
- Wind and sea limits
- 20 kt of wind and 7 ft of sea. The Waterlands engine scores hours down as conditions pass them.
Tackle and technique
Coho feed in the top 30 to 50 feet along tide rips, kelp edges and bait schools, and often hit within a few feet of the surface. Troll faster than for Chinook, 2 to 4 mph, with a small flasher and hoochie, bucktail fly or herring, or cast spinners and flies from beaches near stream mouths as fish stage in late summer. The hour around a tide change is often the best window.
- Methods
- trolling, casting from shore, fly fishing, mooching, drifting herring
- Lures
- small flasher with hoochie, bucktail flies, trolling spoons, spinners, streamer and needlefish flies, casting jigs
- Bait
- whole herring, cut-plug herring, herring strip, anchovy
Regulations
Alaska Department of Fish and Game. Synced with ADF&G Sep 18, 2026.
No reviewed coho salmon rule for Alaska is on file yet. Check with ADF&G before you keep one.