IN ALL THE YEARS LIVING HERE I'VE NEVER SEEN IT THIS BAD. DONT WASTE YOUR TIME TRYING TO CATCH A HALIBUT NEAR HAINES THIS YEAR! I SPENT OVER 200 ROD HOURS THIS YEAR AND LANDED ONE CHICKEN HALIBUT. AND I HAD TO BOAT 20 MILES SOUTH OF HAINES TO DO THAT! THE HIGH COST OF FUEL HAS FORCED COMERICAL FISHERMEN TO FILL THEIR QUOTA CLOSE TO TOWN, AND THAT WIPED OUT WHAT LITTLE WAS THERE. I HEAR ELFIN COVE IS DOING OK.

During week of Aug 8th, caught many small halibut, lost two, one 50-60lb, and one 95-100lb out of Elfin Cove/Icy Straits. One days catch from one Elfin Cove lodge boat with three fishernmen produced, (1)360lb halibut, (1) 221lb Halibut, (1) just over 100 lb halibut, 225lbs of Coho Salmon. This was a busy day for this guide!

Just wanted to update this. The reply was for Elfin Cove/Icy Straits, which is about 90 miles South of Haines. That area has always been good for halibut and yellow eye.

This year 2006 I have had reports of the halibut being caught out at Elfin Cove but no word yet of any local caught halibut near Haines. But it's a little early yet.
Late June thru September they will be here. Sure hope more than last year.
Good luck all!