Waterlands

Species guide · Alaska

Pacific cod fishing in Alaska

Gadus macrocephalus, a bottom species also called P-cod, gray cod and grey cod. Listed for the Alaska region. Shoulder season, about 2 more weeks.

Right now it scores best in Clarence Strait at 67, one of 66 Alaska bay systems where the Waterlands engine is scoring it.

Season now

Shoulder 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

Shoulder 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: Peak season
  7. Jul: Peak season
  8. Aug: Peak season
  9. Sep: Shoulder season
  10. Oct: Off season
  11. Nov: Off season
  12. Dec: Off season

Peak: Jun to Aug. In season (shoulder or peak): May to Sep.

Research notes, Alaska region

NOAA: cod spawn on the outer shelf and upper slope in 300 to 800-plus feet in winter and move to 300 feet or less to feed in summer. Charter boats out of Homer and Kodiak commonly catch them in 100 to 300 feet alongside halibut. Washington and Oregon catches are incidental, and Puget Sound cod stocks are depressed, so those regions are not listed.

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 pacific cod score this hour.

1
67Great
Clarence Strait

Best window today 4-7 PM (69) · Best day Wed, Sep 16 at 5 PM (69) · 423 named spots

2
67Great
Northern Chatham Strait

Best window today 4-7 PM (69) · Best day Wed, Sep 16 at 6 PM (69) · 151 named spots

3
67Great
Sumner Strait

Best window today 4-7 PM (68) · Best day Thu, Sep 17 at 6 AM (69) · 378 named spots

4
66Great
Icy Strait

Best window today 4-7 PM (68) · Best day Wed, Sep 16 at 6 AM (68) · 37 named spots

5
66Great
Northern Lynn Canal

Best window today 4-7 PM (68) · Best day Wed, Sep 16 at 5 PM (68) · 34 named spots

6
66Great
Southern Chatham Strait

Best window today 4-7 PM (67) · Best day Thu, Sep 17 at 6 PM (69) · 186 named spots

7
66Great
Stephens Passage

Best window today 4-7 PM (69) · Best day Wed, Sep 16 at 5 PM (69) · 108 named spots

8
65Great
Frederick Sound

Best window today 4-7 PM (67) · Best day Wed, Sep 16 at 6 AM (67) · 81 named spots

9
65Great
Southern Lynn Canal

Best window today 4-7 PM (69) · Best day Wed, Sep 16 at 6 PM (69) · 23 named spots

10
64Good
Cape Halkett to Flaxman Island out to 15 NM

Best window today 4-7 PM (65) · Best day Fri, Sep 18 at 7 AM (67) · 29 named spots

11
64Good
Chiniak Bay

Best window today 4-8 PM (65) · Best day Thu, Sep 17 at 7 AM (66) · 28 named spots

12
63Good
Cape Krusenstern to Cape Thompson out to 15 NM

Best window today 4-11 PM (67) · Best day Thu, Sep 17 at 8 PM (69) · 4 named spots

13
63Good
Central and Eastern Prince William Sound

Best window today 5-7 PM (69) · Best day Wed, Sep 16 at 6 PM (69) · 130 named spots

14
63Good
Flaxman Island to Demarcation Point out to 15 NM

Best window today 4-7 PM (65) · Best day Fri, Sep 18 at 7 AM (67) · 40 named spots

15
63Good
Glacier Bay

Best window today 4-8 PM (66) · Best day Thu, Sep 17 at 6 AM (68) · 44 named spots

16
63Good
Northwest Prince William Sound

Best window today 5-7 PM (69) · Best day Wed, Sep 16 at 6 PM (69) · 100 named spots

17
63Good
Point Franklin to Cape Halkett out to 15 NM

Best window today 4-8 PM (64) · Best day Thu, Sep 17 at 7 PM (67) · 40 named spots

18
62Good
Barren Islands East

Best window today 4-8 PM (66) · Best day Thu, Sep 17 at 7 AM (68) · 114 named spots

19
62Good
North Side of Saint Lawrence Island out to 15 NM

Best window today 9 PM-12 AM (67) · Best day Wed, Sep 16 at 10 PM (67) · 27 named spots

20
62Good
Southwest Prince William Sound

Best window today 5-8 PM (68) · Best day Thu, Sep 17 at 7 AM (69) · 215 named spots

21
62Good
Valdez Arm

Best window today 5-7 PM (69) · Best day Wed, Sep 16 at 6 PM (69) · 12 named spots

