Species › North America · Saltwater › Pacific Halibut

Saltwater

Pacific Halibut

Hippoglossus stenolepis · halibut, barn door, chicken halibut

Water temp
41–54°F
Peak season
May–Aug
Best light
Daytime
IGFA record
459 lb 0 oz (208.20 kg)
Pacific Halibut (Pacific Halibut.JPG)

Photo: Jlikes2Fish · Public domain · via Wikimedia Commons

OverviewWhere & WhenHow to CatchGearRegulationsRecordsForecastCatches

Overview

Pacific halibut are the largest flatfish in the Pacific, diamond-shaped right-eyed flounders with a mottled olive-brown topside and a white belly. They live on sand, gravel and mud bottoms from California to the Bering Sea and across to Japan, with the bulk of the sport fishery in Alaska, British Columbia and the Washington and Oregon coasts. Most fish caught weigh 15–40 lb, while females over 100 lb are known as barn doors and the biggest exceed 8 ft and 400 lb.

Halibut spend winter spawning in deep water along the continental slope and move onto shallower banks and bays in spring and summer to feed on herring, octopus, crab, cod and pollock. They are opportunistic scavengers with a superb sense of smell, which is why a scented bait soaked on the bottom draws them from a distance. Anglers fish them with heavy jigs or bait rigs in 60–300 ft, and the fight is a slow, heavy grind punctuated by surges. In Alaska the halibut charter is an institution, and Washington and Oregon open short, hotly anticipated seasons each spring.

Typical size15–40 lb (7–18 kg); 30–45 in
Trophy100 lb+ (a barn door); 200 lb+ is exceptional
Table fareExcellent — thick, firm, snow-white fillets

Where & when

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Alaska's sport season runs February through December with the peak May–August as fish move onto shallow feeding grounds; Washington and Oregon offer short quota-based openings in May and June, and British Columbia fishes spring through fall.

Homer, Kachemak Bay, AKSelf-styled halibut capital; summer charter fleetSeward, Resurrection Bay, AKDeep-water barn doors outside the bayNeah Bay / Swiftsure Bank, WAMay–June openers on the Strait and offshore banksNewport, ORSpring all-depth openings off Stonewall Bank

How to catch

Anchored bait on a spreader barAnchor on a sand or gravel flat in 80–200 ft and drop a spreader bar or sliding sinker rig with 1–3 lb of lead and a whole herring or octopus chunk on a 16/0 circle hook. Leave the rod in a holder with the reel in gear; let it load fully before lifting.
Vertical jiggingDrop a 12–24 oz lead jig or large soft-plastic grub to the bottom and lift and drop in slow 2–4 ft strokes while drifting. Jigging covers ground, cuts bait thieves and often picks off the most active fish; scent on the jig helps.
Drifting bait over structure edgesWhere current is light, drift a herring-and-squid combo on a dropper rig along the edges of banks and bays, bouncing the sinker every few seconds to stir sand. Resetting the drift over a productive line is key.
Shallow-water bait fishingIn Alaska's protected bays, summer fish move into 30–80 ft; fish a chunk of salmon belly or cod on a lighter 8–16 oz sinker and a 10/0 circle hook. Lighter gear turns a 30 lb chicken halibut into a proper fight.

Gear

Rod5'6"–6'6" heavy or extra-heavy conventional, rated to 32 oz-plus
ReelTwo-speed conventional or large star-drag, 30–50 size, 300+ yd capacity
Line65–100 lb braid with 100–150 lb mono leader

Lures

Lead jigs with glow skirtsLarge soft-plastic grubs and squidsFlat-fall jigsScented jig-and-bait combos

Baits

Whole or chunked herringOctopusSalmon bellies and headsSquidCod or pollock chunks

Regulations

Pacific halibut are managed by the International Pacific Halibut Commission with quotas, open dates, daily and annual limits and, in Alaska charter waters, size-slot rules that change every year; Washington, Oregon and California set short seasonal openings. A saltwater license and, in some states, a halibut catch card are required.

Records

IGFA all-tackle world record: 459 lb 0 oz (208.20 kg) — Dutch Harbor, Alaska, June 11, 1996 (Jack Tragis). State and regional records are kept by each fish & wildlife agency.

Frequently asked

Should you keep the biggest halibut?

Most guides say no. Fish over 100 lb are almost always old breeding females, the meat is coarser than on a 20–40 lb fish, and Alaska charter rules often require releasing fish within certain size ranges. Take a photo alongside the boat and let the barn door go.

How deep do you fish for Pacific halibut?

In summer most fish are taken in 60–250 ft on sandy or gravel flats near drop-offs and bank edges. Early and late in the season fish sit deeper, 250–400 ft, as they move to and from spawning grounds on the continental slope.

Bite forecast — Pacific Halibut

Recent catches

Posted by anglers on the live map, filtered to Pacific Halibut.

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