Species › North America · Saltwater › Lingcod

Saltwater

Lingcod

Ophiodon elongatus · ling, cultus cod, buffalo cod

Water temp
45–55°F
Peak season
Apr–Jun
Best light
Daytime
IGFA record
82 lb 9 oz (37.45 kg)
Lingcod (Ophiodon elongatus and Setarches guentheri.jpg)

Photo: Ed Bowlby, NOAA/Olympic Coast NMS; NOAA/OAR/Office of Ocean Exploration · Public domain · via Wikimedia Commons

OverviewWhere & WhenHow to CatchGearRegulationsRecordsForecastCatches

Overview

Lingcod are not cod at all but the largest member of the greenling family, found only in the North Pacific from Baja California to Kodiak Island, Alaska. They are long, mottled brown-to-green fish with a huge head, a mouth full of needle-sharp teeth and a long, notched dorsal fin; some fish carry a startling blue-green tint in the flesh that cooks out white. Most anglers see 5–15 lb fish, but females live 20-plus years and routinely pass 30 lb in Alaska and British Columbia.

Lingcod are ambush feeders that sit on rocky pinnacles, kelp-edged reefs and wrecks in 30–300 ft of water and lunge at anything that swims past, including hooked rockfish. Males move shallow in winter to guard nests, which is why many states close the season from roughly December through spring. Anglers target them with heavy jigs, large swimbaits and live bait dropped straight onto structure, and the species supports one of the most popular bottomfish fisheries on the West Coast.

Typical size5–15 lb (2–7 kg); 22–32 in
Trophy30 lb+ in California, Oregon and Washington; 50 lb+ in Alaska and British Columbia
Table fareExcellent — firm, mild white fillets

Where & when

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California and Oregon seasons open in spring and run through fall with the May–June post-spawn peak; Alaska's season opens later (July in many areas) and peaks in summer, while winter closures protect nest-guarding males.

Monterey Bay, CARocky pinnacles off Point Pinos and Carmel; spring opener fishNeah Bay, WAStrait of Juan de Fuca reefs; big jig fish in summerDepoe Bay, ORNearshore reefs minutes from the harbor; swimbait fisheryKachemak Bay, AKHomer-area pinnacles produce 40–60 lb fish

How to catch

Vertical jigging with heavy ironDrop a 6–16 oz lead jig or metal bar to the rocks and lift it 3–6 ft in sharp strokes, letting it fall on a semi-slack line. Most bites come on the drop, so stay in contact and set hard when the rod loads up.
Large swimbaitsRig a 7–10 in paddle-tail on a 4–8 oz leadhead and yo-yo it just above structure on drifts. Keep the bait within 10 ft of the bottom; lingcod rush up to grab it and often hold on without being hooked, so keep reeling steadily.
Live bait on a dropper loopPin a live sanddab, small rockfish (where legal) or herring on a 7/0–9/0 hook with a sinker below it. Fish it on the bottom over pinnacles and let the fish chew for a few seconds before setting, since lingcod grip bait sideways.
Drifting plastics over shallow reefIn 30–80 ft, drift a 4–6 oz grub or curly-tail on 40 lb braid and tap bottom every few seconds. Works well in Alaska and British Columbia in summer when fish push shallow.

Gear

Rod7' heavy conventional jigging or 6'6" extra-heavy boat rod
ReelConventional star-drag or lever-drag, 300–400 size; 6000 spinning for swimbaits
Line50–65 lb braid with 40–60 lb mono or fluorocarbon leader

Lures

Metal jigs and iron barsPaddle-tail swimbaits on heavy leadheadsCurly-tail grubsShrimp flies with a bait stripSoft-plastic squid

Baits

Live sanddabHerringSquidSmall greenling or rockfish (where legal)

Regulations

Lingcod are managed state by state under federal groundfish rules, with minimum sizes, daily bag limits, depth restrictions and seasonal closures that change yearly; Alaska sets its own limits by region. A saltwater license is required everywhere.

Records

IGFA all-tackle world record: 82 lb 9 oz (37.45 kg) — Off Homer, Alaska, 2007 (Robbie Hammond). State and regional records are kept by each fish & wildlife agency.

Frequently asked

Why is some lingcod meat blue or green?

Roughly one in five lingcod has blue-green flesh caused by a bile pigment called biliverdin. It is harmless and turns pure white when cooked, with no change in flavor or texture.

What depth should I fish for lingcod?

Target rocky structure in 40–150 ft most of the year. Fish move shallower in late fall and winter to spawn, which is when many seasons close, and the biggest females are often on deeper pinnacles in 150–300 ft during summer.

Bite forecast — Lingcod

Recent catches

Posted by anglers on the live map, filtered to Lingcod.

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