Best Times & Seasons to Fish in Homer, Alaska (Full Guide)

Homer is home to some of the best salmon and halibut fishing in the world. Knowing the best time of year to fish these rich waters can make a huge difference.

The best time to fish near Homer is from May through September for king salmon, coho salmon, halibut, lingcod, and rockfish. Very good rockfish angling continues into October.

Fish Species	Best Times to Fish Homer Coastal Waters
King Salmon (Chinook)	Prominent king runs May through June & July through Mid-August.
Silver Salmon (Coho)	The biggest run is July through September.
Halibut	May through mid-September is the best fishing time for Homer halibut.
Lingcod	The Lingcod season runs July through the end of August.
Rockfish	June through October is the best fishing time for Homer rockfish.

Homer is a small fishing town on the south coast of Alaska, almost straight south of Anchorage. The town is located on the coast of Kachemak bay and offers plenty of fishing opportunities, the most common target species being halibut and salmon.

Timing can be a make-or-break factor while fishing in Alaska, so use this guide to make sure you’re getting your trips worth of fish and having a great time while in Alaska.

Best Time to Fish Homer

Fishing in Homer is great during July. Both king and silver salmon are running in the rivers and the halibut season is just about at its peak. The weather will also be calmer during this time, making strong winds, storms, and rough water conditions less of an issue. With the better weather, fish will be more active and a lot easier to reach from shore. 

Species of Homer: Best Times to Fish

King Salmon

Homer offers great ocean-run salmon fishing, meaning that the fish will move into the rivers to spawn and go out to the ocean when they’re done. The first run of these fish is done from May to June and the second one is from July to mid-August.

Kings can be caught year-round, but you’ll have better odds if you go after them while they’re running. Early morning and evening fishing are the best times to target them as the water won’t be too warm yet or cooling down. 

Bright inline spinners and jigs are very good artificial baits for salmon. You’ll want to try to imitate salmon eggs or alewives to catch them as these are their natural foods.

You can also use real salmon eggs and live bait and catch lots of fish. If you’re from a boat, trolling and drifting with flashy lures is a great way to cover lots of water and catch lots of fish.

The closest rivers to Homer are the Fox River and an unnamed river at the north side of the Kachemak Bay. These are the spots you should try while the salmon are running, if they aren’t running, your best bet is to fish the bay and many inlets it has.

Drifting or trolling over deep holes is a productive method to catch any kind of salmon, mainly using inline spinners or a crankbait with a flasher.

Silver Salmon

A lot of the things said about king salmon can be said about silvers, they are ocean run in Homer and like to bite during the evening and morning. Their run however is different, they’ll usually run from July to September.

The bait is the same as well, trolling or casting inline spinners is the most effective though. Silver salmon are more aggressive and will give you more bites compared to kings, so you should try to cover as much water as possible.

You can find silvers almost anywhere in the bay or rivers, these fish roam a lot and if you get one bite, you can expect plenty more. You’ll also find pink salmon in the same spots as silvers, pinks will put up a great fight and are generally the smallest out of the dominant salmon species in the area.

For a complete breakdown of the best water temperatures for salmon fishing, please check out this helpful article I wrote. For a complete breakdown of the best times to fish Anchorage, please check out this helpful article I wrote.

Halibut

Halibut season in Homer is from May to mid-September and the limit is 2 halibut per day and an annual charter limit of 4 halibut. You can catch halibut all day long as they aren’t affected much by the sun because they live on the bottom.

Effective bait for halibut includes cut bait made out of salmon, squid, and herring. They will also eat some artificial baits, but fresh bait will be your best bet. You’ll need plenty of weight to get down to the bottom and keep it there and have a heavy setup because reeling one of these in is like pulling up a plank of wood at times.

With halibut, you’ll need to get a charter, as they live in deep water further away from shore than salmon. The charter will supply you with everything necessary to catch halibut and put you on spots with lots of fish, you might even manage to pull up a lingcod or two or even an octopus.

Lingcod

Lingcod are a common fish found in Homer and is great for eating as well. Their season opens on July 1^st and the best fishing is usually done by the end of August. Night fishing for lingcod can produce a lot of fish, they like the low light conditions and start to be more active.

