2025 Boardwalk Lodge Halibut Regulations for Southeast Alaska

The 2025 Regulations for Charter Halibut Anglers were released on March 17, 2025. This year, there is a reverse slot limit. Retained halibut must be less than or equal to 37 inches or over 80 inches long. Nonresident and resident anglers on Charter boats may catch and keep just one halibut daily. The possession limit is two daily bag limits. Charter vessel anglers in Unit 2C may not catch and retain halibut on Tuesdays beginning May 13 and continuing through September 9, 2025. If you are lucky to hook and land an IPHC-tagged halibut, it will not count against the daily catch and possession limit. IPHC-tagged halibut are not limited to size restrictions or the Tuesday closures.

For those unfamiliar with this famous bottom-dwelling and excellent-eating flat fish, halibut larvae start life upright like other fish, with an eye on each side of the head. The left eye moves to the right side of the head when the larvae are about one inch long. By 6 months, young halibut settle to the bottom in shallow near-shore areas. Virtually all halibut are right-eyed, meaning both eyes are found on the upper, dark side of the body. Left-eyed halibut are very rare; one report suggested a ratio of about 1 in 20,000.

Most male halibut are sexually mature by about 8 years of age; females are mature by about age 12. Most halibut spawn from November through March, at depths of 300 to 1,500 feet. Female halibut release anywhere from a few thousand to several million eggs, depending on the size of the fish. About 15 days later, the eggs hatch, and the larvae drift with deep ocean currents. Perhaps drifting in the currents at such a young age triggers migration in later life. Halibut tagged in the Bering Sea have been caught as far south as the coast of Oregon, a migration of over 2,000 miles.

The current sport-caught world record Pacific Halibut is a whopping 459-pound fish taken in 1996 at Dutch Harbor, Alaska. The largest fly-caught Pacific Halibut is 138 pounds, taken in Icy Bay, Alaska, in 2008. The best eating halibut, however, will be the ones you catch on Prince of Wales Island this year at Boardwalk Lodge in that under the 37-inch slot limit.

Category	Details
2025 Halibut Regulations	Released March 17, 2025
Reverse Slot Limit	Keep ≤ 37 inches or > 80 inches
Daily Bag Limit	One halibut per day
Possession Limit	Two daily bag limits
Unit 2C Tuesday Closure	No halibut retention on Tuesdays from May 13–Sept 9, 2025
IPHC-tagged Halibut Rules	Not counted against limits; no size or closure restrictions
Halibut Larvae	Start upright, eye on each side
Eye Migration	Left eye moves to right side by 1" length; left-eyed rare (1 in 20,000)
Juvenile Habitat	Settle in shallow areas by 6 months old
Spawning Age	Males: 8 yrs; Females: 12 yrs
Spawning Season	November through March
Spawning Depth	300 to 1,500 feet
Egg Hatch Time	About 15 days
Migration Range	Up to 2,000 miles (e.g., Bering Sea to Oregon)
Sport-Caught Record	459 lbs (1996, Dutch Harbor, Alaska)
Fly-Caught Record	138 lbs (2008, Icy Bay, Alaska)
Best Eating Size	Under 37 inches near Prince of Wales Island