SOUTHEAST ALASKA’S FAMED FISHING GROUNDS
The sheer abundance of wild salmon, halibut, lingcod, and rockfish in our waters is what has established Waterfall Resort’s acclaim over the last century, first as a record-breaking cannery and today as full-service fishing lodge. Our region’s fishing season runs May through September. Annual bag limits, listed below, are issued by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game and the International Pacific Halibut Commission. Questions? Contact us at 800-544-5125.
MIGHTY KING
Also known as Chinook salmon, kings are distinguished by their black jaws and famed for powerful, drawn-out fights. Waterfall Resort record: 79.2 pounds.
SILVER STREAK
The so-called “acrobats” of the salmon family, silvers, or coho, often leap from the water while on the line. Waterfall Resort record: 22.75 pounds.
HALIBUT HAUL
Reeling in a Pacific halibut can test any angler’s stamina. These sideways swimmers can reach up to eight feet long. Waterfall Resort record: 366.8 pounds.
LING ON
Not related to the cod family, lingcod are sharp-toothed greenlings and tend to inhabit rocky reefs close to shore. Waterfall Resort record: 69.3 pounds.
OLD YELLER
Yelloweye rockfish, aka “Alaska red snapper,” reach maturity at about 20 years old, and have a lifespan of 120 years or more. Waterfall Resort record: 30.5 pounds.
ROCK STAR
More than 20 rockfish species thrive in Waterfall Resort waters, including dark, dusky, blue, widow, and the venomous-spined quillback, pictured above.
King Salmon (Chinook)
The largest of Pacific salmon, kings or Chinooks average 14 to 17 pounds and about 36 inches long, and tend to appear in June.
2023 Nonresident Season Limits:
- One fish daily, 28 inches or longer.
- January 1 - June : Annual possession limit is three king salmon.
- July 1- July 15: Annual possession limit is two king salmon.
- July 16- December 31: Annual possession limit is one king salmon.
- 2022 - 2025: King fishing will remain open all season although there may be reductions on the annual limit.
Any king caught January through June applies toward the annual fish limit.
Best Months to catch Salmon: Although large king salmon can be caught throughout the summer months, the peak king salmon season is mid-June through the beginning of August.
Silver Salmon (Coho)
Silvers average 8 to 12 pounds and about two-and-a-half feet long, and are abundant in our waters during their late summer run.
2023 Nonresident Season Limits: Six fish per day, with no annual limit.
Best Months to Catch Silver Salmon: Much like kings, silvers are present throughout the summer months, however their peak season is end of July through September.
Pink Salmon (Humpback)
Also known as “humpies” pinks are the smallest of Pacific salmon, averaging 3 to 5 pounds and 15 to 20 inches long. They swim to our waterfall in August.
2023 Nonresident Season Limits: Six fish per day 16 inches or longer, with no annual limit.
Pacific Halibut
Large and flat, Southeast Alaska’s halibut can weigh more than 100 pounds, with the larger adults tipping the scales at well over 300 pounds.
2023 Nonresident Season Limits: One fish per day, which must be either 40 inches or less or 80 inches or more in length, with no annual limit. Halibut in the slot between 40 inches and 80 inches must be released.
** For the 2023 season, in the continued efforts to preserve our halibut stocks for the future, there will be Monday halibut closures from July 24, 2023 until the end of the season. GAF (bonus halibut tags) will still work for Mondays. Let us know if you would like to get on the waitlist for a tag, as they are selling out fast. **
Best Months to Catch Halibut: Large halibut are caught through out the summer months, from the beginning of June through the end of September.
Lingcod
Lingcod may weigh over 80 pounds and reach five feet long or more. In spite of their size, lingcod yield only about 20 percent of their weight for your dinner plate.
2023 Nonresident Season Limits: One fish 30 to 40 inches, and one fish 55 inches or longer, with an annual limit of two fish.
Pelagic Rockfish Species
Pelagics include dusky, dark, widow, blue, yellowtail, and black rockfish, known in Alaska as “black bass.”
2023 Nonresident Season Limits: Five fish per day, with no annual limit.
ALASKA PEAK FISHING SEASONS
WATERFALL RESORT KING RECORD: GRETCHEN PORTER’S 79.2-POUNDER IN 2004.
Posted limits are for reference only. Sport-fishing limits are set by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game and the International Pacific Halibut Commission and subject to change without notice.
