Species guide · Alaska
Pink salmon fishing in Alaska
Oncorhynchus gorbuscha, a sea-run species also called humpy, humpies and humpback salmon. Listed for the Alaska region. Off season, about 1 more week.
Season now
Off seasonSeason by month
From the Waterlands saltwater species research: when the fish are present and biting, not whether retention is open.
Alaska
Off season, about 1 more week- Jan: Not present
- Feb: Not present
- Mar: Not present
- Apr: Not present
- May: Not present
- Jun: Off season
- Jul: Peak season
- Aug: Peak season
- Sep: Off season
- Oct: Not present
- Nov: Not present
- Dec: Not present
Peak: Jul to Aug.
Research notes, Alaska region
Juneau area pink and chum fishing is best the last weeks of July and first weeks of August; Sitka roadside pinks run through mid-August; Resurrection Bay pinks give good action early July to early September. Two-year life cycle: Resurrection Bay and much of Southcentral see larger even-year runs, so run size swings year to year by area.
Seasons and limits in these notes are background. The regulations below and the regulator’s own page govern.
Where it's scoring now · 0
Not scored in this forecast: Adak to Kiska Bering Side, Adak to Kiska Pacific Side, Barren Islands East, 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, Clarence Strait, Cook Inlet Kalgin Island to Point Bede, Cook Inlet North Kalgin Island, Cross Sound, Dall Point to Kwikpak Pass out to 15 NM, Flaxman Island to Demarcation Point out to 15 NM, Frederick Sound, Glacier Bay, Guam Coastal Waters, Icy Cape to Cape Suckling out to 15 NM, Icy Strait, 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, Northern Chatham Strait, Northern Lynn Canal, Northwest Prince William Sound, Passage Canal, Point Franklin to Cape Halkett out to 15 NM, Port Heiden to Nelson Lagoon out to 15 NM, Port of Valdez, Pribilof Islands Nearshore Waters, Resurrection Bay, Rota Coastal Waters, Saint Matthew Island Waters, Saipan Coastal Waters, Shelikof Strait, Sledge Island to Wales out to 15 NM, South Side of Saint Lawrence Island out to 15 NM, Southern Chatham Strait, Southern Lynn Canal, Southwest Prince William Sound, Stephens Passage, Sumner Strait, Tinian Coastal Waters, Unalaska Bay, Unimak Pass, Valdez Arm, Valdez Narrows, Wales to Cape Espenberg out to 15 NM, West of Barren Islands Including Kamishak Bay, Yakutat Bay and Yap Coastal Waters.
How and where it feeds
- Water temperature
- Feeds from 46°F to 62°F, best between 50°F and 57°F.
- Water depth
- 5 to 400 ft of water.
- Structure
- Beach, point, estuary, bay, open water and inlet, in that order of preference.
- Tide and current
- Prefers incoming tide and high tide, with light current.Pinks travel in large schools along shorelines toward their home streams, and WDFW notes they are not tied to tide rips the way coho are. Beach anglers near stream mouths usually see schools move in close on the flood and at high water. Tide guidance here leans on guide consensus rather than agency data.
- Light
- Bites best around dawn and dusk.
- Pressure
- Little response to pressure changes.
- Wind and sea limits
- 18 kt of wind and 4 ft of sea. The Waterlands engine scores hours down as conditions pass them.
Tackle and technique
Pinks travel in large schools along shorelines toward their home streams in late summer and often come within casting range of beaches and points near river mouths. Cast small pink spoons, spinners or flies, or troll a pink hoochie or spoon slowly behind a small flasher at 40 to 80 feet in open water. Puget Sound pinks run in odd-numbered years only.
- Methods
- casting from beaches, trolling slowly, fly fishing
- Lures
- small pink spoons, pink hoochie behind a small flasher, pink and white spinners, pink casting jigs, pink shrimp or clouser flies, bucktails
- Bait
- herring strip
Regulations
Alaska Department of Fish and Game. Synced with ADF&G Sep 19, 2026.
No reviewed pink salmon rule for Alaska is on file yet. Check with ADF&G before you keep one.
