Waterlands

Species guide · Alaska

Sablefish fishing in Alaska

Anoplopoma fimbria, a bottom species also called black cod, blackcod and butterfish. Listed for the Alaska region. Shoulder season, about 2 more weeks.

Right now it scores best in Chiniak Bay at 58, 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: Not present
  2. Feb: Not present
  3. Mar: Not present
  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: Not present
  12. Dec: Not present

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

Research notes, Alaska region

NOAA notes sablefish are occasionally caught in Alaska recreational fisheries during summer movements onto the shelf. A small targeted sport fishery out of Sitka and other Southeast ports uses electric reels in 700 feet and deeper, 60 to 90 minutes offshore. Southeast bag limit has been 4 per day with a nonresident annual limit.

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 sablefish score this hour.

1
58Good
Chiniak Bay

Best window today 7 PM-12 AM (59) · Best day Wed, Sep 16 at 2 PM (59) · 28 named spots

2
58Good
Glacier Bay

Best window today 7-10 PM (63) · Best day Wed, Sep 16 at 7 PM (63) · 44 named spots

3
55Good
Castle Cape to Cape Tolstoi out to 15 NM

Best window today 7 PM-12 AM (58) · Best day Thu, Sep 17 at 9 PM (60) · 112 named spots

4
55Good
Northwest Prince William Sound

Best window today 6-10 PM (66) · Best day Wed, Sep 16 at 7 PM (66) · 100 named spots

5
54Good
Motherwood Point to Cape Krusenstern out to 10 NM

Best window today 4-10 PM (57) · Best day Thu, Sep 17 at 8 PM (59) · 14 named spots

6
54Good
Northern Chatham Strait

Best window today 6-9 PM (64) · Best day Wed, Sep 16 at 6 PM (64) · 151 named spots

7
54Good
Passage Canal

Best window today 6-9 PM (65) · Best day Wed, Sep 16 at 7 PM (65) · 8 named spots

8
54Good
Shelikof Strait

Best window today 7 PM-12 AM (60) · Best day Wed, Sep 16 at 9 PM (60) · 184 named spots

9
53Good
Clarence Strait

Best window today 6-10 PM (64) · Best day Wed, Sep 16 at 6 PM (64) · 423 named spots

10
53Good
Marmot Bay

Best window today 7 PM-12 AM (61) · Best day Wed, Sep 16 at 9 PM (61) · 84 named spots

11
53Good
South Side of Saint Lawrence Island out to 15 NM

Best window today 7-10 PM (56) · Best day Wed, Sep 16 at 8 PM (56) · 25 named spots

12
53Good
Valdez Arm

Best window today 6-11 PM (66) · Best day Wed, Sep 16 at 7 PM (66) · 12 named spots

13
52Good
Barren Islands East

Best window today 7 PM-12 AM (60) · Best day Wed, Sep 16 at 9 PM (60) · 114 named spots

14
52Good
Icy Strait

Best window today 6-10 PM (61) · Best day Wed, Sep 16 at 8 AM (62) · 37 named spots

15
52Good
North Side of Saint Lawrence Island out to 15 NM

Best window today 7-10 PM (58) · Best day Wed, Sep 16 at 8 PM (58) · 27 named spots

16
52Good
Southwest Prince William Sound

Best window today 6-11 PM (63) · Best day Wed, Sep 16 at 7 PM (63) · 215 named spots

17
52Good
Valdez Narrows

Best window today 6-11 PM (67) · Best day Wed, Sep 16 at 7 PM (67) · 3 named spots

18
51Good
Central and Eastern Prince William Sound

Best window today 6-10 PM (61) · Best day Wed, Sep 16 at 7 PM (61) · 130 named spots

19
51Good
Northern Lynn Canal

Best window today 6-10 PM (59) · Best day Wed, Sep 16 at 7 AM (59) · 34 named spots

20
51Good
Southern Lynn Canal

Best window today 6-10 PM (62) · Best day Tue, Sep 22 at 9 AM (63) · 23 named spots

21
51Good
Stephens Passage

Best window today 6-10 PM (62) · Best day Wed, Sep 16 at 7 AM (63) · 108 named spots

22
50Good
Cook Inlet Kalgin Island to Point Bede

Best window today 8 PM-12 AM (53) · Best day Tue, Sep 22 at 11 AM (54) · 18 named spots

