It’s a fishing day

Homer / Kachemak Bay fishing conditions · Alaska

Today 4 pm to tomorrow 12 pmPacific halibut

The bite peaks at 61. Water is 47°, close to the 45° Pacific halibut like best, and a solunar period lands on the window.

Small Craft Advisory until Wednesday 5 pm
Log a trip here
Right now: 53 for Pacific halibut, sit it outTap or drag along the water to move through the next 36 hours

Pacific halibut, hour by hour

Each float is an hour. The deeper it rides, the better the bite. The strip underneath runs daylight, dusk and dark; the red rule marks the best window. Click any hour to read it.

  1. 5312 pm
  2. 53
  3. 53
  4. 533 pm
  5. 58
  6. 58
  7. 586 pm
  8. 58
  9. 58
  10. 589 pm
  11. 58
  12. 58
  13. 61Sun
  14. 61
  15. 61
  16. 613 am
  17. 61
  18. 61
  19. 616 am
  20. 61
  21. 61
  22. 619 am
  23. 61
  24. 61
  25. 5112 pm
  26. 51
  27. 51
  28. 613 pm
  29. 61
  30. 61
  31. 616 pm
  32. 61
  33. 61
  34. 619 pm
  35. 61
  36. 61
Go, 85+Worth the trip, 70+Marginal, 55+Sit it out

Right now

Water
47°F

Pacific halibut range 37–55°

Wind
5 mph

From the northeast

Light
Daylight

Sunset 4:57 pm

Sky
Rain Showers Likely

64% chance of rain

Air
37°F

NWS hourly forecast

Barometer
Rising

Measured, last 3 hours

Moon
5% lit

Waning crescent

What’s biting

Each species is scored against its own water-temperature range and tide preference, then wind, weather and warnings. The rules are Alaska regulations for these waters.

Pacific Halibut

Pacific halibut

Hippoglossus stenolepis

61MarginalToday 4 pm to tomorrow 12 pm

Water

47°
27°37–55° · ideal 45°65°

Why

Right in Pacific halibut's ideal range. Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Holds 60–600 ft down.

Keep

2 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. Unguided anglers: 2 halibut a day, 4 in possession, no size limit, February 1–December 31; closed in January. Charter (guided) anglers follow separate federal limits set each year by the IPHC and NOAA.

Verified Oct 18, 2026 · Alaska

Last checked 20 days ago. Rules may have changed.

Season here: May–Sep. More on Pacific halibut

Lingcod

Lingcod

Ophiodon elongatus

49Sit it outNo window clears the bar

Water

47°
35°45–58° · ideal 52°68°

Why

Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Inside lingcod's active range. Holds 20–300 ft down.

Keep

35" minimum · 1 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. Cook Inlet and Kachemak Bay: July 1–December 31, 1 lingcod a day, 2 in possession, at least 35" long with the head on (or 28" from tail tip to the front of the dorsal fin with the head off).

Verified Oct 18, 2026 · Alaska

Last checked 20 days ago. Rules may have changed.

Season here: Apr–Dec. More on lingcod

Rockfish

Rockfish

Sebastes spp.

49Sit it outNo window clears the bar

Water

47°
35°45–58° · ideal 52°68°

Why

Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Inside rockfish's active range. Holds 20–300 ft down.

Keep

2 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. Cook Inlet and Kachemak Bay in 2026, by emergency order: pelagic rockfish 2 a day, 4 in possession; nonpelagic 1 a day, 2 in possession, and no yelloweye may be kept April 1–June 30.

Verified Oct 18, 2026 · Alaska

Last checked 20 days ago. Rules may have changed.

Season here: Apr–Dec. More on rockfish

Coho Salmon

Coho salmon

Oncorhynchus kisutch

49Sit it outNo window clears the bar

Water

47°
34°44–58° · ideal 53°68°

Why

Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Inside coho salmon's active range. Holds 10–120 ft down.

Keep

3 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. Cook Inlet and Kachemak Bay salt water: chum, coho, pink and sockeye are 6 a day in combination, 6 in possession, and only 3 of those may be coho. Alaska changes limits by Emergency Order in season, so check the ADF&G emergency orders the day you fish.

Verified Oct 18, 2026 · Alaska

Last checked 20 days ago. Rules may have changed.

Season here: May–Oct. More on coho salmon

The water

  • Water temperature47°F
  • Barometer29.38 inHg, rising

Sun, moon & solunar

  • Sunset today4:57 pm
  • Sunrise tomorrow8:44 am
  • MoonWaning crescent, 5% lit
  • Major solunarToday 10:40 am–12:40 pm
  • Minor solunarToday 3:20 pm–4:20 pm
  • Major solunarTonight 11:10 pm–1:10 am

Solunar tables are a popular heuristic. A peer-reviewed test found they don’t predict catch on their own, so here they only nudge the score when the tide or moon already agree. How the score works

Fishing report

No current report covers these waters.

We only show reports an agency has published, with their date. Alaska Dept. of Fish & Game publishes a report for the state.

Licenses and rules: Alaska Dept. of Fish & Game / IPHC · fish-consumption advisories

About this spot

The "Halibut Fishing Capital of the World" at the end of the Homer Spit on Kachemak Bay. Charter and private boats run the lower Cook Inlet for barn-door Pacific halibut, lingcod, and rockfish, with silver salmon staged off the Spit in late summer. Live tide from the Seldovia NOAA station and conditions from the Cook Inlet buoy.

Unguided anglers may keep 2 halibut a day with no size limit, February 1–December 31. Charter anglers follow separate federal limits set each year. Lingcod open July 1 with a 35" minimum.

Nearby

Public spots within 40 miles, with the same 36 hours of floats.

Deep Creek (Ninilchik)31 mi · AlaskaSteelhead, best today 4 pm to tomorrow 12 am
68Marginal
Ninilchik River32 mi · AlaskaSteelhead, best today 4 pm to tomorrow 12 am
68Marginal

Questions people ask

Do I need a fishing license to fish at Homer / Kachemak Bay?

Yes (anglers age 16 and older). To fish at Homer / Kachemak Bay you need the appropriate state fishing license. See the agency's current rules: the state agency website

What fish are commonly targeted at Homer / Kachemak Bay?

Homer / Kachemak Bay is listed on this site for 4 commonly-targeted species: Pacific Halibut, Lingcod, Rockfish, Coho Salmon. Which species is currently in season and which is scoring highest today is shown in the per-species ranking on this page.

When is the best time to fish at Homer / Kachemak Bay?

It depends more on the species and the day's conditions than on a fixed "best hour." Water temperature, weather, and — at tidal locations — the stage of the tide drive activity most. The per-species ranking on this page scores every target species at Homer / Kachemak Bay against today's live conditions, so the fish near the top are your best bets right now; check back as conditions change through the day.

What kind of access does Homer / Kachemak Bay have?

Homer / Kachemak Bay has multiple access types — pier, shoreline, and at least one public boat ramp. Unguided anglers may keep 2 halibut a day with no size limit, February 1–December 31. Charter anglers follow separate federal limits set each year. Lingcod open July 1 with a 35" minimum.

Which state's fishing regulations apply at Homer / Kachemak Bay?

state agency regulations apply at Homer / Kachemak Bay. Size limits, creel limits, and seasonal closures are listed per species on each species page. Always confirm against the agency source linked from each regulation block — emergency closures can take effect mid-season.

Is Homer / Kachemak Bay tidal water?

Yes. Homer / Kachemak Bay sits on tidal water with a NOAA tide station nearby. Today's high/low timing is in the tide chart on this page.