Species guide · Alaska
Pacific halibut fishing in Alaska
Hippoglossus stenolepis, a bottom species also called halibut, butt and chicken halibut. Listed for the Alaska region. Shoulder season, about 1 more week.
Right now it scores best in Saint Matthew Island Waters at 62, one of 23 Alaska bay systems where the Waterlands engine is scoring it.
Season now
Shoulder seasonSeason by month
From the Waterlands saltwater species research: when the fish are present and biting, not whether retention is open.
Alaska
Shoulder season, about 1 more week- Jan: Not present
- Feb: Not present
- Mar: Off season
- Apr: Off season
- May: Shoulder season
- Jun: Peak season
- Jul: Peak season
- Aug: Peak season
- Sep: Shoulder season
- Oct: Off season
- Nov: Not present
- Dec: Not present
Peak: Jun to Aug. In season (shoulder or peak): May to Sep.
Research notes, Alaska region
Halibut move from deep wintering and spawning grounds onto shallower shelves in late spring. Catch rates are good from late May or early June into September, then fish return to deep water (ADF&G Sitka and Seward guides). Sport season is set by IPHC and NOAA; January has been closed, and charter anglers in Areas 2C and 3A face size limits and day closures that change yearly.
Seasons and limits in these notes are background. The regulations below and the regulator’s own page govern.
Where it's scoring now · 23
Alaska bay systems ranked by the Waterlands engine's pacific halibut score this hour.
Best window today 6-9 PM (66) · Best day Tue, Sep 22 at 10 AM (69) · 4 named spots
Best window today 11 AM-4 PM (67) · Best day Thu, Sep 17 at 1 PM (67) · 214 named spots
Best window today 4-9 PM (64) · Best day Wed, Sep 23 at 3 PM (65) · 29 named spots
Best window today 5-9 PM (68) · Best day Thu, Sep 17 at 7 AM (69) · 114 named spots
Best window today 5-7 PM (69) · Best day Thu, Sep 17 at 6 PM (69) · 423 named spots
Best window today 4-8 PM (69) · Best day Thu, Sep 17 at 6 AM (69) · 186 named spots
Best window today 4-7 PM (69) · Best day Thu, Sep 17 at 6 PM (69) · 378 named spots
Best window today 5-8 PM (73) · Best day Thu, Sep 17 at 6 PM (73) · 108 named spots
Best window today 4-8 PM (68) · Best day Thu, Sep 17 at 6 PM (68) · 55 named spots
Best window today 4-8 PM (71) · Best day Thu, Sep 17 at 6 PM (71) · 37 named spots
Best window today 4-8 PM (71) · Best day Thu, Sep 17 at 6 PM (71) · 34 named spots
Best window today 5-8 PM (73) · Best day Thu, Sep 17 at 6 PM (73) · 23 named spots
Best window today 5-8 PM (69) · Best day Thu, Sep 17 at 6 AM (69) · 81 named spots
Best window today 4-8 PM (70) · Best day Thu, Sep 17 at 6 AM (70) · 151 named spots
Best window today 4-8 PM (71) · Best day Thu, Sep 17 at 7 PM (71) · 100 named spots
Best window today 5-8 PM (69) · Best day Thu, Sep 17 at 6 PM (69) · 153 named spots
Best window today 5-8 PM (72) · Best day Thu, Sep 17 at 6 PM (72) · 44 named spots
Best window today 4-8 PM (69) · Best day Thu, Sep 17 at 7 PM (69) · 5 named spots
Best window today 4-8 PM (68) · Best day Thu, Sep 17 at 7 AM (68) · 12 named spots
Best window today 4-8 PM (68) · Best day Thu, Sep 17 at 7 AM (68) · 3 named spots
Best window today 5-8 PM (69) · Best day Thu, Sep 17 at 7 PM (69) · 8 named spots
Best window today 4-9 PM (58) · Best day Thu, Sep 17 at 6 PM (58) · 2 named spots
Not scored in this forecast: Adak to Kiska Pacific Side, Bristol Bay from Cape Chichagof to Cape Pierce out to 15 NM, Bristol Bay from Port Heiden to Cape Chichagof out to 15 NM, Cape Beaufort to Point Franklin out to 15 NM, Cape Espenberg to Motherwood Point out to 10 NM, Cape Halkett to Flaxman Island out to 15 NM, Cape Krusenstern to Cape Thompson out to 15 NM, Cape Stephens to Moses Point out to 15 NM, Cape Thompson to Cape Beaufort out to 15 NM, Castle Cape to Cape Tolstoi out to 15 NM, Central and Eastern Prince William Sound, Chiniak Bay, Cook Inlet Kalgin Island to Point Bede, Cook Inlet North Kalgin Island, Dall Point to Kwikpak Pass out to 15 NM, Flaxman Island to Demarcation Point out to 15 NM, Guam Coastal Waters, Kachemak Bay, Kiska to Attu Bering Side, Kiska to Attu Pacific Side, Koror Palau Coastal Waters, Kwikpak Pass to Cape Stephens out to 15 NM, Marmot Bay, Moses Point to Sledge Island out to 15 NM, Motherwood Point to Cape Krusenstern out to 10 NM, Nikolski to Seguam Bering Side out to 15 NM , Nikolski to Seguam Pacfic Side out to 15 NM, North and West of Nunivak Island, North Side of Saint Lawrence Island out to 15 NM, Point Franklin to Cape Halkett out to 15 NM, Pribilof Islands Nearshore Waters, Rota Coastal Waters, Saipan Coastal Waters, Shelikof Strait, Sledge Island to Wales out to 15 NM, South Side of Saint Lawrence Island out to 15 NM, Southwest Prince William Sound, Tinian Coastal Waters, Unalaska Bay, Unimak Pass, Wales to Cape Espenberg out to 15 NM, West of Barren Islands Including Kamishak Bay and Yap Coastal Waters.
How and where it feeds
- Water temperature
- Feeds from 36°F to 54°F, best between 39°F and 47°F.
- Water depth
- 50 to 600 ft of water.
- Structure
- Bank, ledge, bar, pinnacle, channel, shoal and canyon, in that order of preference.
- Tide and current
- Prefers high tide and low tide, with slack current.ADF&G says the best halibut fishing is just before, during and after slack tide, when bait stays on the bottom and fish move out from cover to feed. Smaller tide series are easier to fish. When anchored on moving water, bait spreads a scent trail down-current that draws fish in.
- 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
Halibut sit on sand and gravel bottoms near drop-offs, bars and pinnacles, most often in 90 to 500 feet in Alaska and on the shelf off Washington, Oregon and far northern California. Anchor up-current of a likely edge and fish herring, squid, octopus or a salmon head on a circle hook with 24 to 32 ounces of weight, or bounce a large jig on the bottom. The best bite usually comes in the hour around slack tide.
- Methods
- bottom fishing at anchor, drift fishing, jigging
- Lures
- large lead-head jigs with shad or curly-tail bodies, plastic squid or hoochie skirts over bait, flashy metal spoon jigs, glow jig bodies
- Bait
- herring, salmon heads and bellies, octopus, squid, salmon viscera
Regulations
Alaska Department of Fish and Game. Synced with ADF&G Sep 17, 2026.
No reviewed pacific halibut rule for Alaska is on file yet. Check with ADF&G before you keep one.