UTERRockfish fishing in Southeast Alaska
In Southeast Alaska, rockfish peak May–September and are around year-round, according to Fish Scouter's month-by-month season calendar. May: Black rockfish schooling on the outer reefs; yelloweye rules are tight — check ADF&G.
No note for October — see the months around it.
Rockfish in Southeast Alaska, month by month
- JanuaryAround
- FebruaryAround
- MarchAround
- AprilArriving
- MayPeakBlack rockfish schooling on the outer reefs; yelloweye rules are tight — check ADF&G.
- JunePeakPeak kings; peak halibut. Sitka, Craig and Ketchikan's Mountain Point; slack-tide halibut; first sockeye and terminal chum.
- JulyPeakPeak on the outer coast; use a descending device on deep fish.
- 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
- OctoberAround
- NovemberAround
- DecemberAround
Where to fish rockfish 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 rockfish hold on.
What to use for rockfish
- SquidStrips on a bottom rig for snapper, grunts and porgies; whole on a deep-drop rig.
- Anchovies (Pacific)Nose- or collar-hooked on a #4 to 1/0 hook and fly-lined with no weight, or on a dropper loop; a dozen tossed over the side as chum keeps the bass and bonito up.
- 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 44–62°F water, best at 48–56°F.
Questions anglers ask
When is the best time to catch rockfish in Southeast Alaska?
Peak season is May–September. Rockfish are here year-round. May: Black rockfish schooling on the outer reefs; yelloweye rules are tight — check ADF&G.
Where do rockfish hold in Southeast Alaska?
Look on artificial reef, ledge / hard bottom — around Ketchikan, Craig, Wrangell, Petersburg, Sitka, Juneau.
What is the best bait for rockfish in Southeast Alaska?
Live bait: squid, anchovies (pacific), 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 rockfish 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 rockfish · Southeast Alaska, the whole year