Flashy jigs that imitate baitfish are very effective for catching lingcod, the main presentation is drifting. Jigging swimbaits or spoons are also effective for lingcod. Lingcod will sit on the bottom, so it’s important to have enough weight to stay on the bottom.

Lingcod likes to ambush their prey. They will hang around rocky structures and use their color to blend in with the bottom and go after baitfish. Drifting a jig over a rocky structure in deep water is a great way to cover water and catch plenty of fish.

Rockfish

Rockfish are mainly known for one of their species, the red snapper. There are over 30 different types of rockfish in Alaska, making them a popular target for anglers traveling to the area.

Rockfish are most active from June through October and there is no closed season. If you go later in the year, closer to October, you can expect fewer crowds and cheaper hotels, but still plenty of fish.

Rockfish like live bait, including anchovies and sardines. Live bait is the best, but they will bite anything that’s fresh, including dead or cut bait. Usually, you’ll want to use a jig that’s heavy enough to get to the lower part of the water column and slowly retrieve it or drift. You can jig plastics as well, but fresh bait is the better option.

Rockfish are similar to lingcod, they live on rocky structures on the bottom such as reefs. They will move shallower than lingcod though, you can find them in very deep water all the way up to in the bay around structures. They still won’t be very close to shore, making them hard to target without a boat.

I recommend this Penn Pursuit Spinning Rod & Reel combo (available on Amazon) for inshore and nearshore fishing. It can handle everything from redfish to snapper and king mackerel. The Penn Battalion Series Spinning Rod and the Penn Battle Spinning Reel are fantastic to create your combo.

Recommended Fishing Charters in Homer

These Homer-based charters have earned great reviews from anglers and will offer you a tremendous service. The captains are knowledgeable, friendly, and are sure to put you on fish. By clicking the links below, you will be taken to the charter’s respective profile on Fishing Booker where you can read reviews, learn more about the charter, view photos, and book online at the best rate.

Recommended Fishing Charters	Type of Fishing Offered
Alaskan Adventure Guides	Salmon & Bottom Fishing
Big Butt Charters	Salmon & Bottom Fishing
Gotta Fish Charters	Salmon & Bottom Fishing
Homer Fishing Adventures	Salmon & Bottom Fishing
Catch A Lot Charters	Salmon & Bottom Fishing

Best Time of Day to Fish Homer

Fishing during the morning and evening are your best options, the fish will be more active and the water won’t be as warm. At these times, you can expect more bites consistently until mid-day or low tide.

These are the best times for both charter and shore fishing. With shore fishing during these times, the fish will be closer to shore, making them more accessible.

Tidal Impacts on Homer Fishing

The tides will always have an impact on fishing, usually, the times leading up to high tide and just after high tide are the best.

The fish like these tides because the moving tides will bring in new food, cleaner water, and current. Salmon and trout especially like these times because they are more sensitive to oxygen levels in the water compared to other fish in the area.

Affect of Rain and Storms on Fishing in Homer

Strong winds coming from the ocean can make fishing extremely tough, whether you’re fishing from shore or a boat. If you’re from shore, some winds can be strong enough to make your cast land a few feet in front of you, and these winds will also send fish deep.

If you’re in a boat, casting will be tough, but feeling the bite is the main issue. The winds will make your line slacker and it will be hard to feel bites. These winds can also send huge waves to your boat, making conditions unsafe at times. As always, make sure that you’re being safe while on the water and don’t underestimate mother nature.

Night Fishing in Homer

Night fishing can be a great time in Homer. The most commonly targeted fish at night is the lingcod. These fish become much more active at night and will move a little shallower. You’ll still need a boat to target them, but they will be in easier-to-reach spots. Night fishing from shore can also be good, with the main target being salmon, just be careful of bears as the scent of bait and fish may attract them.

Shore and Surf Fishing in Homer

Fishing from shore can be just as good as boat fishing at times. This area offers tons of spots to fish from shore or surf. It is a popular pastime of the locals and for good reason, there are tons of fish to be caught from shore. When salmon are running, you can easily outfish any boat from a riverbank.

