Our season at Alaska Premier Charters, Inc. runs from early May until Mid-September. The following explains which species of fish are commonly available in Sitka and when is the best time to come fishing. It also explains how to identify the fish species.

See ADFG (Alaska Department of Fish and Game) for detailed current sportfish regulations.

Chinook (King) Salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) come on strong in the middle of May and usually stay strong until the beginning of August. As a non-resident of Alaska, you can catch one king salmon per day—at a size of 28 inches or longer—with a limit of three annually.

Identification: Blue-gray back, silvery sides and white underbellies and a dark gray, almost black mouth and black gums. Black irregular spotting on the back, dorsal and tail fins. Maroon to olive brown in color when spawning.

Firm, richly flavored flesh ranging from deep red to ivory white.

Coho (Silver) Salmon (Oncorhynchus Kisutch) start coming around in late June, and really become plentiful in mid-July, finally tapering off in September. Non-residents are allowed to keep six silver salmon per day.

Identification: Greenish-blue back with bright silvery sides and lighter, gray-white gums. Small black spots on back and dorsal fins and top lobe of tail. No black spots on lower lobe of tail.

Full flavored, firm textured, naturally red flesh.

Chum (Dog) Salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) are available mainly in July and August. Non-residents can keep six per day.

Identification: Dull gray back with yellowish-silver sides, no distinct spots on back or tail. Large dilated pupils. Very forked tail. Olive green backs and maroon sides with irregular dull red bars when spawning.

Milder, more delicate flavored, creamy pink to medium red flesh.

Pink (Humpy) Salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha) are available mainly in July and August. Non-residents can keep six per day.

Identification: Steely blue backs with many large dark spots and silvery sides. Black oval spots on both tail lobes. Very small scales. Dull gray-brown (male) or dark green patchy (female) backs and creamy white bellies when spawning. Males develop a hump.

Delicately flavored, light-colored flesh.

Halibut (Hippoglossus Stenolepsis) start showing up in April, become prolific in May, and generally are caught through the first half of September. Weather becomes quite stormy late September and on into the fall, which makes halibut fishing more difficult. The current regulations limit non-residents on charter boats to one halibut per day, under 37 inches.

Identification: Dark brown (top) side and a white (bottom) side. Both eyes on the dark side of its body when mature (8-12 years old).

Delicate, firm, flaky, sweet flavored, snow-white flesh.

Lingcod (ophiodon elongatus) season opens in mid-May. They are available to catch and keep until mid-June and then the season closes again until mid-August, remaining open through the end of September. While in season, there is a slot limit for non-residents between 30-35 inches for one fish and the second has to be 55 inches or greater; both cannot be caught on the same day.

Identification: Back and sides vary in color, from grey, brown, green and orange, with darker spotting and mottling on upper parts. Long body, large head and mouth and a mix of large canine teeth and smaller teeth. Rigid spines on foward part of dorsal fin.

Rockfish can be caught May-September. There are many species of rockfish, which all have different limits.

Pelagic rockfish are found in mid-water. These include Black, Yellowtail and Dusky.

Non-Pelagic rockfish are found on or near rocky ocean bottom. These include Yelloweye, Canary, Copper, Silvergray, Tiger, China and Quillback.

See ADFG for more on limits and identification.

Sharks are always around and can be caught April-September, but the shark season is really great from mid-July through all of August when the water temperature rises.

Species you might find in Sitka include Blue, Salmon and Dog Sharks.