It’s a fishing day

Sitka fishing conditions · Alaska

Now until 4 pmPacific halibut

The bite peaks at 100. Water is 48°, close to the 45° Pacific halibut like best.

Log a trip here
Right now: 100 for Pacific halibut, go · inside the best windowTap or drag along the water to move through the next 36 hours

Pacific halibut, hour by hour

Each float is an hour. The deeper it rides, the better the bite. The strip underneath runs daylight, dusk and dark; the red rule marks the best window. Click any hour to read it.

  1. 10012 pm
  2. 100
  3. 100
  4. 1003 pm
  5. 86
  6. 86
  7. 836 pm
  8. 83
  9. 83
  10. 839 pm
  11. 83
  12. 83
  13. 76Sun
  14. 76
  15. 76
  16. 763 am
  17. 76
  18. 76
  19. 766 am
  20. 76
  21. 76
  22. 839 am
  23. 83
  24. 83
  25. 8312 pm
  26. 83
  27. 83
  28. 833 pm
  29. 83
  30. 83
  31. 836 pm
  32. 83
  33. 83
  34. 839 pm
  35. 83
  36. 83
Go, 85+Worth the trip, 70+Marginal, 55+Sit it out

Right now · best window

Water
48°F

Pacific halibut range 37–55°

Wind
10 mph

From the east

Light
Daylight

Sunset 4:04 pm

Sky
Mostly Cloudy

2% chance of rain

Air
44°F

NWS hourly forecast

Barometer
Falling

Measured, last 3 hours

Moon
5% lit

Waning crescent

What’s biting

Each species is scored against its own water-temperature range and tide preference, then wind, weather and warnings. The rules are Alaska regulations for these waters.

Pacific Halibut

Pacific halibut

Hippoglossus stenolepis

100GoNow until 4 pm

Water

48°
27°37–55° · ideal 45°65°

Why

Right in Pacific halibut's ideal range. Sharp 3-hour fall — fish feed hard ahead of a front. Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Holds 60–600 ft down.

Keep

2 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. Unguided anglers: 2 halibut a day, 4 in possession, no size limit, February 1–December 31; closed in January. Charter (guided) anglers follow separate federal limits set each year by the IPHC and NOAA.

Verified Oct 18, 2026 · Alaska

Last checked 20 days ago. Rules may have changed.

Season here: May–Sep. More on Pacific halibut

Chinook Salmon

Chinook salmon

Oncorhynchus tshawytscha

100GoNow until 4 pm

Water

48°
32°42–58° · ideal 50°68°

Why

Right in chinook salmon's ideal range. Sharp 3-hour fall — fish feed hard ahead of a front. Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Holds 15–150 ft down.

Keep

28" minimum · 1 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. Southeast Alaska salt water: kings under 28" may not be kept. Bag, possession and annual limits for kings 28" and longer are set each year by emergency order, and nonresidents must record each one. Alaska changes limits by Emergency Order in season, so check the ADF&G emergency orders the day you fish.

Verified Oct 18, 2026 · Alaska

Last checked 20 days ago. Rules may have changed.

Season here: Apr–Oct. More on chinook salmon

Lingcod

Lingcod

Ophiodon elongatus

88GoNow until 4 pm

Water

48°
35°45–58° · ideal 52°68°

Why

Sharp 3-hour fall — fish feed hard ahead of a front. Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Inside lingcod's active range. Holds 20–300 ft down.

Keep

1 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. Central Southeast Outside area (Sitka): open May 16–June 30 and September 1–November 30. Residents 1 a day, 2 in possession, no size limit. Nonresidents 1 a day with an annual limit of 2: one 30–35" and one 55" or longer, recorded at harvest. Charter crews may not keep lingcod while clients are aboard.

Verified Oct 18, 2026 · Sitka (Central Southeast Outside)

Last checked 20 days ago. Rules may have changed.

Season here: Apr–Dec. More on lingcod

Rockfish

Rockfish

Sebastes spp.

88GoNow until 4 pm

Water

48°
35°45–58° · ideal 52°68°

Why

Sharp 3-hour fall — fish feed hard ahead of a front. Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Inside rockfish's active range. Holds 20–300 ft down.

Keep

2 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. Sitka (Central Southeast Outside): pelagic rockfish are 3 a day (6 in possession) for residents and 2 a day (4) for nonresidents. Demersal shelf rockfish such as yelloweye: residents 1 a day; nonresidents only July 1–August 25, with an annual limit of 1, recorded at harvest. A deepwater release device must be aboard.

