Scroll to Content

Welcome To Homer Halibut Hunters

Homer Halibut Hunters is Homer, Alaska’s premier sport fishing halibut charter 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 Homer halibut charter is a must for anyone visiting Homer, Alaska and Kachemak bay. 

Orion is our 30' North River boat powered by twin yamaha 250 HP engines.

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.

Trips & Limits

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
  • Trophy halibut & rockfish combo charter
  • Halibut & salmon combo charter
  • Triple Threat! Trophy halibut, rockfish & salmon multi-species combo
  • Salmon & rockfish combo charter on Wednesdays only

We begin our fishing season in May and continue until the end of September. Halibut fishing limits are two halibut per person per day and there is no annual limit. One fish can be of any size, and the other fish must be smaller than 28 inches or approximately 10 lbs.

Rockfish have separate limits. You are allowed 3 rockfish in total but only 1 can be a nonpelagic rockfish, such as the highly prized Yelloweye Rockfish.

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 need the king salmon stamp. 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.

Homer Halibut Hunter customer Dave Smith, his two brothers, and deckhand Tor Sehnart show off their halibut in Kachemak Bay, Homer, Alaska on an overcast August day.

3A Halibut Fishing Regulations & Limits

Captain Creig Garret holds a halibut estimated at 110 lbs

Halibut, Rockfish,Salmon & Lingcod Fishing Charter, Limits & Regs

Homer, Alaska may be the “Halibut Fishing Capital of the World” but we catch a lot more than just halibut. Regulations can change slightly 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 2023 updates.

2023 Halibut Fishing Regulations for Area 3A:

  • Each angler is allowed a daily bag limit of 2 halibut: one Halibut can be any size and one Halibut must be 28 inches or less, which is approximately a 10 lb fish. 
  • There is no annual limit on Halibut
  • No charter halibut fishing allowed:
    • On Wednesdays and Tuesdays from June 20 – August 15 (9 Tuesdays)
    • However, we still do salmon & rockfish charters on Wednesday, we simply cannot retain any halibut we may catch.
  • We are available for Salmon and Rockfish charters on Wednesdays

2023 Rockfish Limits:

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

Our full-day Homer halibut charters are the best opportunity for you to catch good sized halibut. These trips are because they don’t require a 2+ hour ride out giving us more time for fishing! We still catch very good sized fish on these trips anywhere between 20 and 80 lbs and it maximizes the amount of time we have available for fishing for halibut.

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

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		DescriptionTravel Time
Trip Duration		Fish Size TargetedPricing
May & Sept
June-Aug
3/4-Day Halibut
May 15 – Sept 30		Perfect for those that want a quick “Kachemak Bay Fishing Experience” and less concerned about catching huge fish30 min – 60 min
5-6 Hours Total		15-40 lb Halibut$275 / $325Book
Full-Day Halibut
May 15 – Sept 30		Targeting larger halibut without necessarily going out into “big water”60 – 75 minutes
6-7 Hours Total		20 – 60 lb Halibut$350 / $400Book
Halibut & Rockfish
May 15 – Sept 30		Our Most Popular Trip! Trophy Halibut & Rockfish. Looking for the biggest halibut we can find! This is a combo “Meat Run”2 hours
8-9 Hours
100+ Halibut
8-10 lb Yelloweye		$400 / $450Book
Triple Threat
May 15 – Aug 20		Our Biggest Trip! Trophy Halibut, Rockfish, and Salmon. Our Multispecies “Meat Run”2 hours
9-10 Hours		100+ Halibut
8-10 lb Yelloweye		$450 / $500Book
Halibut & Salmon
May 15 – Aug 20		A combination of our full-day halibut with salmon added.60 – 75 Minutes
8-9 Hours		20 – 60 lb Halibut
King & Silver Salmon		$400 / $450Book
Salmon & Rockfish
May 15 – Aug 20		Best for Wednesdays & Tuesdays from June 20 – August 15 when halibut is closed but the desire to go fishing still exists!1.5 – 2 hours
8-9 Hours Duration		8-10 lb Yelloweye
8-30 lb Salmon		$350 / $400Book

Quickly See All Availability

Using the tables below you can quickly see the availability of all our boats and how many seats are available on each of the trips for the day. If the day is listed as open then that boat is not yet going out on that day and you can book whichever of our 6 trips you prefer. 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

An example of a circle hook and herring used for halibut fishing

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

We’re glad you do! 

