Atlantic halibut and Pacific halibut are two close cousins in the same genus, and on the plate they eat much the same: lean, white, mild and firm. The real difference is the fishery. NOAA Fisheries lists U.S. Atlantic halibut as overfished and under a rebuilding plan, while Pacific halibut from Alaska is not overfished and is managed with catch limits set every year.
I'll be straight with you about where I fit in. I fish sockeye on a setnet in Bristol Bay with my dad, Paul, and our crew. I don't catch halibut myself. The halibut we sell is longline-caught by small-boat Alaska fishermen in the Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska, including the Velsko family, the same family whose boat brings in our sablefish.
I still care a lot about which halibut ends up on your table, and on mine. Halibut is a regular at our house too. Here's what I'd want a friend to know before buying either one.
What is Atlantic halibut?
Atlantic halibut (Hippoglossus hippoglossus) is the largest flatfish in the Atlantic. According to NOAA Fisheries, it ranges from Labrador and Greenland across to Iceland and the Barents Sea, and south to Virginia, and in U.S. waters it's most common in the Gulf of Maine. It can grow up to 15 feet long and live up to 50 years.
That long, slow life is part of the problem. Atlantic halibut matures late, and decades of heavy fishing knocked the U.S. population down. NOAA's 2024 stock assessment found the stock overfished, with a rebuilding target of 2055. Commercial boats in federal waters are allowed one Atlantic halibut per vessel per trip, and U.S. commercial landings in 2024 were about 76,000 pounds for the whole fishery.
NOAA also says the current fishing rate supports rebuilding, so this isn't a story about bad fishermen today. It's a fish that's still coming back. With so little landed in the U.S., most Atlantic halibut you see for sale here has to come from somewhere else, so it's worth asking where.
What is Pacific halibut (Alaskan halibut)?
Pacific halibut (Hippoglossus stenolepis) is the Pacific side of the family. NOAA puts its range from Santa Barbara, California to Nome, Alaska. It's the fish most people mean when they say Alaskan halibut. Pacific halibut can grow past 8 feet and up to 500 pounds, and the oldest one on record was 55 years old.
The management is what sets it apart. Since 1923, the U.S. and Canada have managed Pacific halibut together through the International Pacific Halibut Commission, which sets catch limits every year from the latest survey data. In Alaska, NOAA runs an individual fishing quota program that divides that catch among vessels and fishermen. NOAA's 2024 assessment found the stock is not overfished and not subject to overfishing, and its FishWatch page calls U.S. wild-caught Pacific halibut "a smart seafood choice because it is sustainably managed."
Atlantic halibut vs Pacific halibut at a glance
| Atlantic halibut | Pacific (Alaskan) halibut | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Hippoglossus hippoglossus | Hippoglossus stenolepis |
| Where it lives | North Atlantic; in the U.S., mostly the Gulf of Maine | North Pacific, Santa Barbara, CA to Nome, AK |
| Max size (NOAA) | Up to 15 ft; record about 700 lb live | 8+ ft; up to 500 lb |
| U.S. stock status (NOAA, 2024) | Overfished, rebuilding to 2055 | Not overfished, no overfishing |
| Commercial limits | 1 fish per vessel per trip in federal waters | Annual IPHC catch limits; IFQ in Alaska |
| Main commercial gear | Trawl, bottom longline, rod and reel | Bottom longline (setline) |
| Eating quality | Lean, fine-grained, dense | Lean, firm, big clean flakes |
| Ours | We don't sell it | Wild Alaskan halibut, 5–7 oz skinless portions, $21.95 each |
Do Atlantic and Pacific halibut taste different?
Honestly, not by much. They're the same genus, and NOAA describes Atlantic halibut as "a lean fish with fine-grained, dense meat," which is how you'd describe a good Pacific halibut too. The USDA doesn't even split them: its nutrition database has a single entry for "halibut, Atlantic and Pacific."
What you taste is mostly handling. A halibut that was bled, iced fast and frozen right will be sweet and firm. One that sat warm on a deck or thawed and refroze on its way to a counter will be soft and fishy, whichever ocean it came from. So the better question isn't "Atlantic or Pacific." It's "who caught this, and how was it handled?"
Is Alaskan halibut healthy?
