Seafood Seasons Chart

Our United States Seafood Availability Chart is a listing of various sea foods available in the U.S. and when they are in season. In addition to seafood seasons we provide some tips for buying, handling and preparing fresh seafood.

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Article By: Barbara Bowman

Published by: Gourmet Sleuth
Last Updated: 06/26/2014

West Coast U.S. Seafood Seasons Availability Chart

SPECIES	MARKET FORMS	AVAILABILITY	ORIGIN
Albacore	Whole/Dressed	July-October	OR-WA
Ling/True Cod	Dressed/Filet/Steak	Year	AK-CA-OR-WA
Flounder/Sole	Whole/Dressed/Filet	Year	CA-OR-WA
Halibut*	Whole/Filet/Steak	April-September	AK-WA
Ocean Perch	Dressed/Filet	Year	CA-OR-WA
Rockfish/Snapper	Round/Dressed/Filet/Steak	Year	CA-OR-WA
Chinook/King Salmon*	Dressed/Filet/Steak	April-October	AK-CA-OR-WA
Coho/Silver Salmon*	Dressed/Filet/Steak	May-November	AK-CA-OR-WA
Sockeye & Pink Salmon	Dressed/Filet/Steak	May-September	AK-OR-WA
Chum/Keta Salmon	Dressed/Filet/Steak	May-December	AK-WA
Shad	Dressed	April-June	OR-WA
Blue Shark	Filet/Steak	Year	CA-OR
Bonito Shark	Filet/Steak	May-Octover	CA
Soupfin Shark	Filet/Steak	May-October	OR-CA
Mako Shark	Filet/Steak	May-October	CA
Thresher Shark	Filet/Steak	May-October	CA
Pacific Smelt	Round	July-August	WA
Columbia River Smelt	Round/Dressed	January-March	OR-WA
Swordfish*	Chunks/Steak	May-December	CA
Trout, Various	Dressed/Boned/Filet	Year	ID-OR
Clams, Various	Whole/Shucked	Year	WA-OR
Dungeness Crab*	Whole/Picked Meat	December-September	AK-CA-OR-WA
King Crab	Whole/Legs/Meat	September-March	AK
Crawfish	Whole/Tails	Year	CA-OR-WA
Octopus	Dressed	Year	CA-OR-WA
Oysters, Various	Whole/Shucked	Year	CA-OR-WA
Sea Scallops	Shucked	Year	OR-WA
Pacific Bay Shrimp	Cooked & Peeled	April-October	AK-CA-OR-WA
Calamari Squid	Whole/Cleaned Tubes	Jan-March/May-Nov	CA-OR

* Limited Availability, depending on Quota

Availability may overlap because of allocations and timing of runs, especially Pacific Halibut & Wild Salmon.
Mollusks could also be affected because of water temperature and resulting red tide.

East Coast and Gulf Region United States Seafood Availability Chart

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Seafood Basics - Tips

Here are some helpful fish handling and prep tips from Chef Jim Papadopoulos

Quality and Freshness - Purchase from a reputable fish monger. The best way to tell if a fish is fresh is to see it before it is cut into portions. Look for deep red color gills which shows the fish has only been out of the water a few hours. Otherwise don't be afraid to ask the age of the fish. The fish should have a fresh, briny smell; it should not smell "fishy".

Store, Hold, and Prepare with Care - Fish must be kept cold (34-36 degrees Fahrenheit) to maintain its integrity until serving. Keep filets free of excess moisture by laying them neatly, with flesh to flesh contact to prevent damaging texture. Store the filets on paper towels to soak up any extra moisture.Whole fish should be stored upright (as it swims) and packed on crushed ice. Make sure water drains away from the fish.

Know Your Fish - Always choose a cooking technique that showcases the unique flavor and texture of the fish. For example attempting to grill a thin delicate fish will most like result in a cooking disaster but grilling a meaty fish steak is more appropriate.

In general, for meatier fish like swordfish, tuna, salmon, bass, jacks, tuna, grouper, mahi mahi, and some scallops, grilling, roasting, or searing tend to work best. For lighter fish like sole, skate, flounder, and halibut, sautéing is the best choice

For more reading on the topic, Chef Papadopoulos suggests Rick Stein's Complete Seafood.

The Most Important Prep Rule - Do NOT Overcook! As with any protein, overcooking results in a dry, chalky filet which wastes your money and the life of the fish.

Barbara Bowman graduated with degree in Foods and Nutrition from San Jose State University. As CEO of GourmetSleuth.com she spends most waking hours writing, cooking, eating, gardening and traveling.

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