22
61Good
Motherwood Point to Cape Krusenstern out to 10 NM

Best window today 6-11 PM (64) · Best day Thu, Sep 17 at 8 PM (65) · 14 named spots

23
60Good
Passage Canal

Best window today 5-8 PM (66) · Best day Wed, Sep 16 at 6 PM (66) · 8 named spots

24
60Good
Port of Valdez

Best window today 6-7 PM (68) · Best day Wed, Sep 16 at 6 PM (68) · 5 named spots

25
60Good
Valdez Narrows

Best window today 6-7 PM (68) · Best day Wed, Sep 16 at 6 PM (68) · 3 named spots

26
59Good
Cape Espenberg to Motherwood Point out to 10 NM

Best window today 9 PM-12 AM (61) · Best day Mon, Sep 21 at 9 PM (63) · 6 named spots

27
59Good
Marmot Bay

Best window today 5-9 PM (65) · Best day Thu, Sep 17 at 7 AM (67) · 84 named spots

28
59Good
Resurrection Bay

Best window today 4-8 PM (63) · Best day Wed, Sep 16 at 6 PM (63)

29
59Good
Shelikof Strait

Best window today 5-9 PM (66) · Best day Thu, Sep 17 at 7 PM (67) · 184 named spots

30
59Good
South Side of Saint Lawrence Island out to 15 NM

Best window today 9 PM-12 AM (65) · Best day Sat, Sep 19 at 10 PM (66) · 25 named spots

31
58Good
Castle Cape to Cape Tolstoi out to 15 NM

Best window today 6-8 PM (68) · Best day Thu, Sep 17 at 8 PM (69) · 112 named spots

32
58Good
Cross Sound

Best window today 4-7 PM (62) · Best day Thu, Sep 17 at 6 PM (67) · 153 named spots

33
58Good
Yakutat Bay

Best window today 5-8 PM (65) · Best day Sat, Sep 19 at 8 AM (68) · 55 named spots

34
57Good
Cape Beaufort to Point Franklin out to 15 NM

Best window today 4-11 PM (61) · Best day Thu, Sep 17 at 8 PM (62) · 21 named spots

35
57Good
Dall Point to Kwikpak Pass out to 15 NM

Best window today 5 PM-12 AM (63) · Best day Thu, Sep 17 at 8 AM (64) · 21 named spots

36
57Good
Moses Point to Sledge Island out to 15 NM

Best window today 4 PM-12 AM (61) · Best day Thu, Sep 17 at 8 AM (66) · 10 named spots

37
56Good
Adak to Kiska Bering Side

Best window today 4-11 PM (66) · Best day Wed, Sep 16 at 8 PM (66) · 214 named spots

38
56Good
Adak to Kiska Pacific Side

Best window today 6-10 PM (62) · Best day Tue, Sep 22 at 8 AM (66) · 162 named spots

39
55Good
Cape Stephens to Moses Point out to 15 NM

Best window today 4-11 PM (58) · Best day Tue, Sep 22 at 8 AM (62) · 15 named spots

40
55Good
North and West of Nunivak Island

Best window today 4 PM-12 AM (57) · Best day Fri, Sep 18 at 8 AM (63) · 42 named spots

41
55Good
Unimak Pass

Best window today 6-10 PM (63) · Best day Thu, Sep 17 at 8 PM (67) · 203 named spots

42
54Good
Kachemak Bay

Best window today 6-9 PM (69) · Best day Wed, Sep 16 at 7 PM (69) · 36 named spots

43
54Good
Nikolski to Seguam Bering Side out to 15 NM

Best window today 7-10 PM (65) · Best day Tue, Sep 22 at 7 PM (67) · 10 named spots

44
54Good
Port Heiden to Nelson Lagoon out to 15 NM

Best window today 6-8 PM (64) · Best day Wed, Sep 16 at 8 AM (65) · 29 named spots

45
53Good
Sledge Island to Wales out to 15 NM

Best window today 7-11 PM (61) · Best day Thu, Sep 17 at 8 AM (64) · 9 named spots

46
52Good
Cape Thompson to Cape Beaufort out to 15 NM

Best window today 6-9 PM (62) · Best day Thu, Sep 17 at 8 PM (67) · 5 named spots

47
52Good
Kwikpak Pass to Cape Stephens out to 15 NM

Best window today 6-9 PM (66) · Best day Wed, Sep 16 at 7 PM (66) · 14 named spots

