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Homer Alaska Halibut Fishing Charters

Info@HomerHalibutHunters.com

(907) 302 - 4124

We Fish For Halibut 7 Days A Week!
Even On Normally Closed Wednesdays!

Homer Halibut Hunters in Homer, Alaska’s premier Homer Alaska Fishing Charters company offering a wide variety of fishing excursions in The Halibut Capital Of The World. Our Homer halibut charters offer fast, comfortable, all aluminum boats, top of the line equipment, and most importantly, professional, dedicated, experienced staff focused on your safety and the best experience possible. All of our boats have powerful twin engines for comfort, speed, and safety, heated cabins, and onboard restrooms.

With years of experience on Kachemak Bay, Cook Inlet, The Gulf Of Alaska and the waters surrounding Homer, Alaska, we probably have a trip just perfect for your needs. And if you don’t see exactly what you’re looking for, fill out our contact page form or give us a call and we’ll see if we can help you! A halibut charter is a must for anyone visiting Homer, Alaska and Kachemak bay.

Highlight Videos

Check out some of our recent videos to learn more about us. Virtually meet a few of our captains and crew and see why Homer Halibut Hunters is one of the best choices you can make for halibut, rockfish, salmon, and lingcod fishing in Homer, Alaska

A Day In The Life Of A Homer Halibut Hunter Crew

Meet Captain Jimmy Counts
Head of Homer Halibut Hunters

The Time We Took 33 Boyscouts Halibut Fishing

Homer Halibut Hunters Fishing Trip Giveaway and $500 Jackpot!

Captain Tor Sehnert Makes Dreams Come True When He Marries A Nice Couple From Oklahoma

We Do A Lot More Than Just Halibut Fishing! Check Out Our Bear Flyouts

Homer Halibut Charter Trips

Our fishing season begins in mid-May and continues until October, with daily excursions into Kachemak Bay, Cook Inlet, and nearby areas of the Gulf of Alaska. Our regular summer outings give our crew extensive knowledge of these waters, allowing them to pinpoint the best fishing spots. 

Homer Halibut Hunters offer a wide range of Homer halibut charters out of beautiful Kachemak Bay in Homer, Alaska. We offer 3/4 day, full-day, and multi-species adventures. In all total we offer 6 different types of trips to suit just about any angler, group, or family:

  • 3/4-Day single species halibut charter
  • Full-day single species halibut charter
  • Halibut & rockfish combo charter (Our recommended trip!)
  • Halibut & salmon combo charter
  • Multi-species trips of halibut, rockfish, salmon and lingcod
  • Multi-species Special – Offered on Wednesdays
  • Multi-species Overnight!
  • Salmon & rockfish combo charter on Wednesdays only

You will need to purchase a fishing license for all of our excursions and if you are booking one of our trips that includes salmon you will also want to consider a king salmon stamp if you are fishing before August 10th. Fishing licenses are most easily purchased at Alaska Department of Fish and Game online store.

With Homer Halibut Hunters you’ll find comfortable world-class vessels, top of the line equipment and knowledgeable staff. You’ll find our captains and deckhands to bring an unequaled level of patience, professionalism, and sportsmanship on every outing.

Our Boats

Maximum 6 Anglers Per Boat

Every boat in the Homer Halibut Hunters’ fleet comes equipped with the latest electronics, cutting-edge navigation technology, and a full suite of safety equipment. To ensure your comfort and enhance your fishing experience, our vessels feature:

  • Warm heated cabins
  • Restrooms/Toilets
  • Charging Outlets for Electronics
  • State-of-the-art navigation and fish finders
  • Top-notch fishing gear

All of our crew has significant saltwater fishing experience and all are licensed by the US Coast Guard.

Halibut, Rockfish, Salmon & Lingcod Fishing Charter Limits

Homer, Alaska may be the “Halibut Fishing Capital of the World” but we catch a lot more than just halibut. Regulations change from year to year and we get final regulations from NOAA around late February and early March regarding size limits so check back in then for 2026 updates.

2026 Halibut Limits (Expected):

  • 2 Halibut: one halibut can be any size and the second halibut must be 27 inches or less, which is approximately a 10 lb fish. No annual limit
  • No charter halibut fishing allowed on Wednesdays without special permits – Which we have!

