Harbors, Bays & Tributaries

Nearshore & Reefs

Open Water / Offshore Banks

Inshore

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  Chinook / King Salmon — Tight summer run peaking June-July; troll cut-plug herring and flashers on downriggers in salt, or drift bobber-and-yarn and spoons through holding river holes.GearCut-plug herring rigTrolling flashersSalmon mooching rod

  How to ID

  • Black gums/gumline at base of teeth on lower jaw (mouth interior also dark)
  • Irregular black spots on the back AND on BOTH lobes of the tail
  • Silver body, blue-green back; large, robust, deep-bodied
  • Spots present on entire caudal fin, not just the upper lobe

  Tell it apart: Black gumline along the lower jaw PLUS spots covering both tail lobes separate a king from a coho's pale/white gums and upper-lobe-only tail spotting. Don't rely on size or fin-ray counts alone.

  Easily confused with: Coho / Silver Salmon

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  Coho / Silver Salmon — Best August-September; cast bright spoons and spinners at river mouths and troll herring in salt water, with aggressive coho hammering flashy hardware.GearCasting spoonsInline spinnersSalmon spinning combo

  How to ID

  • Black mouth interior but WHITE/gray gums at base of teeth on lower jaw
  • Spots on back and on the UPPER tail lobe only (lower lobe usually clean)
  • Bright silver sides, blue back; broad caudal peduncle
  • Moderately forked tail

  Tell it apart: White/gray gums (against the black mouth) with spots confined to the upper tail lobe mark a coho versus the king's black gumline and fully spotted tail.

  Easily confused with: Chinook / King Salmon

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  Pink Salmon — Concentrated July-August on its two-year run; cast small pink spoons, spinners and jigs at river mouths and tide rips where dense schools stage.GearPink casting spoonsSmall pink jigsLight salmon combo

  How to ID

  • Large oval/oblong black blotches over the entire tail AND on the back
  • Very small scales (smallest of any Pacific salmon)
  • Bright silver at sea; smallest, most slender Pacific salmon
  • Spawning males develop a pronounced humped back

  Tell it apart: Big oval spots covering the WHOLE tail plus the tiniest scales of any salmon clinch a pink; coho spot only the upper lobe and chum has no real spots.

  Easily confused with: Coho / Silver Salmon, Chum Salmon

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  Chum Salmon — Runs July-August; cast chartreuse and green spoons, spinners and yarn flies in tidewater and lower rivers, where hard-fighting chum take swung hardware.GearBright casting spoonsInline spinnersYarn flies

  How to ID

  • No distinct spots on back or tail
  • Silver at sea; spawners show purple/green vertical 'calico' bars
  • Whitish tips on anal and pelvic fins
  • Narrow caudal peduncle (thin tail base)
  • Large, often white-rimmed pupil/eye

  Tell it apart: A spotless back and tail combined with a thin caudal peduncle and white-tipped anal/pelvic fins separate chum from spotted pinks/coho and from spotless sockeye (use gill-raker count to split chum from sockeye).

  Easily confused with: Sockeye Salmon, Pink Salmon, Coho / Silver Salmon

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  Sockeye Salmon — Sharp June-July run; flip-and-drift weighted sparse flies and yarn on short leaders, lining mouths of densely packed fish in clear river current.GearSockeye fliesBead and yarn rigsDrift fishing rod

  How to ID

  • No spots on back or tail
  • Bright silver body at sea, greenish-blue back; prominent glassy eye
  • Many fine, long, closely spaced gill rakers on first arch (about 28-40)
  • Spawners turn bright red with a green head

  Tell it apart: Spotless body plus numerous long, fine, closely set gill rakers (count them on the first arch — far more than chum's short, sparse rakers) confirm a sockeye.

  Easily confused with: Chum Salmon, Pink Salmon, Coho / Silver Salmon

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  Pacific Cod — Available May-August inshore over rocky bottom; drop large jigs and herring on heavy bait rigs, working structure where cod hold near the seafloor.GearHeavy bottom jigsShrimp fly bait rigsBottomfish rod combo

  How to ID

  • Single long chin barbel (whisker) at least as long as eye diameter
  • Three separate dorsal fins and two anal fins
  • Brown/gray mottled body, pale belly
  • Pale, curved lateral line
  • Rounded/square tail, blunt snout

  Tell it apart: The single fleshy chin barbel and three separate dorsal fins are unique among Alaska bottomfish and immediately separate cod from the barbel-less, single-dorsal lingcod.

  Easily confused with: Lingcod

Nearshore

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  Pacific Halibut — Prime May-September; anchor or drift over sandy bottom dropping large circle hooks baited with herring or salmon, and big leadhead jigs and swimbaits.GearHeavy circle hooksLarge leadhead jigsHalibut rod combo

  How to ID

  • Both eyes on the right (dark, upper) side; right-eyed flatfish
  • Large diamond/oval flat body, lies on its side
  • Dark brown/mottled top side, white underside
  • Large mouth reaching to the eye; strongly forked (lunate) tail
  • Lateral line arches high over the pectoral fin

  Tell it apart: A large right-eyed flatfish with a strongly forked tail and white underside is a halibut, not an arrowtooth flounder (slimmer, large-mouthed, nearly straight tail) — confirm the forked tail and arched lateral line.

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  Lingcod — Best July-August once seasons open; drop heavy jigs and swimbaits onto rocky pinnacles and reefs, where aggressive lingcod ambush from cover.GearHeavy leadhead jigsLarge swimbaitsHeavy jigging rod

  How to ID

  • Large mouth packed with numerous large, sharp canine-like teeth
  • Single long continuous dorsal fin with a notch between spiny and soft portions
  • Mottled brown/gray/green body; flesh sometimes blue-green
  • No chin barbel
  • Elongated body; a cirrus (flap) above each eye

  Tell it apart: A toothy, barbel-less mouth and a single long notched dorsal fin distinguish lingcod from the smooth-mouthed, barbeled, three-dorsal Pacific cod.

  Easily confused with: Pacific Cod

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  Yelloweye Rockfish — Catchable May-September over deep rocky reefs; drop heavy jigs and bait rigs to the bottom, and use a descending device to release fish unharmed.GearHeavy rockfish jigsShrimp fly rigsDescending device

  How to ID

  • Bright orange to orange-red body (adults)
  • Brilliant yellow eyes
  • Raspy/rough bony ridges over and behind the eyes
  • Juveniles have one or two pale/white horizontal stripes along the body
  • Heavy body, strong dorsal and anal fin spines

  Tell it apart: Orange-red body with vivid yellow eyes and rough bony ridges over the eyes positively IDs a yelloweye (locally 'red snapper') — its bright color alone separates it from the dark black/dusky rockfishes.

  Easily confused with: Black/Dusky Rockfish

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  Black/Dusky Rockfish — Best May-September around nearshore pinnacles; cast and jig swimbaits and shrimp flies near the surface and mid-column where schooling rockfish suspend.GearSoft swimbaitsShrimp fly rigsMedium jigging combo

  How to ID

  • Dark gray to black (black rockfish) or olive/brown-gray (dusky)
  • Spiny dorsal fin: black rockfish ~13 spines, dusky ~14
  • Black rockfish: dark spots/blotches on the spiny dorsal fin; dusky plainer
  • Black rockfish anal fin trailing edge ROUNDED; dusky SLANTED/straight
  • Heavy-bodied schooling rockfishes; large mouth

  Tell it apart: Both are dark schooling rockfish; the trailing edge of the anal fin separates them — ROUNDED in black rockfish, SLANTED/straight in dusky (note: this is the reverse of the common mix-up).

  Easily confused with: Yelloweye Rockfish