Fishing on the spit is also a very effective way to get plenty of fish at any time of the year. You’ll want to use a medium-heavy spinning setup with a sturdy line. An inline spinner is a good way to cover plenty of water if you’re targeting salmon, if you’re looking for a mixed bag, cut or live bait is the way to go.

Best Fishing Spots in Homer

Surf/Shore Fishing

Spots on the Homer Spit 

The Homer Spit is a thin strip of land that juts out to the middle of the bay. The spit holds a few different spots offering great fishing. The main species at all three spots are salmon, rockfish, and whitefish. 

-End of Homer Spit

This spot is at the tip of the spit and is one of the only spots where you might be able to catch a halibut from shore. There are rocky beaches you can fish from or you can try your luck at either of the two piers located on the north side of the spit. This area may get busy from time to time, but the amount of fish in the area makes it no surprise. The best times to fish this spot are just before the salmon start going into the rivers and tributaries and the best tide is just before the high tide.

-Mud Bay

Mud Bay is located where the spit meets the mainland. This is such a good area because of how much current is blocked by the spit. You’ll mainly find rockfish and smaller whitefish at this spot, but the numbers make up for the lack of size. There are areas onshore where you can set up and cover most of the bay. This spot is the best during mid-summer when the water is the warmest. The warmer water will make fish become more active in the shallower areas near mud bay.

For a complete breakdown of the best time to fish Alaska, please check out this helpful article.

-Nick Dudiak Fishing Lagoon

This spot is an interesting one. Nicknamed the fishing hole, anglers from all over the area will travel just to fish here. The salmon fishing here is great, with plenty of room for anglers. There are times where the fishing here is a bit like combat fishing, but everyone will usually get fish.

The spot is located on the north side in the middle of the spit, with rocky barriers blocking the current from the ocean and allowing the salmon to relax for a bit. The spot is like one tiny bay with lots of fish. The best times to fish all of the spots on the spit would be morning and evening when the fish will be swimming closer to the spit compared to deeper water.

Spots outside of Homer Spit

–Bluff Point

If you’re up for a drive, Bluff Point can be a great spot to catch fish. Located west of Homer, up the highway, this short drive can have big payoffs. With the spot being at the mouth of the bay, there is plenty of fish that use it almost as a highway. You can find halibut, salmon, and other species here. This spot is good during mid-summer, as the salmon aren’t running in the rivers yet but they aren’t as deep as they would be during early summer or spring.

–Bridge Creek Reservoir

This reservoir is located a few miles north of Homer. With clear waters and great views, you can catch rainbow trout and dolly varden here. You can find shore access here on Crossman Ridge Road. You’ll need to park by the road and walk out to the reservoir as there aren’t any other roads around the reservoir. The reservoir has little traffic and can keep you busy all day long. Inline spinners are a very productive way to fish here, but fresh bait and fly fishing also work well.

Offshore

Generally speaking, if you’re going offshore, you’re going to have a charter if you want to go offshore. Most charters will stay within the bay or around the mouth of the bay. There are a lot of fish in these areas, but if you’re looking to do a lingcod and halibut trip, they may take you out to extremely deep water. The charter will provide you with everything you need to bring in the fish and some will even offer to clean your catch for you.

Best Seasons to Book a Charter

Charters can make your fishing trip a much more enjoyable experience since you’re not stressing about setting things up and whether or not you’re doing something right or not. They know the spots and what works best for the species in the area.

The best times to book charters are during halibut and lingcod season, which is usually the best during mid-summer. The best times to book a charter for salmon would be when the salmon are running into the rivers, you can get a lot of salmon from shore during these times but having a charter can make it so you don’t need to worry about overfished spots from shore.

For a complete breakdown of the best times to fish Juneau, please check out this helpful article I wrote. For a complete breakdown of the best times to fish Sitka, please check out this helpful article I wrote. For a complete breakdown of the best times to fish in Kenai, please check out this helpful article I wrote. Check out this guide for a complete breakdown of the best times to fish in Alaska.