2026 Rockfish Limits (Expected)

  • 3 per person per day
  • Only 1 may be a nonpelagic rockfish (yelloweye, tiger, copper, quillback, silvergray, china)

2026 Salmon Limits (Expected):

  • 2 King salmon per person per day
  • 5 King salmon per year from the waters around Cook Inlet
  • 3 Silver salmon per day

2026 Lingcod Limits (Expected):

  • 1 Lingcod per person per day over 35″
  • Lingcod can only be kept starting July 1st

Make sure to check out our Release A Monster program as well as our participation in Every Halibut CountsLimit

Which Halibut Trip To Choose?

Use the table below to help find the perfect trip for you. If you have any questions just give us a call or use the online chat tool.

Trip
Best Dates		DescriptionPricing
May & Sept
June-Aug
3/4-Day Halibut
May 15 – Sept 30		Perfect for those that want a shorter “Kachemak Bay Fishing Experience”$300 / $350Book
Full-Day Halibut
May 15 – Sept 30		Great for those that want spend the day focused on just halibut in hopes of finding that “barn door”$350 / $400Book
Overnight Multispecies!
May 15 – Sept 30		2 days of multispecies fishing and an overnight stay in Seldovia, Alaska$1490 per personBook
Halibut & Rockfish
May 15 – Sept 30		Our Most Popular Trip! Combo trip for halibut & Rockfish. Targeting beautiful Yelloweye and other rockfish in addition to halibut.$400 / $450Book
Multispecies
May 15 – Aug 20		Our Biggest Trip! Halibut, Rockfish, Salmon, and Lingcod (Lingcod after July 1)$450 / $500Book
Multispecies Special
May 15 – Aug 20		Available On Wednesdays. Halibut, Rockfish, Salmon, and Lingcod (Lingcod after July 1)$600Book
Halibut & Salmon
May 15 – Aug 20		A combination of our full-day halibut with salmon added$400 / $450Book
Salmon & Rockfish
May 15 – Aug 20		Best for Wednesdays & any closed Tuesdays from June 20 – August 15 when halibut is closed but the desire to go fishing still exists!$350 / $400Book

Quickly See All 2024 Season Availability

All Boat & Charter Trips Are Maximum 6 Anglers!

Using the tables below you can quickly see the availability and how many seats are available on each of the trips for the day. You can find all the trips we offer and book instantly online. If you have questions, please call or use the online chat tool that goes directly to our staff and boat captains.

How Halibut Fishing Works

Want To How Know More About How Halibut Fishing Works Before Booking Your Trip?​

We’re glad you do! 

Halibut have an absolutely incredible sense of smell. Aside from knowing where to fish for them, putting a scent in the water with the use of a chumbag is a great technique when currents and conditions allow for us to be on anchor. when currents are swift and drifting is necessary, we’ll often use a variety of different jigs as the current pushes across the ocean bottom. 

Halibut are extremely good hunters and hunt by using their keen sense of smell. We use the anchor as much as conditions will allow when we’re halibut fishing. We use circle hooks, baits, jigs, and chum bags.  Circle hooks are popular for halibut fishing due to their design and effectiveness. They are highly efficient at hooking fish in the corner of the mouth, reducing the chance of a halibut becoming unhooked during a fight. This feature also minimizes injury to the fish, which is crucial for catch-and-release fishing or ensuring the safe release of undersized fish. One of the key advantages of circle hooks is that they are self-setting, meaning anglers don’t need to worry about a quick hookset; the fish typically hooks itself as it swims away with the bait. This makes them ideal for landing large, powerful fish. Finally, because circle hooks cause less deep tissue damage, they are often favored in conservation efforts, ensuring a more sustainable approach to fishing. For businesses like Homer Halibut Hunters, circle hooks not only ensure successful catches but also align with responsible fishing practices, appealing to a wide range of customers.

Travel time to halibut fishing grounds out of Homer harbor varies from 1-3 hours and on average probably takes us between 90 minutes and 2 hours on average. All of this depends on the trip you’ve booked, weather conditions on the day of the trip, and where the fish have been biting. We are generally always in sight of land but can travel as much as 150 miles round trip in a single day.

We actually have an entire page dedicated to explaining how we fish for halibut, Rockfish, salmon, and lingcod. Please check it out!

