Information on fishing in Seward, Alaska

Halibut

One of the most popular species for fishing in Alaska, halibut can live up to 55 years and can grow to be quite enormous - when we say "barn-door" halibut, we mean it! Trophy sizes start at 200 lbs. and a 300 lb. halibut can win tournaments... the IGFA world record is 496 lbs and there have been documented catches on commercial boats of 600+ lbs!

The average halibut caught is 20-30 lbs. The good news is that these "smaller" fish are much better eating than their large counterparts.

A flat fish with a mottled brown top side and a white bottom, Pacific Halibut put up quite a fight. The big ones are very strong... if you hook a big one, you'll never forget the experience.

Halibut features firm, white flesh that can be frozen and kept for months before eating. We can help you arrange processing of your catch if you wish.

Fishing season: All year except the spawning season in January

Bag limit: 2/day/person

Silver Salmon

Seward, Alaska is famous for its silver, or coho, salmon fishing. The Seward Silver Salmon Derby takes place the second week in August and is the largest fishing derby in the state!

Silver salmon are pound-for-pound the hardest-fighting salmon; in the ocean, they are a beautiful silver color and they are considered by many to be the tastiest salmon species. Most of the silvers we catch weight between 10 and 15 lbs., but the occasional fish over 20 lbs. is caught.

Fishing season: These salmon appear in the Resurrection Bay area in mid June and stick around until early fall.

Bag limit: 3-6/day/person, depending on location for Silver Salmon

Lingcod

Remarkably ugly bottom fish, lingcod fight hard on light tackle and, despite their looks, are quite tasty (some say they are even better than Halibut). Because they are slow-growing, non-migratory and very sensitive to environmental changes, they are heavily regulated and generally rather elusive to catch.

November through April is their spawning season; they are generally catch-and-release only until July. They have no swim bladder so they are easy to release and survive quite well.

Fishing season: July-December

Bag limit: 1/day/person

Rockfish

Often caught while fishing for halibut, rockfish include several species such as Yellow eye, Dusky and Black rockfish. They put up a good fight for their size and are fun to catch on light tackle.

Seward is recognized as one of the best places to catch rockfish. This fish is delicious when prepared fresh, but not so good for freezing and storing.

Fishing season: Year-round

Bag limit: 5/day/person