Sitka fishing conditions · Alaska

Now until Tuesday 11 amLingcod

The bite peaks at 86. Water is 51°, close to the 52° lingcod like best, and a solunar period lands on the window.

Right now: 86 for lingcod, go · inside the best windowTap or drag along the water to move through the next 36 hours

Lingcod, 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.

8611 pm
86Mon
86
862 am
86
86
865 am
86
86
868 am
86
86
8611 am
86
86
862 pm
86
83
835 pm
83
83
838 pm
83
83
8311 pm
83Tue
86
862 am
86
86
865 am
86
86
868 am
86
86

Go, 85+Worth the trip, 70+Marginal, 55+Sit it out

Water: 51°F
Wind: 5 mph
Light: Dark
Sky: Slight Chance Light Rain
Air: 40°F
Barometer: Steady
Moon: 100% lit

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.

Lingcod

Ophiodon elongatus

86GoNow until Tuesday 11 am

Water

51°

35°45–58° · ideal 52°68°

Why

Right in lingcod's ideal range. Light chop — baitfish active, fish willing to feed. Holds 20–300 ft down.

Keep

35" minimum · 1 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. Cook Inlet and Kachemak Bay: July 1–December 31, 1 lingcod a day, 2 in possession, at least 35" long with the head on (or 28" from tail tip to the front of the dorsal fin with the head off).

Verified Oct 18, 2026 · Alaska

Last checked 8 days ago. Rules may have changed.

Season here: Apr–Dec. More on lingcod

Rockfish

Sebastes spp.

86GoNow until Tuesday 11 am

Water

51°

35°45–58° · ideal 52°68°

Why

Right in rockfish's ideal range. Light chop — baitfish active, fish willing to feed. Holds 20–300 ft down.

Keep

2 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. Cook Inlet and Kachemak Bay in 2026, by emergency order: pelagic rockfish 2 a day, 4 in possession; nonpelagic 1 a day, 2 in possession, and no yelloweye may be kept April 1–June 30.

Verified Oct 18, 2026 · Alaska

Last checked 8 days ago. Rules may have changed.

Season here: Apr–Dec. More on rockfish

Chinook salmon

Oncorhynchus tshawytscha

86GoNow until Tuesday 11 am

Water

51°

32°42–58° · ideal 50°68°

Why

Right in chinook salmon's ideal range. Light chop — baitfish active, fish willing to feed. 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 8 days ago. Rules may have changed.

Season here: Apr–Oct. More on chinook salmon

Coho salmon

Oncorhynchus kisutch

86GoNow until Tuesday 11 am

Water

51°

34°44–58° · ideal 53°68°

Why

Right in coho salmon's ideal range. Light chop — baitfish active, fish willing to feed. Holds 10–120 ft down.

Keep

3 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. Cook Inlet and Kachemak Bay salt water: chum, coho, pink and sockeye are 6 a day in combination, 6 in possession, and only 3 of those may be coho. 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 8 days ago. Rules may have changed.

Season here: May–Oct. More on coho salmon

Pacific halibut

Hippoglossus stenolepis

74Worth the tripNow until Tuesday 11 am

Water

51°

27°37–55° · ideal 45°65°

Why

Light chop — baitfish active, fish willing to feed. Inside Pacific halibut's active range. 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 8 days ago. Rules may have changed.

Season here: May–Sep. More on Pacific halibut

The water

Water temperature51°F
Barometer30.21 inHg, steady

Sun, moon & solunar

Sunrise tomorrow7:58 am
Sunset tomorrow5:31 pm
MoonFull, 100% lit
Major solunarTonight 11:50 pm–1:50 am
Minor solunarTomorrow 8:50 am–9:50 am
Major solunarTomorrow 12:00 pm–2:00 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

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.

WaterPacific
AccessPier, shore and ramp
RulesAlaska
WhereSitka Borough · 57.0530, -135.3300

Nearby

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

Ship Creek (Anchorage)589 mi · AlaskaBest tomorrow 3 am to Tuesday 11 am

68Marginal

Homer / Kachemak Bay609 mi · AlaskaBest tomorrow 7 pm to Tuesday 11 am

86Go

Kenai River (Soldotna)610 mi · AlaskaBest now until Tuesday 1 am

80Worth the trip

Kasilof River614 mi · AlaskaBest tomorrow 7 pm to Tuesday 11 am

68Marginal

Kvichak River (Bristol Bay)762 mi · AlaskaBest tomorrow 4 pm to Tuesday 4 am

80Worth the trip

First Beach (La Push)774 mi · WashingtonBest tonight 11 pm to tomorrow 12 pmSmall Craft Advisory

75Worth the trip

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.