Homer, Alaska - Halibut Capital Of The World

Homer, Alaska has held the distinction as the halibut capital of the world for a very long time. But with such great fishing everywhere in Alaska why does Homer, Alaska stand out as the halibut capital of the world? 

Did you know that the IPHC management area 3A, surrounding Homer, Alaska and The Kenai Peninsula, catches almost 3X more halibut than any other area? And if you take into account the two neighboring management areas, The Gulf Of Alaska accounts for 66% of all the pacific halibut taken by the United States and Canada.

IPHC management area 3A is home to some of the largest fishing ports found in Alaska. This is certainly due to the abundance of fish found in the Gulf of Alaska and its surrounding waters but also due to the ease of access provided by the road system connecting these cities to Anchorage, Alaska’s largest city. Management area 3A includes the cities of Homer, Whittier, Seward, Ninilchik, as well as the Kodiak archipelago accessible only by road, and the once thriving port of Seldovia. Kodiak and Seldovia are accessible only via plane or boat. 

Follow the link to learn exactly why everyone considers Homer, Alaska as The Halibut Capital Of The World.

Welcome aboard!

Are you ready to have an amazing experience on beautiful Kachemak Bay with a Homer halibut charter? The day begins as we slowly motor out of the Homer marina with several majestic glacier filled mountains creating the perfect morning backdrop. In addition to fishing, you’ll have the opportunity to see an amazing amount of marine wildlife including birds, seals, whales, and we usually see the cute mischievous otters before we’ve even left the harbor. So having your camera at the ready is important for more than just the fish we are about to bring on board.

Our fishing packages includes everything for you to have the best day possible on the water. Fast, comfortable boats, top of the line fishing equipment, and attentive, experienced crew.

At Homer Halibut Hunters we make the day about you and fishing. Contact us today to start your adventure!

About Homer Halibut Hunters In Homer, Alaska

Our Goal - The Best Experience Possible

We don’t like to make promises on catching limits, however, on a Homer halibut charter with Homer Halibut Hunters, chances are, you’ll probably catch your limits of halibut. And, there’s a pretty good chance this will be one of the biggest fish you’ve ever caught, especially if this is your first trip to Alaska. Even the small ones are big up here. But mostly importantly, we want you to simply have the best fishing experience we can possibly give you. To that end, we’ve made big investments in boats, equipment and knowledgable, professional crew.

Based in Homer, Alaska the magnificent backdrop is one seriously incredible way to start your day of fishing with us. Snow capped mountains surround us from the moment we leave the harbor. Whales, otters, seals, puffins and marine life of all sorts may join us along the way.

We love our long range trophy trips but we’re just as happy with the same big smiles we get taking out first timers on a shorter trips and seeing the joy on their faces as the first halibut start bending rods. Adding beautiful rockfish and chrome bright salmon to the trip is equally rewarding. We love every single day we get to spend on these waters.

 

Our Commitment

Whether this is your first trip to Alaska, a novice, or an experienced fishing professional, our goal is to make everyday the Homer halibut charter experience of a lifetime. With some of the biggest fish in the world, in one of most picturesque landscapes on the planet, we’re already off to an amazing start. Kachemak Bay, Cook Inlet, and The Gulf of Alaska, are teeming with big halibut, lingcod, octopus, and 30 different species of rockfish including the prized, and beautiful, yelloweye, and tiger rockfish

Our 6 passenger boats are some of the fastest and most capable fishing charter boats in Homer, Alaska. The speed and comfort of these boats let us go farther and faster for those looking for the biggest fish we can catch. But for those looking for a shorter day and a closer experience, we also do closer range trips that can target both halibut and salmon. A Homer halibut charter is a fantastic way to spend a day and see the beauty of Alaska’s coastline.

Ready To Book?

Halibut Only Charters

Halibut Combo Charters

Multispecies Charters

Overnight Charters

Important and Common Questions & Our General FAQ

How can I check availability and book a trip?

Our real-time availability is always up to date on our website’s availability page or click any of the book now buttons found on our website will take you to our booking engine where you can see trips and availabilities. For a very quick monthly overview of our availability you can look here: Availability Calendar

Please note that June, July, and August are our peak months and often book up 6 months in advance. If a specific date shows as blocked/full online, we unfortunately do not have seats available. 

