Fishing for the Pacific halibut is mostly concentrated in the Gulf of Alaska and the Bering Sea, off the west coast of Canada.

From November to March, mature halibut concentrate annually on spawning grounds along the edge of the continental shelf at depths from 183 to 457 m (600 to 1,500 ft).

Halibut of all ages and sizes are involved in a predominantly clockwise (northwest to southeast) migration from their settlement areas (western part of the Gulf of Alaska and Bering Sea), and reproductive fish also make regular seasonal migrations from more shallow feeding grounds in summer to deeper spawning grounds in winter.

They are one of the largest flatfish (only surpassed by the closely related Atlantic halibut), and females can weigh up to 500 lb (230 kg) and grow to over 8 ft (2.4 m) long.

[4] Being strong swimmers, halibut are able to eat a large variety of fishes, including cod, turbot, and pollock, and some invertebrates, such as octopus, crab, and shrimp.

Sometimes, halibut leave the ocean bottom to feed on pelagic fish, such as salmon, sand lance, and herring, and even seal remains have been found in their stomachs.

[citation needed] Spawning takes place during the winter, with the peak of activity occurring from December through February.

During the free-floating stage, many changes take place in the young halibut, including the movement of the left eye to the right side of the fish.

Most young halibut ultimately spend from five to seven years in rich, shallow nursery grounds such as the Bering Sea.

Young halibut are highly migratory and generally migrate in a clockwise direction east and south throughout the Gulf of Alaska.

[2] Small, localized spawning populations may occur in deep waters such as in Chatham Strait in northern Southeast Alaska.

Halibut growth rates vary depending on locations and habitat conditions, but females grow faster than males.

Most of the old-style halibut schooners have been replaced by more versatile craft that may also be used in commercial salmon seine, troll, gill net, and crab fisheries.

Halibut gear consists of units of leaded ground line in lengths of 100 fathoms (600 ft; 183 m) referred to as “skates”.

To get the bait down to the halibut, it is usually fished on a wire spreader or a sliding-sinker rig with sinker size 4 oz (113 g) to 4 lb (1.81 kg), depending on such factors as depth and current.

Members from the United States and Canada meet yearly to review research, check the progress of the commercial fishery, and make regulations for the next fishing season.