Species Guide
Prince William Sound salmon, one tunnel away from the road system.
Whittier sits at the head of Passage Canal on western Prince William Sound, reached from the Seward Highway through the one-lane Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel. That tunnel is the reason the town works so well as a salmon port: you can leave Anchorage in the morning and be trolling protected Sound water before most fly-in trips have left the ground.
All five Pacific salmon return to Prince William Sound, but the sport fishery here runs mostly on three: feeder king salmon in the late spring, pink salmon in midsummer, and silver salmon from July into September. Most Whittier boats fish salmon as part of a combo day, picking up halibut and rockfish on the same trip rather than running single-species charters.
Charter boats out of Whittier work the western Sound: Passage Canal itself, plus Wells Passage, Port Wells, Culross Passage, Pigot Bay, and Decision Point as the season builds. Trolling and mooching cover the saltwater kings and silvers, and when pinks are thick in August, casting spoons or spinners from the boat, or even from shore, will catch fish.
Whittier is also one of Southcentral's better shore fisheries. ADF&G notes that pink salmon stack up within reach of Whittier in August, and shore-based anglers start catching silvers around the Whittier harbor in the last week of August, after the boat fishery has already been on them for weeks.
King salmon trips run roughly mid-May through June, targeting feeder kings that operators report averaging in the high teens to low 20s of pounds, with bigger fish possible. Pink salmon arrive in force in July and August; out of Whittier, August anglers catch pinks in Wells Passage, Port Wells, and near the entrance to Eaglek Bay, with the run winding down around the third week of August. Silvers show in the Sound from early July, peak around early August for the boat fleet, and hold on into early September.
Bag limits are area-specific and can change in-season by emergency order. In recent years the Whittier-area silver limit has been generous (six per day in recent regulations), and Prince William Sound has allowed two kings per day, but confirm current regs with ADF&G before you fish.
Expect a full-day charter, typically leaving the Whittier harbor early to make the tunnel schedule work for Anchorage-based clients. Most salmon trips are multi-species days: troll or mooch for salmon, then drop for halibut or rockfish, or the reverse depending on tide. The western Sound is more protected than open Gulf water out of Seward or Homer, which makes Whittier a reasonable pick if anyone in your group worries about seasickness.
A nonresident fishing license runs $30 for a single day or $145 annually, and fishing for kings adds the King Salmon Stamp on top of that.
| Period | What's happening | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Mid-May – June | Feeder king salmon trips in the western Sound | King Salmon Stamp required |
| July | Silvers begin showing; pinks building | Combo trips common: salmon plus halibut and rockfish |
| Early – mid August | Peak: silvers near their best, pinks thick in Wells Passage and Port Wells | Pink run winds down around the third week of August |
| Late August – early September | Silvers still going from boats; shore anglers catch silvers near Whittier harbor | Shore fishery starts roughly the last week of August |
Seasons and limits change — always confirm current regulations with ADF&G before booking.
Silvers are in Prince William Sound from early July into early September, with the peak around early August for the charter fleet. Shore anglers near the Whittier harbor generally start catching silvers the last week of August.
Yes. Whittier boats run feeder king trips roughly mid-May through June, with operators reporting fish commonly in the high teens to 20-plus pounds. You'll need a King Salmon Stamp in addition to your license, and king regulations change from year to year, so check before you book.
Mostly full-day, and mostly combo trips that mix salmon with halibut and rockfish rather than salmon-only fishing. Listed Whittier charter rates start around $400 per person for summer dates, though prices vary by boat and trip length.
Neither is 'better' across the board. Whittier fishes the more protected western Prince William Sound (calmer water and a shorter, tunnel-timed drive from Anchorage) while Seward fishes Resurrection Bay and the Gulf. If sea conditions worry your group, the Sound's sheltered water is a point in Whittier's favor.
whittier, Alaska
whittier, Alaska
whittier, Alaska