Waterlands

Species guide · Alaska

Lingcod fishing in Alaska

Ophiodon elongatus, a nearshore species also called ling, lings and ling cod. Listed for the Alaska region. Peak season, about 2 more weeks.

Right now it scores best in Chiniak Bay at 80, one of 66 Alaska bay systems where the Waterlands engine is scoring it.

Season now

Peak season
Where it's scoring nowAll Alaska waters

Season by month

From the Waterlands saltwater species research: when the fish are present and biting, not whether retention is open.

Alaska

Peak season, about 2 more weeks
  1. Jan: Off season
  2. Feb: Off season
  3. Mar: Off season
  4. Apr: Off season
  5. May: Shoulder season
  6. Jun: Shoulder season
  7. Jul: Peak season
  8. Aug: Peak season
  9. Sep: Peak season
  10. Oct: Shoulder season
  11. Nov: Off season
  12. Dec: Off season

Peak: Jul to Sep. In season (shoulder or peak): May to Oct.

Research notes, Alaska region

Males guard nests from about January through June, when they are aggressive and easy to catch, so seasons protect that window: Southcentral opens July 1 and Southeast has run roughly May 16 to Nov 30 with some mid-summer gaps. Inside Resurrection Bay lingcod fishing is closed year round. Best fishing is offshore reefs from Cape Resurrection east to Montague Island and exposed reefs near Sitka.

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 lingcod score this hour.

1
80Great
Chiniak Bay

Best window today 7-11 PM (82) · Best day Wed, Sep 16 at 7 PM (82) · 28 named spots

2
75Great
Barren Islands East

Best window today 7-11 PM (81) · Best day Wed, Sep 16 at 7 PM (81) · 114 named spots

3
75Great
Cape Krusenstern to Cape Thompson out to 15 NM

Best window today 4-11 PM (79) · Best day Wed, Sep 16 at 7 PM (79) · 4 named spots

4
75Great
Cook Inlet Kalgin Island to Point Bede

Best window today 8 PM-12 AM (77) · Best day Tue, Sep 22 at 10 AM (78) · 18 named spots

5
75Great
Marmot Bay

Best window today 7-11 PM (81) · Best day Wed, Sep 16 at 9 PM (81) · 84 named spots

6
75Great
Shelikof Strait

Best window today 7-11 PM (80) · Best day Wed, Sep 16 at 9 AM (80) · 184 named spots

7
75Great
South Side of Saint Lawrence Island out to 15 NM

Best window today 7-10 PM (79) · Best day Wed, Sep 16 at 8 PM (79) · 25 named spots

8
74Great
Glacier Bay

Best window today 6-10 PM (79) · Best day Wed, Sep 16 at 8 AM (79) · 44 named spots

9
74Great
Motherwood Point to Cape Krusenstern out to 10 NM

Best window today 4-11 PM (78) · Best day Thu, Sep 17 at 8 PM (80) · 14 named spots

10
74Great
North Side of Saint Lawrence Island out to 15 NM

Best window today 6-10 PM (81) · Best day Wed, Sep 16 at 8 PM (81) · 27 named spots

11
74Great
Northern Chatham Strait

Best window today 6-9 PM (81) · Best day Wed, Sep 16 at 6 PM (81) · 151 named spots

12
74Great
Northern Lynn Canal

Best window today 6-10 PM (80) · Best day Wed, Sep 16 at 7 AM (80) · 34 named spots

13
73Great
Castle Cape to Cape Tolstoi out to 15 NM

Best window today 7 PM-12 AM (78) · Best day Thu, Sep 17 at 9 PM (80) · 112 named spots

14
73Great
Frederick Sound

Best window today 6-10 PM (79) · Best day Wed, Sep 16 at 7 AM (80) · 81 named spots

15
73Great
Icy Strait

Best window today 6-9 PM (81) · Best day Wed, Sep 16 at 8 AM (82) · 37 named spots

16
73Great
Sledge Island to Wales out to 15 NM

Best window today 4-9 PM (77) · Best day Wed, Sep 16 at 7 PM (77) · 9 named spots

17
73Great
Stephens Passage

Best window today 6-10 PM (81) · Best day Wed, Sep 16 at 7 AM (81) · 108 named spots

18
72Great
Southern Lynn Canal

Best window today 6-9 PM (81) · Best day Wed, Sep 16 at 7 PM (81) · 23 named spots

19
72Great
West of Barren Islands Including Kamishak Bay

Best window today 8 PM-12 AM (78) · Best day Tue, Sep 22 at 10 AM (80) · 33 named spots

20
71Great
Bristol Bay from Port Heiden to Cape Chichagof out to 15 NM

Best window today 4 PM-12 AM (76) · Best day Fri, Sep 18 at 8 PM (79) · 7 named spots

