Halibut is bought and sold by weight grade, and the grade you choose ripples through everything downstream — fillet size, portion thickness, cutting requirements, inventory cost, and how well the fish fits your program. Here’s how the grades work and what to weigh before you order.

How halibut weight grades work

Pacific halibut is commonly traded in weight ranges based on the dressed, head-off weight of each fish. A “10–20,” for example, is a single dressed fish weighing 10 to 20 pounds — not a case weight or a fillet size.

Common commercial grades:

10–20 lb
20–40 lb
40–60 lb
60–80 lb
80–100 lb
100 lb and over

As the grade goes up, the fish generally yields larger fillets, thicker loins, and more substantial center-cut portions. Bigger isn’t automatically better, though — larger fish commit more dollars to each individual fish and can add inventory and cutting complexity. The right grade depends on how you plan to portion and sell it.

Which grade fits your program?

General guidance — the right call always depends on your menu, your cutters, and your volume:

Grade	Characteristics	Common fit
10–20 lb	Smaller, thinner fillets; less committed per fish	Smaller restaurants, retail counters, flexible portioning
20–40 lb	Balanced fillet size and manageability	Broad foodservice & retail
40–60 lb	Larger loins, thicker center cuts	Premium portions, higher-volume cutting
60 lb+	Very thick fillets, specialized cutting	Buyers with a defined large-fish spec and the volume to use the whole fish

In the programs we commonly supply, 10–20 and 20–40 are the workhorses — a practical balance of portion size, manageability, and price point.

Whole head-off or fillets?

We can supply Homer halibut in different forms, depending on the program and current production:

Whole head-off — more control over cutting and portioning; best for buyers with skilled cutters and a plan to use the full fish.
Fillets — less processing on your end; more practical for kitchens, retailers, and distributors that want a ready-to-use product.

Which one wins comes down to labour, freight, yield needs, and what your customers actually buy.

Don’t overlook the cheeks

During processing, cheeks are cut from the heads and sold as a separate specialty item — small, firm, naturally portioned, and often likened to scallops. Availability depends on production and whether they’re already committed elsewhere, so ask about them separately.

A word on yield

Weight grade affects fillet size and thickness, but it doesn’t guarantee a finished yield. Actual yield depends on whether you buy whole or fillets, your trim spec, the portions you need, how hard the fish is trimmed, and the skill of your cutter. Before comparing grades on price per pound alone, think about how much saleable product your operation actually recovers.

What to tell us before ordering

Target portion size
Whole head-off or fillets
Expected volume — one-time, weekly, or seasonal
How it’ll be sold or served
Delivery destination and target price range

There’s no single “best” grade — the best one gives your operation the right balance of portion size, usable yield, labour, and cost.

Part of our guide to sourcing Cook Inlet sockeye and Homer halibut.

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