It’s a fishing day

Lingcod Ophiodon elongatus

2 of 13worth the trip today

Best right now at Sitka, Alaska. Water is inside the 45–58° range lingcod like at 9 of the 13 spots with a live reading.

Go 0Worth the trip 2Marginal 1Sit it out 7Click to zoom in, drag to move, right-click to zoom out
Where lingcod score best right now
Lingcod

About lingcod

A toothy, aggressive ambush predator of Pacific rocky reefs and kelp — hammers jigs and live bait fished near the bottom. Often caught while rockfishing; big “lings” are a prize from jetties and nearshore reefs.

Ophiodon elongatus, family Hexagrammidae.

Lingcod, spot by spot

All 10 spots with lingcod in season, scored for lingcod, best first.

SitkaSitka Borough, AlaskaLingcod

51° water · 5 mph wind · incoming tide

83Worth the trip
Gold Beach (South Beach Park)Curry County, OregonLingcod

52° water · 12 mph wind · incoming tide

76Worth the trip
Pacific City Beach (Cape Kiwanda)Tillamook County, OregonLingcod

53° water · 14 mph wind · incoming tide

56Marginal

Not scored today

3 other spots where people fish for lingcod: 3 closed to lingcod or out of season today.

First Beach (La Push)WAPuget Sound (Seattle)WAWestport Light State ParkWA

The water they want

Lingcod feed from about 45° to 58°F and best near 52°. Each pin is one spot’s water right now, from NOAA and USGS gauges; 9 of 13 are inside the range.

ideal 52°
45°58°

How they feed

  • Water45–58°F, best near 52°
  • TideEither, as long as it moves
  • MoonEither
  • DepthUsually 20–300 ft
  • Active monthsApr–Dec

Scored against their own temperature range and tide preference first, then wind, weather and warnings. Solunar periods only break ties. How the score works

Keep or release

  • Alaska35" minimum · 1 a dayCook 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).Pacific waters · verified Oct 18, 2026 · source · 8 days since checked
  • California22" minimum · 2 a day22" total length minimum, 2/person/day; fillets at least 14" with all skin attached. Boat season follows the groundfish complex (closed Jan 1–Mar 31). Shore anglers and spear divers are exempt from the season and depth rules.Pacific waters · verified Oct 21, 2026 · source
  • Oregon22" minimum · 3 a day22" minimum, 3/day, separate from the general marine bag. Open at all depths year-round.Pacific waters · verified Oct 21, 2026 · source
  • Washington2 a dayNo minimum size, 2/day. Coastal season mid-Mar–mid-Oct.Pacific waters · verified Oct 21, 2026 · source

Rules change, and they differ by state and often by water. Each spot page shows the limits for its own water. Lingcod are fished at spots in 4 states: Alaska, California, Oregon, Washington.

Waters with their own rules

These waters set limits for lingcod that differ from the rest of their state.

Reports that mention lingcod

1 state agency named lingcod in their latest reports, newest first, linked to the source.

OregonOct 8

19 species named: brook trout, brown trout, channel catfish, chinook salmon, coho salmon, crappie, cutthroat trout…

Read at Oregon ODFW

Fished in the same water

Species people target at the same spots as lingcod, and how they’re doing today.

RockfishSebastes spp.

2 of 15 spots worth the trip

Best now at Sitka, AK83

Bites in 45–58° water

Redtail surfperchAmphistichus rhodoterus

7 of 11 spots worth the trip

Best now at Ocean Shores, WA100

Bites in 48–62° water

Barred surfperchAmphistichus argenteus

2 of 19 spots worth the trip

Best now at Avila Beach, CA83

Bites in 50–68° water

California halibutParalichthys californicus

5 of 25 spots worth the trip

Best now at Zuma Beach, CA92

Bites in 55–72° water