UTERLingcod fishing in Southcentral Alaska
In Southcentral Alaska, lingcod peak January–April and August–September and are around year-round, spawning in January–April, according to Fish Scouter's month-by-month season calendar. January: Nest-guarding — the Southcentral lingcod season opens midsummer; check ADF&G.
Last calm days.
Lingcod in Southcentral Alaska, month by month
- JanuarySpawningNest-guarding — the Southcentral lingcod season opens midsummer; check ADF&G.
- FebruarySpawning
- MarchSpawning
- AprilSpawning
- MayAround
- JuneAround
- JulyArrivingSeason opens: Seward's outer islands, Montague, the Barren Islands off Homer.
- AugustPeakPeak on the exposed pinnacles.
- SeptemberPeakCoho at every river mouth; fall steelhead. Kenai, Kasilof, Kodiak's Buskin and Pasagshak; Anchor River steelhead (C&R).
- OctoberLeavingLast calm days.
- NovemberAround
- DecemberAround
Where to fish lingcod near Homer, Seward, Kenai
Kachemak Bay and lower Cook Inlet off the Kenai Peninsula, Resurrection Bay at Seward, Prince William Sound's fjords and glaciers, and the Kodiak archipelago — plus the Kenai, Kasilof and Russian rivers' famous runs.
Fish Scouter charts 180 wreck spots in the Southcentral 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 Southcentral Alaska?
Peak season is January–April and August–September, with fish spawning in January–April (often a closed or catch-and-release window — check the rule). Lingcod are here year-round. January: Nest-guarding — the Southcentral lingcod season opens midsummer; check ADF&G.
Where do lingcod hold in Southcentral Alaska?
Look on artificial reef, ledge / hard bottom, pass / inlet — around Homer, Seward, Kenai, Soldotna, Valdez, Whittier.
What is the best bait for lingcod in Southcentral 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 Southcentral 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.
Fish it with the tide in your pocket
Fish Scouter scores lingcod for this hour on this water, draws every reef, wreck and access point near you, and keeps your spots. $9.99 a month, 14 days free.
Start 14 free daysMore
All about lingcod · Southcentral Alaska, the whole year