Alaska Fishing Calendar
What's biting month by month, and how many Alaska charters on Unreel target each fish.
| Fish | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Salmon334 charters · May to September, also October to April | January: also fished | February: also fished | March: also fished | April: also fished | May: peak | June: peak | July: peak | August: peak | September: peak | October: also fished | November: also fished | December: also fished |
 Halibut232 charters · May to September | January: off peak | February: off peak | March: off peak | April: off peak | May: peak | June: peak | July: peak | August: peak | September: peak | October: off peak | November: off peak | December: off peak |
 Lingcod95 charters · July to September | January: off peak | February: off peak | March: off peak | April: off peak | May: off peak | June: off peak | July: peak | August: peak | September: peak | October: off peak | November: off peak | December: off peak |
Trout72 charters · June to October | January: off peak | February: off peak | March: off peak | April: off peak | May: off peak | June: peak | July: peak | August: peak | September: peak | October: peak | November: off peak | December: off peak |
 Rockfish37 charters · May to August | January: off peak | February: off peak | March: off peak | April: off peak | May: peak | June: peak | July: peak | August: peak | September: off peak | October: off peak | November: off peak | December: off peak |
 Steelhead6 charters · April to May and September to October | January: off peak | February: off peak | March: off peak | April: peak | May: peak | June: off peak | July: off peak | August: off peak | September: peak | October: peak | November: off peak | December: off peak |
Shaded months are the typical peak for a charter trip. The outlined column is this month.
Alaska fishing, month by month
- January
- Off season for most charters. Some captains still run trips, so it is worth asking.
- February
- Off season for most charters. Some captains still run trips, so it is worth asking.
- March
- Off season for most charters. Some captains still run trips, so it is worth asking.
- April
- Steelhead
- November
- Off season for most charters. Some captains still run trips, so it is worth asking.
- December
- Off season for most charters. Some captains still run trips, so it is worth asking.
Before you book
- Salmon: On the Kenai, kings run mid May through July, sockeye early July to mid August and silvers late July into early October. Winter "feeder" kings are fished from October to April in Southeast Alaska and Kachemak Bay. King limits and closures are set by emergency order and change often, so check ADF&G.
- Halibut: Charter halibut has daily size and bag limits that change yearly.
- Lingcod: Lingcod is closed during the spring spawning and nesting season and opens in summer.
How this calendar is built
The charter counts are live from the Unreel directory: each one is a Alaska charter that lists that fish as a target. A fish only appears here if at least three local charters target it.
The shaded months are general peak windows for Alaska, not fishing regulations. For ocean species, the spawning, migration and federal closure notes were checked against NOAA Fisheries species profiles, and for inshore and freshwater species against state wildlife agency guidance and rules. Seasons, closures and limits change every year and can differ by water, so check Alaska's current regulations and ask your captain what is running before you book.