48
51Good
Bristol Bay from Cape Chichagof to Cape Pierce out to 15 NM

Best window today 7-11 PM (63) · Best day Sat, Sep 19 at 9 AM (66) · 50 named spots

49
51Good
Nikolski to Seguam Pacfic Side out to 15 NM

Best window today 7-10 PM (64) · Best day Wed, Sep 16 at 8 PM (64) · 7 named spots

50
51Good
Saint Matthew Island Waters

Best window today 10 PM-12 AM (68) · Best day Thu, Sep 17 at 8 PM (69) · 4 named spots

51
51Good
Unalaska Bay

Best window today 9 PM-12 AM (64) · Best day Thu, Sep 17 at 8 AM (68) · 85 named spots

52
50Good
Cook Inlet North Kalgin Island

Best window today 6 PM-12 AM (60) · Best day Thu, Sep 17 at 7 AM (66) · 40 named spots

53
50Good
Wales to Cape Espenberg out to 15 NM

Best window today 8-11 PM (63) · Best day Thu, Sep 17 at 9 AM (65) · 2 named spots

54
49Good
Bristol Bay from Port Heiden to Cape Chichagof out to 15 NM

Best window today 6-10 PM (63) · Best day Sat, Sep 19 at 9 AM (64) · 7 named spots

55
48Good
Cook Inlet Kalgin Island to Point Bede

Best window today 6-9 PM (66) · Best day Wed, Sep 16 at 7 PM (66) · 18 named spots

56
48Good
West of Barren Islands Including Kamishak Bay

Best window today 6-9 PM (62) · Best day Thu, Sep 17 at 7 AM (65) · 33 named spots

57
47Good
Kiska to Attu Bering Side

Best window today 8 PM-12 AM (56) · Best day Mon, Sep 21 at 9 AM (59) · 39 named spots

58
46Good
Kiska to Attu Pacific Side

Best window today 7 PM-12 AM (54) · Best day Fri, Sep 18 at 9 PM (60) · 53 named spots

59
45Good
Icy Cape to Cape Suckling out to 15 NM

Best window today 5-9 PM (53) · Best day Thu, Sep 17 at 6 PM (57) · 2 named spots

60
43Fair
Tinian Coastal Waters

Best window today 11 AM-3 PM (52) · Best day Sun, Sep 20 at 7 AM (55)

61
42Fair
Pribilof Islands Nearshore Waters

Best window today 10 PM-12 AM (55) · Best day Tue, Sep 22 at 9 AM (65) · 28 named spots

62
40Fair
Rota Coastal Waters

Best window today 11 AM-2 PM (50) · Best day Thu, Sep 24 at 11 AM (55)

63
39Fair
Guam Coastal Waters

Best window today 4-7 PM (54) · Best day Sat, Sep 19 at 6 AM (57)

64
37Fair
Saipan Coastal Waters

Best window today 5-7 PM (52) · Best day Sat, Sep 19 at 6 AM (56)

65
31Fair
Koror Palau Coastal Waters

Best window today 3-8 PM (38) · Best day Tue, Sep 22 at 5 PM (45)

66
29Fair
Yap Coastal Waters

Best window today 11 AM-9 PM (35) · Best day Wed, Sep 23 at 6 PM (45)

How and where it feeds

Water temperature
Feeds from 34°F to 52°F, best between 38°F and 46°F.
Water depth
60 to 400 ft of water.
Structure
Bank, ledge, channel, shoal and canyon, in that order of preference.
Tide and current
Prefers high tide and low tide, with light current.Fished on the same drifts and anchorages as halibut, so the windows near slack when a jig or bait holds bottom fish best. Tide response itself is not documented by agencies.
Light
Little tied to 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

Pacific cod school over mud, sand and gravel bottoms and shelf edges, moving shallower than 300 feet in summer and deeper to spawn in winter. Drop a heavy metal jig or a lead-head with a herring or squid strip to the bottom in 100 to 300 feet and work it a few feet up. They often come up on the same drifts as halibut, and a school can mean fast fishing once you find it.

Methods
jigging, bottom bait fishing, drift fishing
Lures
metal diamond or cod jigs, lead-head jigs with grubs, shrimp fly teasers, glow hoochies
Bait
herring, squid, octopus, clams

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 pacific cod rule for Alaska is on file yet. Check with ADF&G before you keep one.

Other Alaska species