Verified Oct 18, 2026 · Sitka Pelagic Rockfish Special Area

Last checked 20 days ago. Rules may have changed.

Season here: Apr–Dec. More on rockfish

Coho Salmon

Coho salmon

Oncorhynchus kisutch

88GoNow until 4 pm

Water

48°
34°44–58° · ideal 53°68°

Why

Sharp 3-hour fall — fish feed hard ahead of a front. Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Inside coho salmon's active range. Holds 10–120 ft down.

Keep

6 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. Southeast Alaska salt water outside the Yakutat area: coho 16" or longer are 6 a day, 12 in possession. Salmon under 16" are 10 a day in combination. Alaska changes limits by Emergency Order in season, so check the ADF&G emergency orders the day you fish.

Verified Oct 18, 2026 · Southeast Alaska salt water

Last checked 20 days ago. Rules may have changed.

Season here: May–Oct. More on coho salmon

The water

  • Water temperature48°F
  • Barometer29.55 inHg, falling

Sun, moon & solunar

  • Sunset today4:04 pm
  • Sunrise tomorrow7:27 am
  • MoonWaning crescent, 5% lit
  • Major solunarTonight 10:00 pm–12:00 am
  • Minor solunarTomorrow 7:00 am–8:00 am
  • Major solunarTomorrow 10:20 am–12:20 pm

Solunar tables are a popular heuristic. A peer-reviewed test found they don’t predict catch on their own, so here they only nudge the score when the tide or moon already agree. How the score works

Emergency orders in effect

Alaska changes limits and seasons in season. These ADF&G orders cover the Sitka and Southeast area and override the limits below where they differ.

From the ADF&G emergency order list, checked daily; the list last changed Nov 5. Read the order itself before you fish.

Fishing report

No current report covers these waters.

We only show reports an agency has published, with their date. Alaska Dept. of Fish & Game publishes a report for the state.

Licenses and rules: Alaska Dept. of Fish & Game / IPHC · fish-consumption advisories

About this spot

A Southeast Alaska saltwater hub on Baranof Island, fishing the open Pacific off Cape Edgecumbe for Pacific halibut, lingcod, and rockfish, plus king and coho salmon along the outer coast. Protected inside waters and exposed offshore banks give year-round bottomfish and a strong summer salmon troll. Live tide from the Sitka NOAA station and seas from the Cape Edgecumbe buoy.

Sitka is in the Central Southeast Outside area: lingcod open May 16–June 30 and September 1–November 30, and pelagic rockfish are 3 a day for residents, 2 for nonresidents. Kings under 28" may not be kept, and the limits for larger kings are set by Emergency Order each year.

Nearby

The closest public spots we cover, with the same 36 hours of floats.

Valdez / Port Valdez479 mi · AlaskaBest tomorrow 12 am–9 am
68Marginal
Whittier / Passage Canal540 mi · AlaskaBest tonight 9 pm to tomorrow 12 am
68Marginal
Seward / Resurrection Bay549 mi · AlaskaBest tonight 9 pm to tomorrow 12 am
68Marginal

Questions people ask

Do I need a fishing license to fish at Sitka?

Yes (anglers age 16 and older). To fish at Sitka you need the appropriate state fishing license. See the agency's current rules: the state agency website

What fish are commonly targeted at Sitka?

Sitka is listed on this site for 5 commonly-targeted species: Pacific Halibut, Lingcod, Rockfish, Chinook Salmon, and 1 more. Which species is currently in season and which is scoring highest today is shown in the per-species ranking on this page.

When is the best time to fish at Sitka?

It depends more on the species and the day's conditions than on a fixed "best hour." Water temperature, weather, and — at tidal locations — the stage of the tide drive activity most. The per-species ranking on this page scores every target species at Sitka against today's live conditions, so the fish near the top are your best bets right now; check back as conditions change through the day.

What kind of access does Sitka have?

Sitka has multiple access types — pier, shoreline, and at least one public boat ramp. Sitka is in the Central Southeast Outside area: lingcod open May 16–June 30 and September 1–November 30, and pelagic rockfish are 3 a day for residents, 2 for nonresidents. Kings under 28" may not be kept, and the limits for larger kings are set by Emergency Order each year.

Which state's fishing regulations apply at Sitka?

state agency regulations apply at Sitka. Size limits, creel limits, and seasonal closures are listed per species on each species page. Always confirm against the agency source linked from each regulation block — emergency closures can take effect mid-season.

Is Sitka tidal water?

Yes. Sitka sits on tidal water with a NOAA tide station nearby. Today's high/low timing is in the tide chart on this page.