Alaska provides the most exciting halibut fishing anywhere in the world, and Ketchikan provides some of the most exciting halibut fishing in Alaska. While average catches range from 30 to 40 pounds, large catches can tip the scales at over 300 pounds.
Catching a monster halibut is certainly on every anglers’ wish list when they arrive in Ketchikan, but you have to know where to drop your line if you really want to catch a trophy fish. The following map provides the location and GPS coordinates of the most productive halibut fishing grounds within 60 miles of Ketchikan—although most fishing spots are much closer.
The following table provides additional information, including directions, to the fishing spots marked in the map above. After clicking on a map marker, find the name of the location in the table below. To view the location in Google maps, simply click the “Directions” link.
Name | Description |
---|---|
Ship Island | Fish south along Cleveland Peninsula toward Caamono Point Distance from Ketchikan: 30 miles Coordinates: 55.59878139807447, -132.19887400180437 Directions |
Caamano Point | Fish north along Cleveland Peninsula toward Ship Island and north east toward Bond Bay Distance from Ketchikan: 17 miles Coordinates: 55.497634582834394, -131.9696660777421 Directions |
Helm Bay | Distance from Ketchikan: 25 miles Coordinates: 55.625159016483536, -131.96228173063847 Directions |
Yes Bay | Distance from Ketchikan: 44 miles Coordinates: 55.89533836195725, -131.75649944907664 Directions |
Bell Island | Distance from Ketchikan: 50 miles Coordinates: 55.9217982131569, -131.58047364596706 Directions |
Hassler Pass | Fish south toward Gedney Pass Distance from Ketchikan: 49 miles Coordinates: 55.873940122306614, -131.58077453552855 Directions |
Gedney Pass | Fish north toward Hassler Pass Distance from Ketchikan: 48 miles Coordinates: 55.84809764574091, -131.60445872024135 Directions |
Neets Bay | Distance from Ketchikan: 37 miles Coordinates: 55.77747504711726, -131.68639577202438 Directions |
Bushy Point Cove | Distance from Ketchikan: 34 miles Coordinates: 55.73557705206442, -131.7308773730115 Directions |
Bushy Point (North/West) | Distance from Ketchikan: 34 miles Coordinates: 55.743703028662985, -131.75048574602295 Directions |
Naha Bay | Distance from Ketchikan: 27 miles Coordinates: 55.6006255106257, -131.66396772272796 Directions |
Grant Island | Distance from Ketchikan: 23 miles Coordinates: 55.561372407595236, -131.73789454413543 Directions |
Clover Passage | Distance from Ketchikan: 18 miles Coordinates: 55.49918098295745, -131.76894745927277 Directions |
Escape Point | Distance from Ketchikan: 27 miles Coordinates: 55.639371089473514, -131.74017291534477 Directions |
Betton Point | Distance from Ketchikan: 25 miles Coordinates: 55.54930952003407, -131.79862366297772 Directions |
Guard Islands | Distance from Ketchikan: 12 miles Coordinates: 55.44595978975028, -131.87920045767237 Directions |
Vallenar Point | Distance from Ketchikan: 11 miles Coordinates: 55.43021901605268, -131.84558445767243 Directions |
Vallenar Bay | Distance from Ketchikan: 12 miles Coordinates: 55.38731011487381, -131.85168540741387 Directions |
South Vallenar Point | Distance from Ketchikan: 14 miles Coordinates: 55.381598, -131.891593 Directions |
Grant Cove | Distance from Ketchikan: 17 miles Coordinates: 55.35465417260562, -131.86170041534479 Directions |
Nelson Cove (area) | Distance from Ketchikan: 26 miles Coordinates: 55.20373894068543, -131.83012637301135 Directions |
Bronaugh Islands | Distance from Ketchikan: 16 miles Coordinates: 55.11928210054287, -131.72775223809654 Directions |
Bostwick Inlet | Distance from Ketchikan: 14 miles Coordinates: 55.2273183139347, -131.73216103125026 Directions |
Seal Cove | Distance from Ketchikan: 15 miles Coordinates: 55.1838448057428, -131.7136756085232 Directions |
Blank Inlet | Distance from Ketchikan: 7.5 miles Coordinates: 55.27532676833279, -131.66548100181106 Directions |
Tongass Narrow | Distance from Ketchikan: 1.5 miles Coordinates: 55.32688907151465, -131.62216027116477 Directions |
Herring Bay | Distance from Ketchikan: 5 miles Coordinates: 55.32491591722595, -131.52017884978395 Directions |
California Head | Distance from Ketchikan: 10 miles Coordinates: 55.32762710443362, -131.47630945777502 Directions |
Carroll Inlet | Distance from Ketchikan: 26 miles Coordinates: 55.51680263475249, -131.32906354226213 Directions |
Bold Island | Distance from Ketchikan: 10.5 miles Coordinates: 55.25773797013197, -131.42257618664127 Directions |
Thorne Arm | Distance from Ketchikan: 23 miles Coordinates: 55.30280770983992, -131.26456057083877 Directions |
Point Alava | Distance from Ketchikan: 22 miles Coordinates: 55.18935211881655, -131.18239991551107 Directions |