Pricing is per person, typically starting at $350-$400 for our 3/4-day 6 hour Kachemak Bay halibut fishing experience. Our halibut-rockfish combo trips, for example, are $450 per person, plus tax. We do not offer discounts for children or groups. Current rates are always listed on the booking page found by clicking any of our booking buttons. For quick monthly availability you can look here: Availability Calendar 

Absolutely!, If the entire boat is available there will be an option for you to select booking it as a private charter on all of our trips right on our website. We offer a $100 discount off the total boat price. For a standard Halibut/Rockfish trip, a private charter is approximately $2,600 (plus tax)

Yes, we offer a 5% discount for active duty military and veterans on their specific seat. You will need to call in order for us to book this discount as it is not available online. Please mention this when booking so we can adjust your balance.

 

There is no minimum age, but Coast Guard regulations count every soul (including infants) as a passenger and our boats have a maximum of 6 passengers total. Therefore, children are charged the full adult seat price. Please note that full-day ocean trips are long and can be physically demanding for young children. 

Non-fishing passengers are welcome if there is a seat available, but they must pay the full seat price. The Coast Guard limits us to 6 total passengers regardless of whether they are fishing or sightseeing. Our season is incredibly short and these trips are very expensive to operate, every passenger needs to a fare paying customer.

The 3/4-day trip (Halibut only) is ~6 hours and stays closer to the bay. This trip is better suited for groups with young kids, angler worried about seasickness (it still happens sometimes though!), and for those that just want to catch a few fish and get back. 

All of our other trips are much bigger trips and for more serious anglers and simply prioritize what you want to fish for. We offer halibut-rockfish which includes lingcod after July 1 (this is our recommended trip), halibut-salmon, and our multispecies which is halibut, rockfish, salmon, and again includes lingcod after July 1. These trips are all typically go for 8-9 hours and often travel south into the gulf of Alaska near Elizabeth Island, The Barrens, East Chugach if you want to look those up on a map. 

We are targeting big fish on all these trips but please come with the right expectations. The average halibut caught out of Homer is 25-40 lbs. That being said, on any given day there is the opportunity for a “barn door.”  The idea that everyone on the boat is going to catch a barn door is an unrealistic expectation. We want big fish as much as you do!  

If you are after a barn door book our halbut-rockfish trip as this trip has the best chance. While our multispecies trip also goes to the same areas and also has a great shot at big halibut, you are going to be encouraged to harvest halibut more quickly, releasing less often trying to get that big one, because we will need to save time in the day to target salmon.

All of our trips are full-day trips at 8-10 hours, returning to the dock between 3:30 PM and 4:30 PM. We do not offer afternoon half-day trips; all boats depart in the early morning (approx 6:30 AM).

The only trip that we offer that is not a full day trip is our 3/4-day trip which is 6 hours and doesn’t go as far outside the bay.

Our season begins officially May 15th and is considered excellent and peak season from Memorial Day weekend through mid-September.

The peak season for the best combination of weather and fishing is June 15th to August 15th. September yields equally big fish, but weather cancellations are more common.

King salmon stocks all over the world are in distress and Alaska has been no different in this regard. For the past several years most of the most sought after king salmon rivers have been closed by fish and game and we don’t expect this to change soon.

While we can target salmon, King Salmon in the salt water, the fact that fish and game has been closing the rivers tells you this will be tough fishing. And, ADFG has put restrictions on the salt water too. Limits used to be 2 per person per day but it has become the norm to limit that to 1 per person per day. Even putting 1 king salmon on the boat per person is an ambitious goal. Also, the best areas to get salmon have been closed by fish and game because they are trying to protect those returning salmon.

Those king salmon rules are typically published just before the summer starts and we expect the restrictions described above to continue. 

We highly recommend the Halibut/Rockfish combo. If you specifically want Sockeye Salmon, we recommend booking a river trip on the Kenai or Kasilof.

However, it’s some people’s dream to come to Alaska and catch one of these trophy fish. If that’s the case we are more than happy to accommodate and go after them! We just want folks to be informed and have the correct level of expectations. 

We provide all fishing gear and bait. You need to bring your fishing license, food/drinks (alcohol is permitted), and warm layers. We do not provide rain gear, so please bring waterproof jackets and boots.

If you can bring a waterproof shell and some shoes that go over your ankles this will help protect your from some of the water dripping off the reels but generally speaking you can easily get by with regular clothes for the day. All of our boats have bathrooms and heated cabins.

