Homer Alaska

Overlooking the Homer small boat harbor. Photo courtesy of the Homer Chamber of Commerce.

Homer is on the mainland in Southcentral Alaska. Head south by road and it will eventually take you to only one place—the city of Homer. It is literally the end of the road.

Nestled among rolling hills overlooking Kachemak Bay, Homer offers a breathtaking view of the surrounding mountains, glaciers and bay. This seaside community serves as the gateway to a world of outdoor adventure.

Homer Alaska is known as the Halibut Fishing Capital of the World

Often described as the Halibut Fishing Capital of the World, Homer, Alaska is a captivating little town. There is something to offer for everyone—from families to diehard outdoors enthusiasts alike. It might be the last place a road-bound angler can end up, but it should be the first place we think of when planning our next trip.

Homer is located at the southern tip of the Kenai Peninsula. Reach Homer from Anchorage with a 4 ½-hour scenic drive or a short 35-minute flight. With the breadth of activities on offer, the sights to see and daily excursions to enjoy, plan to stay at least a week to fully experience Homer. You may opt to stay just a couple nights on a whirlwind Kenai Peninsula tour. If saltwater fishing is your primary interest, you should consider Homer as your home base.

Fishing in Homer Alaska

Saltwater fishing is the primary draw in Homer, known as the Halibut Fishing Capital of the World. Photo courtesy of North Country Charters.

Things to Do in Homer

Popular activities in Homer are hiking, fishing and bear-viewing. There is so much more like sea kayaking, paddle-boarding, bird-watching, cycling, kite surfing and whale-watching. And for those down-days recuperating, there is shopping, a winery, brewery, art galleries and museums. The outdoor activities may be plentiful, but Homer also has renowned restaurants and is known as a “foodie” town. You can shop at an outdoor Farmers’ Market, dine at organic bakeries and lunch spots, enjoy fresh seafood and sushi and sample the range of local cuisine. There is no other small town in Alaska with the number of top restaurants open year-round. In the evening, relax at one of the many B&Bs, hotels and log cabins open all year.

While in or around Homer you could see moose grazing, a black bear crossing the road, puffins, seabirds, soaring eagles, sea otters, porpoises, killer whales, porcupine, harbor seals, beluga whales and more. Take a simple drive on any of Homer’s back roads. Better yet, book a morning boat tour on the bay to make wildlife viewing easy and enjoyable.

Adventures in Homer

Fly over the Harding Ice Field and Pacific Ring of Fire volcanoes, or get dropped off at a wilderness cabin on a secluded lake where you can fish for trout, char and other species. Here is your chance to kayak in the pristine coves along Kachemak Bay. Experience the diverse landscape of fjords, forest, islands, lagoons, jagged mountains and unspoiled wild coastline. Or take a water-taxi from the Homer Spit across the bay and then hike to a glacier lake. Book a guided fly-out bear viewing trip to Katmai National Park for up-close-and-personal time with Alaska’s famous bruins.

Across the bay, Kachemak Bay State Park offers over 30 miles of trail and 375,000 acres of wilderness. Enjoy excellent backcountry hiking, camping, wildlife viewing, lake- and stream fishing. Several cabin rental options mean you don’t have to rush. Visit scenic Halibut Cove, a remote fishing and artist’s village where the streets are paved with water. And don’t miss Seldovia, where berry-picking, hiking, kayaking and mountain biking are just a few of the activities in the town known as “The City of Secluded Charm.” Reserve your seat on a wildlife cruise for your day excursion around Kachemak Bay with a stop in Seldovia.

Lingcod are voracious, wild-looking bottom fish. Their incredibly tasty white meat make them highly desirable. Photo courtesy of North Country Charters.

Homer Fishing Opportunities

Fishing, however, is truly the highlight of this bountiful region. Homer, Alaska is known across the planet for its world-class halibut and salmon fishing. Saltwater fishing is the primary draw for Homer. Saltwater anglers can DIY fish at the Fishing Lagoon right on the Homer Spit, a long, narrow finger of land jutting four and a half miles into Kachemak Bay. Or choose from a large variety of half-day, full-day and extended fishing charters, all of which begin at the Homer small-boat harbor on the Spit.

Homer Boat Harbor

The harbor is home to over 700 year-round charter and commercial-boat operators—a number that grows to over 1,500 in the summer months. With everything to see and do in and around Homer, and with the amount of infrastructure available for boaters, Homer serves as an excellent port of call. A growing number of Alaskans choose to store their boats there year-round. They appreciate quick access to the thriving fisheries of Kachemak Bay and Cook Inlet and the marine support businesses that reside there.

Bountiful Marine Life

Anglers enjoying the marine environment out of Homer, Alaska can do well for salmon and sea-run Dolly Varden by fishing in or near the stream mouths just about anywhere in the bay. These clear-green waters are home to both natural and enhanced runs of salmon, as well as a rich assemblage of shellfish and bottomfish. Halibut, rockfish and lingcod anglers can target the shoals and reefs found in deeper water. Similarly, the majority of Chinook anglers target mature, stream-bound kings in the outer bay from about mid-May through early June. Trollers in search of the smaller, ‘feeder’ kings can have productive days year-round. Every March the Homer Winter King Salmon Tournament attracts anglers from around the state.

Halibut is King

However, in Homer, Alaska halibut is king. One of the largest charter fleets in Alaska operates out of the port bound for more remote areas of the bay and lower Cook Inlet. Kachemak Bay is ideal for small craft as well as larger sport-fishing vessels. It’s typically only a short run from the boat-launch facilities at Homer Harbor to the south side, where the majority of the good angling takes place. From year-round king fishing, which peaks in June and July, to silvers, lingcod and rockfish and the ever-present halibut, it’s more than worth a few days of any excursion to dock at the end of the road.