21
71Great
Central and Eastern Prince William Sound

Best window today 6-10 PM (81) · Best day Wed, Sep 16 at 7 PM (81) · 130 named spots

22
71Great
Clarence Strait

Best window today 6-10 PM (80) · Best day Wed, Sep 16 at 7 AM (80) · 423 named spots

23
71Great
Northwest Prince William Sound

Best window today 6-10 PM (82) · Best day Wed, Sep 16 at 7 PM (82) · 100 named spots

24
71Great
Southern Chatham Strait

Best window today 6-10 PM (81) · Best day Wed, Sep 16 at 8 AM (81) · 186 named spots

25
71Great
Sumner Strait

Best window today 5-10 PM (80) · Best day Wed, Sep 16 at 6 PM (80) · 378 named spots

26
70Great
Cape Thompson to Cape Beaufort out to 15 NM

Best window today 8 PM-12 AM (75) · Best day Thu, Sep 17 at 9 AM (78) · 5 named spots

27
70Great
Kachemak Bay

Best window today 7-11 PM (81) · Best day Wed, Sep 16 at 8 PM (81) · 36 named spots

28
70Great
Saint Matthew Island Waters

Best window today 7-11 PM (74) · Best day Thu, Sep 17 at 9 AM (78) · 4 named spots

29
70Great
Southwest Prince William Sound

Best window today 6-10 PM (81) · Best day Wed, Sep 16 at 7 PM (81) · 215 named spots

30
70Great
Valdez Arm

Best window today 6-10 PM (82) · Best day Wed, Sep 16 at 7 PM (82) · 12 named spots

31
69Great
Dall Point to Kwikpak Pass out to 15 NM

Best window today 6-11 PM (79) · Best day Thu, Sep 17 at 8 AM (80) · 21 named spots

32
69Great
Passage Canal

Best window today 6-9 PM (79) · Best day Wed, Sep 16 at 7 PM (79) · 8 named spots

33
69Great
Unimak Pass

Best window today 7 PM-12 AM (74) · Best day Thu, Sep 17 at 9 PM (78) · 203 named spots

34
69Great
Yakutat Bay

Best window today 6-10 PM (76) · Best day Thu, Sep 17 at 7 PM (78) · 55 named spots

35
68Great
Bristol Bay from Cape Chichagof to Cape Pierce out to 15 NM

Best window today 6 PM-12 AM (76) · Best day Thu, Sep 17 at 8 PM (79) · 50 named spots

36
68Great
Moses Point to Sledge Island out to 15 NM

Best window today 7 PM-12 AM (74) · Best day Thu, Sep 17 at 8 PM (83) · 10 named spots

37
68Great
North and West of Nunivak Island

Best window today 6-11 PM (73) · Best day Thu, Sep 17 at 8 PM (80) · 42 named spots

38
68Great
Point Franklin to Cape Halkett out to 15 NM

Best window today 6-10 PM (77) · Best day Wed, Sep 16 at 7 PM (77) · 40 named spots

39
68Great
Unalaska Bay

Best window today 8 PM-12 AM (71) · Best day Thu, Sep 17 at 8 AM (81) · 85 named spots

40
67Great
Cape Stephens to Moses Point out to 15 NM

Best window today 7 PM-12 AM (72) · Best day Thu, Sep 17 at 8 PM (80) · 15 named spots

41
67Great
Port Heiden to Nelson Lagoon out to 15 NM

Best window today 6-11 PM (79) · Best day Thu, Sep 17 at 8 PM (81) · 29 named spots

42
67Great
Valdez Narrows

Best window today 6-10 PM (81) · Best day Wed, Sep 16 at 7 PM (81) · 3 named spots

43
66Great
Port of Valdez

Best window today 6-10 PM (81) · Best day Wed, Sep 16 at 7 PM (81) · 5 named spots

44
65Great
Cape Beaufort to Point Franklin out to 15 NM

Best window today 5-10 PM (71) · Best day Wed, Sep 16 at 7 PM (71) · 21 named spots

45
64Good
Cook Inlet North Kalgin Island

Best window today 6 PM-12 AM (73) · Best day Thu, Sep 17 at 7 AM (80) · 40 named spots

46
64Good
Flaxman Island to Demarcation Point out to 15 NM

Best window today 6-10 PM (75) · Best day Thu, Sep 17 at 7 PM (77) · 40 named spots

47
64Good
Resurrection Bay

Best window today 6-10 PM (73) · Best day Wed, Sep 16 at 7 PM (73)

48
63Good
Adak to Kiska Bering Side

Best window today 7 PM-12 AM (74) · Best day Thu, Sep 17 at 10 AM (78) · 214 named spots

49
62Good
Cape Espenberg to Motherwood Point out to 10 NM

Best window today 6-10 PM (77) · Best day Thu, Sep 17 at 8 AM (79) · 6 named spots