Due to US Coast Guard regulations, all our boats are “6-pack” vessels, limited to a maximum of 6 passengers. We are happy to take larger groups but the group must be split across multiple boats. Usually these boats can fish near each other throughout the day. fishing near each other.

Also, Unless you purchase all 6 seats for a private charter, you will likely be paired with other anglers to a maximum of 6 people per boat. 

If your group is larger than 6 and it is really important that you all stay together, give us a call, there are a handful of boats available that can take more than 6 but they typically step up to 12-18 people per boat. It’s not as personalized experience, but if you really need to remain together we can help with some recommendations for you.

It has become the norm that halibut fishing is generally closed to charters on Wednesdays. It can often be closed on Tuesdays. We never know until around March or April. Some years they don’t close any Tuesdays and some years they close them all.

There are programs that charters can participate in that allow us to fish for halibut on those normally closed day. Homer Halibut Hunters is one of the few companies that participates in this program. We have to purchase permits to fish those days. 

On days that are closed to halibut charters we offer what is called our multispecies special. This is 3 to 4 species of fish (3 species before July 1 and 4 species after July 1). Normally this trip is $500.00 and on closed days we offer it for $600 to cover the cost of the permit.

The limits on these trips is:

1 halibut of any size
3 Rockfish
1 King Salmon
1 Lingcod after July first

We know this makes an expensive halibut trip even more expensive and encourage you to book other days if you can. However, if you can’t, Homer Halibut Hunter can get you out fishing.

Current regulations allow 2 Halibut per person/day. We usually describe this as “One big one and one little one”.

The big one can be as big as we can catch. If you harvest a 2nd halibut there are size limits. the limit changes every year but it’s usually between 27 and 32 inches, which is about a 9-10 pound fish.

There is currently no annual limit on Halibut for guided anglers in Area 3A. There are some places where there is an annual limit of how many halibut anglers can take in a single year. We do not have those restrictions in our area of Alaska.

We do not provide licenses; you must purchase them separately. You can buy them online at the Alaska Dept of Fish & Game website or at local stores in Homer ($15/day for non-residents). If you are targeting King Salmon, you must also purchase a King Salmon stamp valid for the day you are fishing with us. 

If we are targeting halibut and happen to catch a king salmon it not legal to keep it unless you have a king stamp as part of your fishing license. They sell these right along with your fishing license. It’s not really a “stamp” that you get, its simply noted on your license that you purchased one.

Thousands of anglers each year take home lots of fish. The entire state, including the airlines is prepared to make this easy for you.

We fillet and bag your catch on the boat (included in the price). Once we dock, a fish processor, usually Homer Fish Processing, meets us at the boat. They will take your fish and give you a claim ticket. They will portion, vacuum seal, freeze, and even get it ready in a cold storage box for you to take home with you. The cold storage box will usually keep the fish frozen for a couple day.

If you are doing more traveling around Alaska after fishing with us, we can ship via FedEx, but it’s far less expensive to take it home with you on the airline. We estimate $300 for each 50 lb box of fish shipped to the lower 48.

If you are going to be staying overnight in Anchorage before departing, the Anchorage airport has freezers and will hold it for you overnight for a small fee of around $10 per box. You’ll pick it up the next day prior to checking in for your flight.

If you’d like to know even more about processing and shipping you can check out these two links:

Fish Processing

Shipping Your Catch

Trips depart from the Homer Boat Harbor. Check-in is typically 6:15 AM for a 6:30 AM departure. We will send you an email/text 1-2 days before your trip with the specific boat name, slip location, and captain’s contact info.

Starting around September we move the meet up time to 7:00AM as the sun is rising later in the day.

Our Meeting Location

All of our trips depart from the Homer Harbor Marina.

Most of our boats meet at the Harbor Grill Restaurant where you will find a kiosk that says, Bay Tours, Water Taxi, and Halibut Charters. Our staff will meet you there and help escort you to the boat. Most of our boats are on M float which is down ramp #4 which is close to the harbor grill. We are hopefull that Taurus will be on this side of the marina in 2026 as well but in past years has been on the opposite side of the marina. See the map for parking, meeting location and where all the boats are.

There’s no need to worry, as you get closer to your trip you’ll receive additional email confirmations and updates, and the staff usually reaches out a day or two in advance to check in with you and provide any updates if they are needed. 

 

 

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