Alaska Fishing Trips for the Mighty Halibut

An Alaska Fishing trip to Homer in 2003. My Brother and I with kids and a days Catch with a Charter.

Every Alaska fishing trip should include at least one halibut outing. The halibut is a crazy looking fish that is especially tasty. Halibut grow to the 400-500 lb. range, and 100 pounders plus are common. Most communities run fishing derbies, so be sure to get your ticket.

Deep sea fishing is an adventure all it’s own. The chance of seeing something you’ve never seen before is very good.Halibut live on the bottom of the ocean, and are surrounded by literally thousands of other species of fish and other critters. You never know what you might have on your line, so fun and surprise is always just a bite away. I have pulled up everything from octopus to sharks, and many different species of cod, including 40-50lb. Ling Cod that are also great eating. We’ve caught skates as large as 80 lbs. and Wolf Eels so ugly the captain wouldn’t let us bring them on board. It’s always fun to see what might come up next. At sea level there is always the chance to see whales, porpoise, orcas, sea otter, sea lions, seals, and sea birds by the thousands. It’s truly as beautiful as it is exciting. The coast of Alaska is perhaps the most magnificent of all her landscapes. Glaciers are literally on every mountainside, and waterfalls abound. The coast is a must see for anyone wanting to see Alaska’s best sights. I guarantee you’ll long remember a day on the water on Alaska’s coast. A word of warning, if the weather is bad, a day on the water in a small boat can be very long. If you are prone to motion-sickness, make sure the weather is cooperative or consider a tour on a sightseeing vessel instead. You might be glad you did.

Here's a good look at the 'two' sides of a halibut. This happens to be an "arrow tooth" halibut, which is actually fairly uncommon, but you can see the variation from side to side.

Halibut Fishing Communities

Homer- The halibut fishing capitol of the World reads the sign as you make your way down off the bluff to the unique town of Homer. A small community with a distinctive Alaskan flavor, Homer is a bustling fishing town, and tourist favorite in the summer months. Plan to spend a few days in Homer if you can. You will want to book ahead if you’re planning a fishing trip, or plan to find a hotel for the night. The summer can be very busy for these businesses and I’ve had people tell me they were unable to find a B&B that was’nt booked solid for months. That’s been a year or two, and maybe things have changed, but I recommend being prepared. More about Homer.

Seward- About 80 miles from Anchorage this is another great little fishing Community I love to visit. Seward is perhaps best known for their Silver Salmon Derby, but has developed a full fleet of halibut Charter Boats and I have had outstanding trips from Seward. Again, the community is worth spending some time in, as it has a small town atmosphere. Be sure to go down to the small boat harbor and watch as the charters bring in the days catch. Watching the smiling people and listening to their stories, is almost as fun as being there.

Valdez- Here is another must visit fishing community. Valdez halibut fisherman have to travel a little farther to get to the fish, but the scenery out of Valdez is nothing less than spectacular. The Salmon fishing out of valdez is perhaps their biggest draw, so plan your trip to do a little salmon fishing while you’re there. If you like massive, beautiful waterfalls, some that you can walk right up to, the trip to Valdez is World Class viewing. Bring a camera.

Juneau, Sitka and Southeast Alaska- I have only personally fished out of Sitka, but the Halibut fishing is very good in all the coastal communities in Southeast. Finding a Charter should be no problem, and the scenery is worth the price of your fishing trip.

Dutch Harbor-A little more of an adventure just getting there, as it sits out on Alaskas Aleutian Chain, Dutch Harbor offers World Class halibut fishing, and they don’t have to travel far to get to the fish. Fish weighing several hundred pounds are not an uncommon catch in Dutch harbor. If you happen to be planning a trip to Dutch Harbor, plan on a Halibut trip, you’ll be glad you did.

These are just a few of the more popular Halibut fisheries in Alaska. There are other smaller communities that offer halibut fishing, and most have good Charter services. Consider getting out on the ocean whether for fishing or sightseeing, it truly is the easiest way to see Alaska’s outback.

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