Point Sykes | Distance from Ketchikan: 27 miles Coordinates: 55.193409604982634, -131.09766728034924 Directions |
Boca de Quadra | Distance from Ketchikan: 33 miles Coordinates: 55.07937968290241, -130.9806409155224 Directions |
Mary Island | Distance from Ketchikan: 26 miles Coordinates: 55.06968557495845, -131.1799587724957 Directions |
Foggy Bay | Distance from Ketchikan: 35 miles Coordinates: 54.94006301688321, -130.9552248917167 Directions |
Duke Island (East side) | Distance from Ketchikan: 31 miles Coordinates: 54.93853159156626, -131.21722935563517 Directions |
Duke Island (West side) | Distance from Ketchikan: 32 miles Coordinates: 54.923704641563404, -131.5165585422543 Directions |
Cape Fox (area) | Waters surrounding Cape fox, both east and west Distance from Ketchikan: 40 miles Coordinates: 54.763006323740825, -130.8634427288815 Directions |
Nakat Inlet | Distance from Ketchikan: 65 miles Coordinates: 54.92364364177306, -130.7494618133846 Directions |
Lower Portland Canal | Distance from Ketchikan: 66 miles Coordinates: 54.80206736592453, -130.55878043404917 Directions |
Spacious Bay | Distance from Ketchikan: 45 miles Coordinates: 55.85790416039316, -131.88429914439118 Directions |
Niblack Point (area) | Distance from Ketchikan: 24 miles Coordinates: 55.54784203738769, -132.12544868915694 Directions |
Lakekta Point-Humpy Points | Waters in between Lakekta Point and Humpy Point Distance from Ketchikan: 40 miles Coordinates: 54.848948013280804, -130.95521894886417 Directions |
Garnet Point | Distance from Ketchikan: 62 miles Coordinates: 54.719279329886284, -130.70899537323115 Directions |
House Rock | Waters north of House Rock Distance from Ketchikan: 32 miles Coordinates: 55.02324605721255, -131.03056472887613 Directions |
Slate Islands (area) | Distance from Ketchikan: 28 miles Coordinates: 55.09401698966667, -131.060327537737 Directions |
Twin Islands | Area northeast and south of Twin Islands Distance from Ketchikan: 20 miles Coordinates: 55.158529942616106, -131.20062504637175 Directions |
The ideal water temperature for catching halibut in Ketchikan is between 37 and 47 degrees Fahrenheit. Waters typically reach these temperatures during July and August, as halibut migrate from the Gulf of Alaska to the shallower waters of Alaska’s continental shelf. Halibut can be fished from mid-May through September, but the best time to target halibut is June through August.
Even though halibut are plentiful in the waters off Ketchikan, they’re not always easy to catch. There are a couple things you can do to increase both your bite and catch rate—the first of which is making sure you have the right equipment.
I recommend a sturdy 7′ American-style fishing pole with a double action reel. It should be equiped with a minimum 800 feet of 60-80 pound braided-nylon line. If you plan on reeling in a 200 pound halibut, you better make sure you have a rod and reel that can handle the punishment.
Halibut have a phenomenal sense of smell. In fact, smell is the number one sense halibut use to find their prey. Hence, stinky, smelly bait is key to drawing a fish to your line. The stinkier your bait, the better your chance of landing a prize catch. Herring, salmon bellies, or geoduck clams are ideal halibut bait.
You have two choice of hooks: J-hooks or circle hooks. Either will work, but my personal preference is the rounded hook since I like to let the halibut entirely consume the bait before setting the hook and reeling it in. If you intend to set the hook with a yank before reeling in, then you’ll want to use a j-hook. Either way, don’t start bringing the fish in until your rod shows a decent amount of bend.
There are a myriad of lures that are also effective for catching halibut. One of the more popular lures that appears to do the trick in Ketchikan is the rubber octopus lure. Hoochie skirts, the Dart, and Zinger lures will also get the job done. Even when using a lure, you’ll still want to attach some bait or cover the lure with a liquid bait scent to get the halibut’s attention.
A popular method for catching halibut off Ketchikan is jigging, but I think it’s really a matter of preference. Jigging is an active form of fishing that can be a lot of fun. If you’re going to jig, target underwater rockpiles and structure.
There are several good fishing charters in Ketchikan that can get you where you need to be to catch a good size halibut. However, if you’re going at it on your own make sure you know what you’re doing and are prepared. One of the advantages of being self guided is that you’ll have a more liberal bag limit. In Southeast Alaska guided fishing has a 1 halibut per day bag limit. Self guided fisherman can bag up to 2 halibut per day—any size.