Alaska Halibut Facts for Anglers

by Marcus Weiner Pacific halibut are ambush predators that lie on the ocean floor. Their top side is a mottled, brown to olive coloring, while their bottom side is white. The top side coloring gives them camouflage when hunting prey. Pacific halibut are the largest member of the flatfish family. These type of fish are flattened laterally and swim sideways, with one side facing up and one facing down. Another attribute of flatfish species is that both eyes are on the top side of their bodies. They have small scales that are buried in their skin, a dorsal fin that extends from the eyes to the tail, and a broad, powerful tail. An average halibut weighs about 20 pounds but the species can get extremely large.

The Alaska sport caught halibut record is currently 459 pounds! Halibut can live up to 50 years old. Their age is measured by counting the rings in a bone-like structure in their ear called an otolith. The otolith puts on two rings per year—one in the summer and one in the winter. Halibut are widely distributed in the saltwater around Alaska. Most of the major communities in southeast and southcentral Alaska offer halibut charters. Some of the best places to fish for halibut are Homer, Whittier, Valdez, Seward, Kodiak, Yakutat, Sitka, Petersburg, Wrangell and Craig.

Best Time to Fish

Anglers start targeting halibut in earnest in May and they can reliably find them through October. Once winter hits, halibut head offshore into deep water to spawn, and return to the shallows in the spring. The majority of halibut angling in Alaska takes place in June through August, when weather is good and halibut are plentiful, so consider planning your trip then.

Bait for Alaska Halibut

Pacific halibut are typically caught on bait, which is fished stationary either on the ocean floor, or suspended not far off the bottom. The other most popular technique is to vertically jig for halibut. When bait fishing, rods are typically short and stout, as tides can be strong in Alaska waters and a weight of 1- to 5 pounds is often needed to keep the bait from moving. Use a 5-foot, fast-action rod rated for 50- to 100-pound-test line paired with a stout reel spooled with 300 yards of 80-pound-test braid as a good starting point.

Popular baits include salmon parts, herring, octopus, greenling and Pacific cod. Jig anglers can downsize a little, and fish a slightly longer, less powerful rod. They won’t be lifting as much weight. Still, jigs we use range from 8- to 24 ounces, depending on the current. The most popular method to halibut fish is to set anchor and disperse scent. This brings halibut to your scent trail. Biologists posit that they can sniff in parts per billion. Other anglers will drift for halibut, which allows you to cover more water. It’s not uncommon to catch halibut while trolling for salmon, especially when salmon are holding tight to the ocean floor.

• Homer
• Whittier
• Valdez
• Seward
• Kodiak
• Yakutat
• Sitka
• Petersburg
• Wrangell
• Craig

Always check current area ADF&G regulations before fishing.