UTERRockfish fishing in Southcentral Alaska
In Southcentral Alaska, rockfish peak June–September and are around year-round, according to Fish Scouter's month-by-month season calendar. June: Black rockfish schooled up off Seward's outer islands and the Kodiak capes.
No note for October — see the months around it.
Rockfish in Southcentral Alaska, month by month
- JanuaryAround
- FebruaryAround
- MarchAround
- AprilAround
- MayArriving
- JunePeakBlack rockfish schooled up off Seward's outer islands and the Kodiak capes.
- JulyPeak
- AugustPeakPeak; pelagic schools near the surface on calm days.
- SeptemberPeakCoho at every river mouth; fall steelhead. Kenai, Kasilof, Kodiak's Buskin and Pasagshak; Anchor River steelhead (C&R).
- OctoberAround
- NovemberAround
- DecemberAround
Where to fish rockfish 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 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 Southcentral Alaska?
Peak season is June–September. Rockfish are here year-round. June: Black rockfish schooled up off Seward's outer islands and the Kodiak capes.
Where do rockfish hold in Southcentral Alaska?
Look on artificial reef, ledge / hard bottom, fishing pier — around Homer, Seward, Kenai, Soldotna, Valdez, Whittier.
What is the best bait for rockfish in Southcentral 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 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.
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All about rockfish · Southcentral Alaska, the whole year