23
50Good
Frederick Sound

Best window today 6-10 PM (59) · Best day Wed, Sep 16 at 7 AM (60) · 81 named spots

24
50Good
Port of Valdez

Best window today 6-11 PM (64) · Best day Wed, Sep 16 at 7 PM (64) · 5 named spots

25
49Good
Kachemak Bay

Best window today 8 PM-12 AM (60) · Best day Wed, Sep 16 at 8 PM (60) · 36 named spots

26
49Good
Southern Chatham Strait

Best window today 6-10 PM (61) · Best day Wed, Sep 16 at 7 AM (61) · 186 named spots

27
49Good
Sumner Strait

Best window today 6-10 PM (61) · Best day Wed, Sep 16 at 6 PM (61) · 378 named spots

28
49Good
Yakutat Bay

Best window today 6-11 PM (56) · Best day Thu, Sep 17 at 8 PM (58) · 55 named spots

29
48Good
Point Franklin to Cape Halkett out to 15 NM

Best window today 6-10 PM (58) · Best day Wed, Sep 16 at 7 PM (58) · 40 named spots

30
48Good
Unalaska Bay

Best window today 11 PM-12 AM (50) · Best day Thu, Sep 17 at 8 AM (61) · 85 named spots

31
47Good
Cape Krusenstern to Cape Thompson out to 15 NM

Best window today 5 PM-12 AM (55) · Best day Thu, Sep 17 at 8 AM (57) · 4 named spots

32
47Good
Cape Thompson to Cape Beaufort out to 15 NM

Best window today 8 PM-12 AM (52) · Best day Thu, Sep 17 at 9 AM (55) · 5 named spots

33
47Good
Resurrection Bay

Best window today 6-11 PM (57) · Best day Wed, Sep 16 at 7 PM (57)

34
47Good
Sledge Island to Wales out to 15 NM

Best window today 5-9 PM (53) · Best day Thu, Sep 17 at 8 AM (55) · 9 named spots

35
46Good
Cape Stephens to Moses Point out to 15 NM

Best window today 9 PM-12 AM (52) · Best day Thu, Sep 17 at 8 AM (58) · 15 named spots

36
46Good
Guam Coastal Waters

Best window today 10 AM-1 PM (46) · Best day Thu, Sep 24 at 10 AM (54)

37
46Good
Saint Matthew Island Waters

Best window today 8-10 PM (50) · Best day Sat, Sep 19 at 10 AM (56) · 4 named spots

38
46Good
Unimak Pass

Best window today 8 PM-12 AM (52) · Best day Tue, Sep 22 at 9 AM (57) · 203 named spots

39
45Good
Bristol Bay from Port Heiden to Cape Chichagof out to 15 NM

Best window today 8 PM-12 AM (48) · Best day Sat, Sep 19 at 9 AM (52) · 7 named spots

40
45Good
Cape Beaufort to Point Franklin out to 15 NM

Best window today 5-9 PM (52) · Best day Wed, Sep 16 at 7 PM (52) · 21 named spots

41
45Good
Tinian Coastal Waters

Best window today 10 AM-12 PM (45) · Best day Thu, Sep 24 at 10 AM (54)

42
44Fair
Port Heiden to Nelson Lagoon out to 15 NM

Best window today 7-11 PM (55) · Best day Thu, Sep 17 at 8 PM (59) · 29 named spots

43
44Fair
West of Barren Islands Including Kamishak Bay

Best window today 8 PM-12 AM (51) · Best day Tue, Sep 22 at 10 AM (52) · 33 named spots

44
43Fair
Flaxman Island to Demarcation Point out to 15 NM

Best window today 6-10 PM (55) · Best day Thu, Sep 17 at 7 PM (58) · 40 named spots

45
43Fair
Saipan Coastal Waters

Best window today 10 AM-1 PM (44) · Best day Thu, Sep 24 at 10 AM (53)

46
42Fair
Rota Coastal Waters

Best window today 10 AM-12 PM (43) · Best day Thu, Sep 24 at 10 AM (52)

47
41Fair
Cape Halkett to Flaxman Island out to 15 NM

Best window today 6-10 PM (56) · Best day Thu, Sep 17 at 7 PM (57) · 29 named spots

48
41Fair
Dall Point to Kwikpak Pass out to 15 NM

Best window today 6-11 PM (51) · Best day Thu, Sep 17 at 8 AM (53) · 21 named spots

