north pacific hake
Merluccius productus · Merlucciidae · predator
Hake that forms schools over the shelf and slope of the North Pacific. It has high commercial value and also turns up on the sport angler's line.
Also called: merluza-do-pacífico-norte, merluza norteña, merluza del Pacífico, north Pacific hake
- maximum
- 83 cm
- record/max.
- 4.2 kg
- depth
- 0–1,000 m
the right time
to be on the water
Choose the place and the species. The index, from 0 to 100, combines weather, sun, moon and tide with each fish's habits. Up to 28 days, with each day's confidence.
Reading the weather across 3 global models and 31 simulations…
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hour by hour
slide your finger or mouse over the chart to see each hoursee hour-by-hour table
why this index at —?
choose the day
Each card shows the day's index (0 to 100) and, below it, a strip with the index for each hour, from 0h to 23h. from poor to excellent.
the fishing month at a glance
what's the best window for the crew?
Choose how many fishing days. We compare each stretch by its average index, discount days with a warning or closed season, and show the 3 best.
trend for the coming weeks
Line: the middle value of 31 simulations of the American GEFS model. Band: where 8 out of 10 fall. Narrow, firm trend; wide, high uncertainty.
everything about the north pacific hake
who is the north pacific hake
The North Pacific hake belongs to the family Merlucciidae and reaches 83 cm, weighing up to 4.2 kg. It lives in large schools over the shelf and slope, from 0 to 1,000 m, usually down to 229 m, from Canada to the northern Gulf of California. During spawning, adults move hundreds of miles out to sea. It feeds on fish and invertebrates at night, and is an important prey for sea lions and small cetaceans. It has very high commercial value and is also considered a sport fish.
Essential profile. Identification, where it occurs and rules, with data from FishBase and the cited regulations. Season, time of day, technique and bait are added once we have a good source for the north pacific hake.
fun facts
- It is an important prey for sea lions and small cetaceans.
identification
Hake with an elongated body, silvery on the back and whitish on the belly, with a relatively short head. The pectoral fins usually reach the origin of the anal fin or extend past it, and the tail edge is always concave, which helps identify it. It lives in large schools over the shelf and slope, from 0 to 1,000 m, usually down to 229 m.
where found
In Latin America it occurs only in Mexico, in the North Pacific, over the shelf and slope.
Habitat: Shelf and slope, in schools, from 0 to 1,000 m, usually down to 229 m.
when to fish
best time of day
Nighttime. Described as a nocturnal feeder that eats fish and invertebrates.
rules for the north pacific hake
Summary of the regulations we found, with the source for each. Rules change; before keeping or transporting fish, check with the state environmental agency.
We found no species-specific rule beyond the region's general rules.
catch and release
catch and release Releasing the fish alive, quickly and with a wet hand. During a closed season it isn't always allowed: what the regulation says applies.
It poses no danger to anglers. As a deep-water fish, rapid ascent causes barotrauma, so release it carefully.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00468, b = 3.09; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa da própria espécie)). It's an average: a fat or lean fish can vary by 10% to 20%.
estimated weight
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sources and references
Essential profile: size, length-weight, depth, countries and conservation come from FishBase and the cited regulations, and the texts were written from those sources. Season, time of day, sensitivities, technique and baits and lures are not included yet, because we did not find a good source for this species.
- scientific FishBase: Merluccius productus (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Merluccius productusNames by country and language.
where each number comes from
The weather comes from three independent global models, cross-checked hour by hour: when they agree, confidence goes up; when they diverge, the band between them shows on the chart. Beyond 16 days, we use the GEFS ensemble of 31 simulations: if 20 of the 31 predict rain, the chance of rain is 65%. Sun and moon are calculated astronomically, with no uncertainty.
The index adds up, weighted for each species: time of day (species curve anchored to real sunrise and sunset), moon (transits, rise and set, phase), pressure (3 h trend and 24 h swing), water temperature (in rivers, estimated from air temperature; at sea, estimated by an ocean model), wind, rain, clouds, tide and the month in the species' cycle.
sources for this lookup
how accurate the forecast is
Accuracy measured in the reference project (4 regions, 93 days, forecast vs. observed): maximum temperature is off by 0.6 °C on average the next day and 1.7 °C at 7 days; rain of 5 mm or more is detected 76% of the time the next day and 57% at 7 days. Detection isn't everything: the false alarm rate isn't published here yet, and 93 days in 4 regions is still a small sample. We now also measure every day, at the app's destinations: