Lingcod Fishing in Alaska
The Alaska rules trail for lingcod: sections, stocking, trophy lines and the pages that list it.
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Lingcod across the Last Frontier, at a glance
ADF&G's 2026 booklets carry 6 regulation sections under headings for lingcod, across Southcentral, Southcentral (Prince William Sound), Southeast, Southwest (Bristol Bay) and Southwest (Kodiak, Alaska Peninsula, Aleutians) booklets.
Its trophy certificate table has 4 lines.
Rules as printed in the 2026 ADF&G Sport Fishing Regulations Summary, Southeast Alaska general seasons, bag and size limits (fresh and salt water) (booklet). Effective until the 2027 summary is issued; emergency orders supersede the booklet (ADF&G emergency orders). Read November 14, 2026.
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How ADF&G words its lingcod sections
| Booklet area | Heading as printed | First rule lines as printed | Page |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southeast Alaska general seasons, bag and size limits (fresh and salt water) | LINGCOD | Alaska Residents (All areas): May 16-November 30: Open to lingcod fishing. | – |
| Cook Inlet and Kachemak Bay salt waters | LINGCOD | July 1-December 31: 1 per day, 2 in possession, must be at least 35 inches long with head attached or 28 inches from tip of tail to front of dorsal fin with head removed. | page 67 |
| North Gulf Coast | LINGCOD | Closed year-round to all lingcod fishing. Lingcod caught incidentally must be released immediately. You cannot legally fish for any species of fish inside Resurrection Bay if you possess a lingcod taken elsewhere. Saltwaters: Outside of Resurrection Bay July 1 | page 71 |
| Prince William Sound | LINGCOD | July 1-December 31: 1 per day, 1 in possession, minimum 35 inches long with head attached, or 28 inches or greater from tip of tail to front of dorsal fine with head removed. | page 75 |
| Bristol Bay salt and fresh waters | LINGCOD | No limit. | page 11 |
| Kodiak Island, Alaska Peninsula and Aleutian Islands salt waters | LINGCOD | July 1-December 31: Open to lingcod fishing. Afognak and Shuyak Islands – north of the latitude of Tonki Cape (north of 58°21.181’N. lat.) and north of the latitude of Black Cape (north of 58°24.583’N. lat.), inclusive of all waters between these points by eme | page 21 |
The 2026 booklets stay in force until the 2027 summary appears (ADF&G's own wording), and none for 2027 has been published; emergency orders come first.
Booklet areas differ, so a limit from one section does not carry to another area.
Rules as printed in the 2026 ADF&G Sport Fishing Regulations Summary, Southeast Alaska general seasons, bag and size limits (fresh and salt water) (booklet). Effective until the 2027 summary is issued; emergency orders supersede the booklet (ADF&G emergency orders). Read November 14, 2026.
Alaska areas with a heading for lingcod
- Bristol Bay salt and fresh waters
- Cook Inlet and Kachemak Bay salt waters
- Kodiak Island, Alaska Peninsula and Aleutian Islands salt waters
- North Gulf Coast
- Prince William Sound
- Southeast Alaska general seasons, bag and size limits (fresh and salt water)
Rules as printed in the 2026 ADF&G Sport Fishing Regulations Summary, Southeast Alaska general seasons, bag and size limits (fresh and salt water) (booklet). Effective until the 2027 summary is issued; emergency orders supersede the booklet (ADF&G emergency orders). Read November 14, 2026.
ADF&G certificate thresholds for lingcod
| Program | Category | Minimum |
|---|---|---|
| adult | trophy weight | 50 pounds |
| youth | trophy weight | 40 pounds |
| adult | catch release length | 50 inches |
| youth | catch release length | 45 inches |
The table shows certificate qualifying sizes only, since no state record list is published.
Minimum weights and lengths from the ADF&G Trophy Fish Program (minimum requirements PDF), read November 14, 2026. They are certificate thresholds, not records.
More on lingcod from ADF&G
- ADF&G species information for lingcod
- Alaska license and bookletsfees and the four 2026 regional booklets
- Alaska saltwater areasmarine areas and their management units
- All Alaska fish pages26 species
Your Lingcod questions about Alaska rules and waters
Is lingcod in the 2026 regulation headings?
6 booklet sections are headed for it, in Southcentral, Southcentral (Prince William Sound), Southeast, Southwest (Bristol Bay) and Southwest (Kodiak, Alaska Peninsula, Aleutians) booklets.
What year are the lingcod rules?
The 2026 booklets stay in force until the 2027 summary appears (ADF&G's own wording), and none for 2027 has been published; emergency orders come first.
Can limits for lingcod change during the year?
Printed limits give way to emergency orders, which ADF&G posts on its own page.
Is there an Alaska record table for lingcod?
None is printed. The agency offers certificates with minimum sizes instead.
Does a listing mean lingcod are easy to catch?
No. Entries show where an agency layer or stocking row names the fish.
Are any lingcod planted by the state?
No hatchery release of it shows in the 2026 search.
Is there a state species sheet for lingcod?
ADF&G keeps a species page at https://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=lingcod.main.
Which license do lingcod anglers carry?
On cost, a resident annual sport fishing license is $20 and a nonresident annual license $100. A license applies to residents 18 and over and to nonresidents 16 and over; anglers below those ages need no license but carry a free Sport Fishing Harvest Record Card for annual-limit fish.
Can a water close to lingcod fishing?
Printed limits give way to emergency orders, which ADF&G posts on its own page.