We use the anchor as much as we can when we’re halibut fishing. We use circle hooks, baits, jigs, and chum bags. Halibut are extremely good hunters and hunt by using their keen sense of smell. 

Travel time to halibut fishing grounds out of Homer harbor varies from 1-3 hours, and is dependent on weather conditions, where the fish have been biting, and what type of trip you’ve booked. We are generally always in sight of land but can travel as much as 150 miles in a single day on our long range trips.

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.

2022 IPHC Halibut Landings By Region

Guided Anger Fish
Keep 2 Halibut Of Any Size

Homer Halibut Hunters is one of the few companies that participates in the NOAA Guided Angler Fish Program (GAF). This program allows our guests to harvest 2 halibut of any size rather than 1 halibut of any size and 1 halibut under 28″. How does it work?

Through the NOAA Guided Angler Fish Program (GAF), Homer Halibut Hunters purchases fish from the commercial fishing fleet. For every 23 lbs of fish purchased we are provided a permit that allows one of our sport fishing anglers to retain a 2nd halibut of any size. The cost of this permit is $150.00 per GAF.

If you are interested in participating in this program and retaining two halibut of any size, we offer each of our anglers the opportunity to purchase one of these permits during the check out process. 

This GAF program also allows Homer Halibut Hunters to retain halibut on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, however, if an angler would like to retain 2 halibut of any size on Tuesday and Wednesdays then purchasing 2 GAF permits per angler is required.

Learn more about our Guided Angler Fish Program

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

The Homer Spit as viewed from the air facing north towards anchorage at sunset

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.

 

Ready To Book?

Choose Your Fishing Adventure!​

3/4-Day Halibut

$275 May & September
$325 June, July, August

  • Meet 7:30 AM For 8:00 AM Departure
  • 5 – 7 Hours Duration
  • 45 – 70 minutes to fishing grounds
Book 3/4 Day
Halibut
3/4-Day Halibut
Information
Drifters lodge staff show off their limits of halibut caught aboard Orion with Captain Jimmy Counts of Homer Halibut Hunters

Full-Day Halibut

$350 May & September
$400 June, July, August

  • Meet 6:30 AM For 7:00 AM Departure
  • 8 – 9 Hours Duration
  • 1 – 1.5 hours to fishing grounds
Book Full-Day
Halibut
Full-Day Halibut
Information
Homer Halibut Hunter customers show off a massive haul of barn-door halibut,

Trophy Halibut & Rockfish

$400 May & September
$450 June, July, August

  • Meet 6:30 AM For 7:00 AM Departure
  • 8 – 9 Hours Duration
  • 1.5 – 2 hours to fishing grounds
Book Halibut
& Rockfish
Halibut/Rockfish
Information
6 massive halibut are hanging with anglers smiling behind them

Halibut & Salmon

$400 May & September
$450 June, July, August

  • Meet 6:30 AM For 7:00 AM Departure
  • 6 – 8 Hours Duration
  • 1 – 1.5 hours to fishing grounds
Book Halibut
& Salmon
Halibut/Salmon
Information
Two anglers hold up three yelloweye rockfish caught in Kachemak Bay, Homer Alaska

Triple Threat: Halibut,
Rockfish & Salmon

$450 May & September
$500 June, July, August

  • Meet 6:30 AM For 7:00 AM Departure
  • 9 – 10 Hours Duration
  • 2 – 2.5 hours to fishing grounds
Book
Triple Threat
Triple Threat
Information
Homer Halibut Hunters customer holds a huge Kachemak Bay King Salmon

Salmon & Rockfish
(Wednesday Only)

$400 May & September
$450 June, July, August

  • Meet 6:30 AM For 7:00 AM Departure
  • 8 – 9 Hours Duration
  • 1.5 – 2 hours to fishing grounds
Book Halibut
& Rockfish
Halibut/Rockfish
Information

Our Meeting Location

All of our trips depart from the Homer Harbor Marina.

Our boats pickup at Ramp #6 and Float EE on the east side of the Marina. As you are coming down the spit turn left on Freight Dock Road just as you see the Homer Marina. After passing the boat ramp turn right and park near the bathrooms.  Please collect your belongings for the day and make your way down Ramp #6 and Float EE. A downloadable map showing parking, ramp #6 and float EE can be downloaded here:

Book Now