Salt water fishing opportunities

KING SALMON – Chinook

King salmon inhabit the waters of Southeast Alaska year-round. Large king salmon bound for spawning grounds and weighing up to 70 pounds are around from late April through July. Persistent anglers can find a few scattered fish throughout winter. Anglers visiting the Sitka area most frequently ask, when ís the best time to fish for king salmon? Fishing improves greatly with spring weather in late April, but the prime time is from late May through the month of July.

HALIBUT

The Pacific halibut was called “haly-butte” in Middle English, meaning the flatfish to be eaten on holy days.

Halibut and other flatfish are flattened laterally, and swim sideways, with one side facing down and the other facing up. The upper side is typically gray to brown, or nearly black, with mottling and numerous spots to blend in with a sandy or muddy bottom. The underside is typically white. Virtually all halibut are right-eyed, meaning both eyes are found on the upper, dark side of the body. The scales are quite small and buried in the skin, making the skin appear smooth.  The maximum reported size is over 8 feet in length and over 500 pounds.

Other species

Adult black rockfish have a mottled gray-black body often with dark stripes from the eye to the gill plate. These fish are characterized by having a bass-shaped body, a large mouth, and spinous dorsal fin. The spines are venomous and may cause pain or infection; though they are not extremely toxic, they should be handled with care. They are also quite delicious! With white flaky flesh similar in taste to grouper.

Lingcod, contrary to their name, are not a true cod, but are a greenling. Lingcod are voracious predators and can grow to weigh over 80 pounds and measure 60 inches in length. They are characterized by a large mouth with 18 sharp teeth. Their color is variable, usually with dark brown or copper blotches arranged in clusters. Lingcod are aggressive fighters on the line and are usually hooked when the bait gets too close to the bottom while salmon fishing.

SILVER SALMON – Coho

Found in coastal waters of Alaska, coho are extremely adaptable and are found in nearly all accessible bodies of fresh water - from large trans-boundary watersheds to small tributaries.

Adults usually weigh 8 to 12 pounds and are 24 to 30 inches long. Adults in salt water or newly returning to fresh water are bright silver with small black spots on the back and on the upper lobe of the tail fin. They can be distinguished from Chinook salmon by the lack of black spots on the lower lobe of the tail and by their white gums.

One thing is for sure, hooking a silver fresh from the ocean in a stream, with light tackle, is a truly exciting experience!

RED SALMON – Sockeye

Sockeye salmon are one of the smaller species of Pacific salmon, measuring 18 to 31inches in length and weighing 4-15 pounds. Sea-going sockeye salmon have iridescent silver flanks, a white belly, and a metallic green-blue top, giving them their “blueback” name. Some fine black speckling may occur on the back, but large spots are absent. Sockeye salmon are prized for their firm, bright-orange flesh.