UTERLingcod fishing in Southeast Alaska
In Southeast Alaska, lingcod peak June–October and December–April and are around year-round, spawning in December–April, according to Fish Scouter's month-by-month season calendar. January: Males on the nests — the SE lingcod season opens in late spring after the guarding season; check ADF&G.
Late fish.
Lingcod in Southeast Alaska, month by month
- JanuarySpawningMales on the nests — the SE lingcod season opens in late spring after the guarding season; check ADF&G.
- FebruarySpawning
- MarchSpawning
- AprilSpawning
- MayArrivingSeason opens; rock piles and pinnacles off Sitka and Craig.
- JunePeakPeak kings; peak halibut. Sitka, Craig and Ketchikan's Mountain Point; slack-tide halibut; first sockeye and terminal chum.
- JulyPeakPeak — big jigs on the outer rocks, herring on a bait rig.
- AugustPeakCoho derby month; pinks peak; halibut. Flasher and hoochie in the top 40 ft at the capes; a pink spoon off any creek mouth.
- SeptemberPeak
- OctoberPeakLate fish.
- NovemberAround
- DecemberSpawning
Where to fish lingcod near Ketchikan, Craig, Wrangell
The Inside Passage: a thousand islands of rainforest, deep fjords, kelp-lined points and the exposed outer coast off Sitka and Craig, with hundreds of salmon streams and hatchery release sites.
Fish Scouter charts 112 wreck spots in the Southeast Alaska map area — the kinds lingcod hold on.
What to use for lingcod
- SquidStrips on a bottom rig for snapper, grunts and porgies; whole on a deep-drop rig.
- HerringCut-plug for salmon: head off at an angle, guts out, two hooks in tandem so it spins slow behind a flasher or a banana weight. Whole and live on a circle hook for stripers where the herring run.
- Leader30–60 lb fluorocarbon
- Hook2/0–7/0
- Braid30–65 lb
Feeds in 42–60°F water, best at 46–54°F.
Questions anglers ask
When is the best time to catch lingcod in Southeast Alaska?
Peak season is June–October and December–April, with fish spawning in December–April (often a closed or catch-and-release window — check the rule). Lingcod are here year-round. January: Males on the nests — the SE lingcod season opens in late spring after the guarding season; check ADF&G.
Where do lingcod hold in Southeast Alaska?
Look on artificial reef, ledge / hard bottom, pass / inlet — around Ketchikan, Craig, Wrangell, Petersburg, Sitka, Juneau.
What is the best bait for lingcod in Southeast Alaska?
Live bait: squid, herring. Squid: Strips on a bottom rig for snapper, grunts and porgies; whole on a deep-drop rig. Tackle: leader 30–60 lb fluorocarbon, hook 2/0–7/0, braid 30–65 lb.
What are the rules for lingcod in Southeast Alaska?
Size and bag limits and closed seasons are set by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) and change — read the current rule at https://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=fishregulations.main before you keep a fish. A licence is sold at https://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=license.main.
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All about lingcod · Southeast Alaska, the whole year