Sablefish

Anoplopoma fimbria

Buttery, silky, almost foie-gras-like. The sushi-bar darling that ends up on every miso-glaze list in town. Despite the "black cod" alias, sablefish is not actually a cod — it's its own genus.

The fat content is what makes it special. Sablefish carries more oil than salmon, which is why it broils into a glossy, caramelized lacquer when paired with miso, soy, or a sweet glaze. Slow-cook, broil, or smoke. Don't overthink the seasoning.

Caught year-round on longline gear in the Gulf of Alaska and Southeast. The quota system that protects halibut also protects sablefish — same boats, often the same trips.

Fat

Flavor

PeakYear-round

Where it runs

Catching grounds

The Alaska waters where sablefish is sourced. Click through for the full story of each ground.

Gulf of Alaska

Kodiak

Season · Year-round (peak May–Sep)

Visit Kodiak

Southeast Alaska

Sitka

Season · Apr–Oct

Visit Sitka

Who catches it

Vessels & programs

Vessel

F/V Pacific Cloud

Capt. Ryan Horwath

The F/V *Pacific Cloud* is the boat at the center of the company. Captained by founder Ryan Horwath, she works longline, pot, and jig gear out of Kodiak from spring through fall — halibut and sablefish on the longline grounds, Tanner crab in the winter pot fishery, and sockeye through the late-summer Gulf return.

Community-Supported Fishery

Fresh Fix

Fresh Fix is an à la carte seafood program for cooks who already know what they want. Pick the species, pick the week, and the fish ships frozen-at-sea or processed-within-hours from boats Pacific Cloud has vetted directly.

Community-Supported Fishery

Net to Table

Net to Table is a Buffalo-area direct-to-consumer seafood program built around traceable wild Alaska fish. The team works directly with vessels operating out of Kodiak and other Alaska ports, then handles cold-chain delivery to households across Western New York.

Community-Supported Fishery

Sitka Salmon Shares

Sitka Salmon Shares is one of the country's leading community-supported fishery (CSF) programs. Based in Sitka, Alaska, the company built the modern playbook for getting wild Southeast Alaska seafood directly to households across the Midwest and Northeast.

Cook it

Recipes for sablefish

Miso-Glazed Black Cod

Rich, buttery Alaska sablefish marinated in sweet white miso for days, then broiled until caramelized. Worth every minute of the wait.

Stories about sablefish

Stories

Sablefish (Black Cod): The Hidden Gem of Alaskan Waters

Called 'black gold' by Alaskan fishermen, sablefish is one of the most prized and least understood fish in the Pacific. A deep dive into the species, the fishery, and why it deserves more attention.