It’s a fishing day

Whittier / Passage Canal fishing conditions · Alaska

Tonight 9 pm to tomorrow 12 amRockfish

The bite peaks at 68.

Log a trip here
Right now: 53 for rockfish, sit it outTap or drag along the water to move through the next 36 hours

Rockfish, 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.

  1. 5312 pm
  2. 53
  3. 53
  4. 533 pm
  5. 58
  6. 58
  7. 586 pm
  8. 58
  9. 58
  10. 659 pm
  11. 65
  12. 65
  13. 68Sun
  14. 68
  15. 68
  16. 683 am
  17. 68
  18. 68
  19. 686 am
  20. 68
  21. 68
  22. 689 am
  23. 68
  24. 68
  25. 6812 pm
  26. 68
  27. 68
  28. 653 pm
  29. 65
  30. 65
  31. 656 pm
  32. 65
  33. 65
  34. 659 pm
  35. 65
  36. 65
Go, 85+Worth the trip, 70+Marginal, 55+Sit it out

Right now

Water
No reading

Rockfish range 45–58°

Wind
10 mph

From the east

Light
Daylight

Sunset 4:40 pm

Sky
Rain Showers

87% chance of rain

Air
36°F

NWS hourly forecast

Barometer
Rising

Measured, last 3 hours

Moon
5% lit

Waning crescent

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.

Rockfish

Rockfish

Sebastes spp.

68MarginalTonight 9 pm to tomorrow 12 am

Water

No water reading here right now. Rockfish bite in 45–58° water, best near 52°.

Why

Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Holds 20–300 ft down.

Keep

3 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. Prince William Sound: rockfish are 3 a day, 6 in possession, and only 1 of those may be a nonpelagic rockfish. No yelloweye may be kept January 1–June 30. Charter crews may not keep rockfish while clients are aboard, and a deepwater release device must be aboard.

Verified Nov 6, 2026 · Prince William Sound salt water

Season here: Apr–Dec. More on rockfish

Lingcod

Lingcod

Ophiodon elongatus

68MarginalTonight 9 pm to tomorrow 12 am

Water

No water reading here right now. Lingcod bite in 45–58° water, best near 52°.

Why

Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Holds 20–300 ft down.

Keep

35" minimum · 1 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. Prince William Sound: July 1–December 31, 1 lingcod a day, 1 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 Nov 6, 2026 · Prince William Sound salt water

Season here: Apr–Dec. More on lingcod

Pink Salmon

Pink salmon

Oncorhynchus gorbuscha

47Sit it outNo window clears the bar

Water

No water reading here right now. Pink salmon bite in 42–60° water, best near 52°.

Why

Pink salmon prefers incoming tide. Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Pink salmon is here Jul–Aug. Holds 1–15 ft down.

Keep

6 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. Whittier Terminal Harvest Area: chum, coho, pink and sockeye salmon are 6 a day, 12 in possession, no size limit. Pink and chum salmon may be used as bait but count toward your limit, and must not be alive. Snagging is not allowed in the Whittier Small Boat Harbor. Alaska changes limits by Emergency Order in season, so check the ADF&G emergency orders the day you fish.

Verified Nov 6, 2026 · Whittier Terminal Harvest Area

Season here: Jul–Aug. More on pink salmon

Chum Salmon

Chum salmon

Oncorhynchus keta

47Sit it outNo window clears the bar

Water

No water reading here right now. Chum salmon bite in 42–58° water, best near 50°.

Why

Chum salmon prefers incoming tide. Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Chum salmon is here Jul–Aug. Holds 2–15 ft down.

Keep

6 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. Whittier Terminal Harvest Area: chum, coho, pink and sockeye salmon are 6 a day, 12 in possession, no size limit. Pink and chum salmon may be used as bait but count toward your limit, and must not be alive. Snagging is not allowed in the Whittier Small Boat Harbor. Alaska changes limits by Emergency Order in season, so check the ADF&G emergency orders the day you fish.

Verified Nov 6, 2026 · Whittier Terminal Harvest Area

Season here: Jul–Aug. More on chum salmon

Coho Salmon

Coho salmon

Oncorhynchus kisutch

33Sit it outNo window clears the bar

Water

No water reading here right now. Coho salmon bite in 44–58° water, best near 53°.

Why

Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Coho salmon is here May–Oct. Holds 10–120 ft down.

Keep

6 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. Whittier Terminal Harvest Area: chum, coho, pink and sockeye salmon are 6 a day, 12 in possession, no size limit. Snagging is not allowed in the Whittier Small Boat Harbor. Alaska changes limits by Emergency Order in season, so check the ADF&G emergency orders the day you fish.

Verified Nov 6, 2026 · Whittier Terminal Harvest Area

Season here: May–Oct. More on coho salmon

Pacific Halibut

Pacific halibut

Hippoglossus stenolepis

33Sit it outNo window clears the bar

Water

No water reading here right now. Pacific halibut bite in 37–55° water, best near 45°.

Why

Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Pacific halibut is here May–Sep. Holds 60–600 ft down.

Keep

2 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. Unguided anglers: 2 halibut a day, 4 in possession, February 1–December 31. Charter (guided) anglers follow separate federal limits. Halibut cleaned at sea may be cut into no more than 2 ventral, 2 dorsal and 2 cheek pieces, each with skin attached.

Verified Nov 6, 2026 · Prince William Sound salt water

Season here: May–Sep. More on Pacific halibut

The water

  • Water temperatureNo reading
  • Barometer29.44 inHg, rising

Sun, moon & solunar

  • Sunset today4:40 pm
  • Sunrise tomorrow8:39 am
  • MoonWaning crescent, 5% lit
  • Major solunarToday 10:20 am–12:20 pm
  • Minor solunarToday 3:10 pm–4:10 pm
  • Major solunarTonight 11:00 pm–1:00 am

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

The Prince William Sound port at the end of the Anton Anderson tunnel from Anchorage. Shore anglers fish Passage Canal for coho and pink salmon, and boats run into the Sound for halibut, rockfish and lingcod. Live tide from the Whittier NOAA station.

Whittier Terminal Harvest Area (Passage Canal west of Trinity Point and Gradual Point): salmon are 6 a day, 12 in possession, no size limit. Snagging is not allowed in the Small Boat Harbor. Lingcod open July 1 with a 35" minimum.

Nearby

Public spots within 40 miles, with the same 36 hours of floats.

Questions people ask

Do I need a fishing license to fish at Whittier / Passage Canal?

Yes (anglers age 16 and older). To fish at Whittier / Passage Canal you need the appropriate state fishing license. See the agency's current rules: the state agency website

What fish are commonly targeted at Whittier / Passage Canal?

Whittier / Passage Canal is listed on this site for 6 commonly-targeted species: Coho Salmon, Pacific Halibut, Rockfish, Lingcod, and 2 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 Whittier / Passage Canal?

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 Whittier / Passage Canal 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 Whittier / Passage Canal have?

Whittier / Passage Canal has multiple access types — pier, shoreline, and at least one public boat ramp. Whittier Terminal Harvest Area (Passage Canal west of Trinity Point and Gradual Point): salmon are 6 a day, 12 in possession, no size limit. Snagging is not allowed in the Small Boat Harbor. Lingcod open July 1 with a 35" minimum.

Which state's fishing regulations apply at Whittier / Passage Canal?

state agency regulations apply at Whittier / Passage Canal. 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 Whittier / Passage Canal tidal water?

Yes. Whittier / Passage Canal sits on tidal water with a NOAA tide station nearby. Today's high/low timing is in the tide chart on this page.