Yes, especially if you want lean protein. Here's a 6 oz (170 g) cooked portion, scaled from USDA FoodData Central's SR Legacy entry "Fish, halibut, Atlantic and Pacific, cooked, dry heat":
| Per 6 oz cooked halibut | Amount |
|---|---|
| Calories | 189 |
| Protein | 38 g |
| Total fat | 2.7 g |
| Omega-3s (EPA + DHA) | 0.39 g |
| Selenium | 94 mcg |
| Vitamin B12 | 2.2 mcg |
I'll be fair about the trade-off. Halibut is lean, so it isn't an omega-3 heavyweight. If omega-3s are your main reason for eating fish, wild sockeye or sablefish will give you several times more by weight. I wrote up the sablefish side of that in sablefish vs black cod vs cod. Halibut is the one I reach for when I want a big, clean piece of protein that takes on whatever you cook it with.
How is Alaskan halibut caught?
NOAA says commercial halibut fishermen mostly use bottom longlines, also called setlines: a long line on the bottom with baited hooks, hauled back one fish at a time. Longlines have little to no habitat impact, according to NOAA, and the seabird streamers the fleet uses have cut seabird bycatch by up to 90 percent per vessel.
On the boats we buy from, each halibut is bled and cleaned as soon as it comes aboard, then iced within minutes. That's the step you can't fix later. It's why our halibut comes to you firm, with big flakes, and it's why we freeze at peak freshness and control the cold chain all the way to your door.
Why does bycatch matter for halibut?
Halibut is a fish other fisheries can hurt. Big trawl fisheries catch halibut by accident, and that's one of the reasons I'm picky about what we sell. Earlier this year I put it this way on our Facebook page:
"That responsibility guides every decision we make. It's why we don't sell pollock harvested by large factory trawlers, where bycatch can threaten species like halibut and king salmon."
— Captain Luke
For halibut, that means hook and line, one fish at a time.
How do you cook halibut so it doesn't dry out?
Because halibut is so lean, it goes from perfect to dry fast. Two things help:
- Go low and slow. Roast it at 300°F for 20 to 25 minutes on a parchment-lined pan. Gentle heat gives you a lot more room for error. Our slow-roasted Alaska halibut with citrus and smashed olives is built on this.
- Pull it early. Take it off as soon as it turns opaque and flakes with a fork. The USDA's safe minimum for fish is 145°F.
Our halibut portions come skinless and individually vacuum-packed, so there's nothing to trim. Thaw one in the fridge overnight and you're ready to cook. If you want more ideas, there's a lot more on our wild Alaskan halibut page.
Atlantic halibut and Pacific halibut: FAQ
Is Atlantic halibut overfished?
In U.S. waters, yes. NOAA Fisheries' 2024 assessment found the U.S. Atlantic halibut stock overfished and under a rebuilding plan with a 2055 target. Commercial boats in federal waters are limited to one fish per trip.
Is Alaskan halibut the same as Pacific halibut?
Yes. Alaskan halibut is Pacific halibut (Hippoglossus stenolepis) caught in Alaska waters. It's the same species from California to the Bering Sea, managed across the U.S. and Canada by the International Pacific Halibut Commission.
What's the difference between California halibut and Pacific halibut?
They're different fish. California halibut (Paralichthys californicus) is a smaller flatfish in a different family, closer to flounder. Pacific halibut is the big Hippoglossus halibut. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife covers both.
Halibut vs cod: which is better?
Both are lean white fish. Halibut is firmer and thicker, with bigger flakes. Per 6 oz cooked, USDA figures put halibut at about 38 g of protein and Pacific cod at about 32 g. Cod is milder and more forgiving in tacos and chowder. Halibut is the one for a seared steak-like piece.
Where does Net to Table halibut come from?
All of our halibut is wild-caught in the Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska, longline-caught by small-boat Alaska fishermen, including the Velsko family. No imported fish, and no antibiotics, additives or preservatives.
Is frozen halibut as good as fresh?
Often better. "Fresh" halibut in a store may have been out of the water for days. Ours is bled, iced within minutes, and frozen at peak freshness, then kept frozen to your door.
Try wild Alaskan halibut
If you've only had halibut at a restaurant, cooking it at home is easier than you'd think. You can add wild Alaskan halibut portions to any order, or start with one of our one-time sample boxes to try a few of our fish before you commit to anything. Every order comes with our Capt Luke Quality Guarantee.
— Captain Luke
