Best Time To Fish In Alaska

Unlike other species, halibut fishing is based on tides. As migratory fish, halibut breed in January and begin to migrate in the following months. Like most fish, they follow food sources such as herring. Contrary to what one might think, fishing in July and August doesn't mean bigger fish! While the average size of halibut is decreasing over time, you have just as much of an opportunity to catch a 100+ lb halibut in April than you do later in the year. With that said, you may be asking when is the best time to fish halibut then?

In reality, halibut fishing can be productive, regardless of month fished, as long as the tides and weather are favorable! For us, productive halibut fishing starts as early as March and we fish thru October.

Targeting salmon is a whole different ball game and picking the right month heavily decides your success. While salmon are in the saltwater, they are feeding and preparing to complete their life-cycle of spawning up local rivers. This means they are constantly on the move and hungry! Depending on the types of salmon you're looking to target, productive salmon fishing can be found year round. Below, we breakdown the species and best months to target them.

King Salmon: Year-round in Homer. There's a lull mid-June thru beginning of July, but otherwise considered productive.

Silver Salmon: July- September

Pink Salmon: Runs every 2 years and productive June- mid August.

Red Salmon: Early July to mid-August. Reds are most productive within local rivers.

In Homer, we have various types of cod and rockfish available to fish. Rockfish are usually the most common species added to trips, as the bag limit is currently 5 per angler (2022 regulations) and are really fun to catch with jigging! While there is not a closure date for targeting rockfish, the limiting factor is weather. To target rockfish, charters typically need to drive further out and weather, at times, can restrict this. Selecting a month that is known for better weather opportunity can give you a better opportunity at successful fishing.

There are two species of cod available to anglers- grey cod and ling cod. Grey cod is open year round and does not have any bag limits. This species is similar to east coast cod and delicious when fried up! Ling cod is only available starting July 1st thru the end of season. They are traditionally larger, as ADFG does require a size restriction of 35" or bigger (2022 regulation). Additionally, charters typically only allow anglers 1 per day, due to declining numbers over the years. Grey cod are usually found in abundance, while ling cod require a longer drive out, similar to rockfish!