49
41Fair
Moses Point to Sledge Island out to 15 NM

Best window today 5 PM-12 AM (49) · Best day Thu, Sep 17 at 11 AM (58) · 10 named spots

50
40Fair
North and West of Nunivak Island

Best window today 4 PM-12 AM (45) · Best day Thu, Sep 17 at 8 PM (52) · 42 named spots

51
39Fair
Adak to Kiska Bering Side

Best window today 7 PM-12 AM (51) · Best day Thu, Sep 17 at 10 AM (56) · 214 named spots

52
39Fair
Bristol Bay from Cape Chichagof to Cape Pierce out to 15 NM

Best window today 7 PM-12 AM (49) · Best day Thu, Sep 17 at 8 PM (52) · 50 named spots

53
38Fair
Cape Espenberg to Motherwood Point out to 10 NM

Best window today 6-10 PM (53) · Best day Thu, Sep 17 at 8 AM (55) · 6 named spots

54
38Fair
Cook Inlet North Kalgin Island

Best window today 6 PM-12 AM (48) · Best day Thu, Sep 17 at 7 AM (56) · 40 named spots

55
38Fair
Cross Sound

Best window today 6-10 PM (54) · Best day Thu, Sep 17 at 7 PM (59) · 153 named spots

56
38Fair
Kwikpak Pass to Cape Stephens out to 15 NM

Best window today 8 PM-12 AM (57) · Best day Thu, Sep 17 at 8 AM (58) · 14 named spots

57
32Fair
Adak to Kiska Pacific Side

Best window today 8 PM-12 AM (46) · Best day Thu, Sep 17 at 10 AM (55) · 162 named spots

58
32Fair
Nikolski to Seguam Pacfic Side out to 15 NM

Best window today 8-11 PM (51) · Best day Wed, Sep 16 at 9 PM (51) · 7 named spots

59
30Fair
Pribilof Islands Nearshore Waters

Best window today 7 PM-12 AM (32) · Best day Wed, Sep 23 at 1 PM (54) · 28 named spots

60
29Fair
Icy Cape to Cape Suckling out to 15 NM

Best window today 7-10 PM (43) · Best day Thu, Sep 17 at 8 PM (46) · 2 named spots

61
28Fair
Wales to Cape Espenberg out to 15 NM

Best window today 10 PM-12 AM (44) · Best day Thu, Sep 17 at 8 AM (50) · 2 named spots

62
27Fair
Kiska to Attu Bering Side

Best window today 10 PM-12 AM (46) · Best day Tue, Sep 22 at 3 AM (51) · 39 named spots

63
27Fair
Kiska to Attu Pacific Side

Best window today 10 PM-12 AM (39) · Best day Sat, Sep 19 at 10 AM (47) · 53 named spots

64
27Fair
Nikolski to Seguam Bering Side out to 15 NM

Best window today 8 PM-12 AM (55) · Best day Fri, Sep 18 at 8 AM (56) · 10 named spots

65
25Fair
Koror Palau Coastal Waters

Best window today 3 PM-12 AM (31) · Best day Thu, Sep 24 at 10 AM (44)

66
22Poor
Yap Coastal Waters

Best window today 4-9 PM (29) · Best day Wed, Sep 23 at 5 PM (41)

How and where it feeds

Water temperature
Feeds from 35°F to 48°F, best between 37°F and 43°F.
Water depth
600 to 1800 ft of water.
Structure
Canyon, ledge and bank, in that order of preference.
Tide and current
Prefers moving water, with light current.Tide stage matters little at 1,000 feet. What matters is a slow drift so the line stays near vertical and the rig stays on the bottom, which needs light current and light wind.
Light
Little tied to dawn and dusk.
Pressure
Little response to pressure changes.
Wind and sea limits
18 kt of wind and 5 ft of sea. The Waterlands engine scores hours down as conditions pass them.

Tackle and technique

Sablefish live on soft bottoms along the continental slope, and sport anglers find adults in 700 to 2,000 feet. Fish a multi-hook deep-drop rig with glow squid skirts and squid or herring on circle hooks, using several pounds of weight and an electric reel. It takes a long run offshore and a calm day to keep the line near vertical, so most trips happen in summer.

Methods
deep dropping with electric reels, bottom bait fishing
Lures
glow squid skirts over bait, deep-drop strobe lights, multi-hook circle hook gangions
Bait
squid, herring, mackerel strips, octopus

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

Other Alaska species