50
62Good
Cross Sound

Best window today 6-10 PM (75) · Best day Thu, Sep 17 at 7 PM (78) · 153 named spots

51
62Good
Kwikpak Pass to Cape Stephens out to 15 NM

Best window today 8 PM-12 AM (78) · Best day Thu, Sep 17 at 8 AM (80) · 14 named spots

52
61Good
Cape Halkett to Flaxman Island out to 15 NM

Best window today 6-10 PM (76) · Best day Thu, Sep 17 at 7 PM (78) · 29 named spots

53
60Good
Tinian Coastal Waters

Best window today 10 AM-12 PM (60) · Best day Thu, Sep 24 at 10 AM (66)

54
59Good
Guam Coastal Waters

Best window today 10 AM-1 PM (60) · Best day Thu, Sep 24 at 10 AM (66)

55
58Good
Icy Cape to Cape Suckling out to 15 NM

Best window today 6-10 PM (70) · Best day Thu, Sep 17 at 8 PM (75) · 2 named spots

56
58Good
Pribilof Islands Nearshore Waters

Best window today 8-11 PM (63) · Best day Wed, Sep 23 at 1 PM (78) · 28 named spots

57
58Good
Saipan Coastal Waters

Best window today 10 AM-1 PM (59) · Best day Thu, Sep 24 at 10 AM (66)

58
57Good
Rota Coastal Waters

Best window today 10 AM-1 PM (58) · Best day Thu, Sep 24 at 10 AM (65)

59
56Good
Adak to Kiska Pacific Side

Best window today 7-11 PM (70) · Best day Sat, Sep 19 at 9 AM (79) · 162 named spots

60
56Good
Nikolski to Seguam Pacfic Side out to 15 NM

Best window today 8-11 PM (75) · Best day Wed, Sep 16 at 9 PM (75) · 7 named spots

61
54Good
Wales to Cape Espenberg out to 15 NM

Best window today 7-9 PM (69) · Best day Thu, Sep 17 at 8 AM (74) · 2 named spots

62
52Good
Nikolski to Seguam Bering Side out to 15 NM

Best window today 8-11 PM (75) · Best day Fri, Sep 18 at 8 AM (78) · 10 named spots

63
50Good
Kiska to Attu Bering Side

Best window today 10 PM-12 AM (68) · Best day Tue, Sep 22 at 3 AM (70) · 39 named spots

64
47Good
Kiska to Attu Pacific Side

Best window today 10 PM-12 AM (64) · Best day Sat, Sep 19 at 10 AM (69) · 53 named spots

65
40Fair
Koror Palau Coastal Waters

Best window today 4-8 PM (48) · Best day Wed, Sep 23 at 5 PM (56)

66
38Fair
Yap Coastal Waters

Best window today 6-9 PM (43) · Best day Wed, Sep 23 at 6 PM (55)

How and where it feeds

Water temperature
Feeds from 42°F to 62°F, best between 46°F and 55°F.
Water depth
10 to 330 ft of water.
Structure
Reef, pinnacle, ledge, kelp, jetty, point and channel, in that order of preference.
Tide and current
Prefers moving water and incoming tide, with light current.ADF&G's Sitka guide says lingcod wait on reef tops and outcrops for tidal current to bring bait past and often feed when the tide is running; at slack, fish deeper. ODFW recommends incoming tides for shore anglers on jetties. In big-tide inside waters, strong current makes it hard to keep a jig near the bottom, so the building and easing parts of the tide are the practical windows.
Light
Some lift around dawn and dusk.
Pressure
Little response to pressure changes.
Wind and sea limits
20 kt of wind and 6 ft of sea. The Waterlands engine scores hours down as conditions pass them.

Tackle and technique

Lingcod ambush prey from rock outcrops, reef edges and kelp where current runs, most often in 30 to 300 feet, and males move shallow to guard nests in winter. Drift over the reef bouncing a lead-head swimbait or metal jig on the bottom, or fish herring or squid on a heavy leader, since their teeth cut light line. From jetties and rocky shore, work bait or jigs along the rocks on the incoming tide.

Methods
vertical jigging, drift fishing, bait fishing on the bottom, casting from jetties and rocky shore
Lures
6 to 12 oz lead-head jigs with swimbait or grub tails, metal bar and diamond jigs, silver spoons, large curly-tail grubs
Bait
herring, whole squid, octopus, salmon belly strips, live small fish where legal

Regulations

ADF&G saltwater regulations Buy a Alaska fishing license License types

Alaska Department of Fish and Game. Synced with ADF&G Sep 16, 2026.

No reviewed lingcod rule for Alaska is on file yet. Check with ADF&G before you keep one.

Other Alaska species