Geography

• The town of Valdez is located a touch over 300 miles (by highway) east of Anchorage. The Chugach National Forest is on both sides of the town, and surrounds most of the Valdez area. The town is located just of off Prince William Sound, one of the most popular destinations in Alaska for both fishing and sightseeing.
  
  

Identification

• Halibut are easy to identify, and can grow to over five feet in length. These fish are unusually skinny for their size, leading to their nickname as "barn doors" because of how flat they appear. Halibut tend to be silver or white, and can weigh many hundreds of pounds.
  
  

Season & License

• Every person regardless of whether he is a visitor or local must buy a sportsman fishing license in order to go fishing for halibut. In Valdez the season can vary from other parts of the state and from year to year, but generally the season starts in mid-May and ends in the early fall.
  
  

Local Charters

• There are several local charters in Valdez that specialize in halibut fishing. Some of these charters focus only on fishing, but others offer split duties for halibut fishing along with general sightseeing in the area. Occasionally there are even weekly competitions among the charters to see whose customer gets the biggest catch.
  
  

Considerations

• Halibut fishing is quite popular, but it can also be very physically trying and can involve going out in rough waters. If you're not familiar with the waters around Valdez there's no question that a paid guide is the way to go. Be prepared for rough weather, and have a life jacket available just in case.