By Nick Varney

Special to the Homer Independent Press

Just as it was beginning to look like the king run in the Nick Dudiak Fishing Lagoon was going to be as lame as those unskilled floss-snaggers flipping fish sideways, dragging ‘em onto shore backwards or snapping hooks off in their hides, the action picked up a bit.

Now, don’t get too excited, but it is encouraging for those whose only hits have come via highly annoyed crabs getting snarled in leader lines soaking bait too close to the bottom.

One fishing bud said that he was starting to think he’d get more meat canning his bait, but things changed when the bigger tides arrived carrying a few more blackmouth.

So, he changed tactics and switched to fishing outside the lagoon, and as the tide pushed in he fired out either a small inverted plug-cut herring or a piece of mackerel on a single #5 hook about 8 to 12 inches below a steelhead float.

Why? Because salmon attack their prey from behind and below and it’s not that deep where they run along the shoreline toward the hole’s entrance.

J. also prepares his bait herring by soaking them in the oil drained from a can of tuna or sardines to add a heavier scent to the water and it works.

On an even more positive note, some of the fish rolling in lately have been packing more heft reaching up into the 20-plus pound category like the 25 lb. thug landed by another friend who is highly skilled and a tenacious salmon stalker.

Time now to take a look at the fishing report for the week of June 15, 2026.

Freshwater Fishing

Deep Creek is closed to all sport fishing through June 30, 2026.

The Anchor River was opened to catch and release fishing for kings only on Wednesday June 17. Gear was restricted to single-hook no bait artificial lures.

It is now closed to all sport fishing on all other days in June.

The Ninilchik River will reopen to fishing for hatchery king salmon June 20 through June 22. Fishing should be somewhat middling. Fish the yawning of dawn for the best crack at them. Top choices for lures include spinners, spoons and heavily weighted flies.

Saltwater Fishing
Kachemak Bay/Cook Inlet

Halibut

Halibut fishing has been good but is challenging with the bigger tides. Twenty pound flats can feel like you’re hauling up an engine block when they’re running in high gear.

Try fishing around slack tide to get your baits near the bottom otherwise your gear will take off toward Kodiak.

King Salmon

King fishing south of Bluff Point was pathetic last week according to reports from the Bluff and Fourth of July areas along locations beyond Kachemak Bay.

Surf Fishing

Whiskey Gulch and Deep Creek remain nice spots to whack halibut from the shoreline. And, don’t forget about fishing off the tip of the Homer Spit. It can be a hoot with groundfish being landed that are a delicate treat to things that are positive proof we are being visited by aliens.

Nick Dudiak Fishing Lagoon

The king run at the hole is slowly picking up and anglers are getting solid strikes on both the outside and inside of the lagoon during the incoming tides.

Roe, plug cut herring or mackerel hunks soaking under a bobber plus the use of various colored Vibrax spinners have been getting the attention of the new arrivals.

Seldovia Slough

King fishing in the Seldovia Slough has been fair over the last few days. Anglers were landing some from the bridge during the incoming tide and in the lagoon around high tide.

Emergency Orders

Please review the emergency orders and advisory announcements below in their entirety before heading out on your next fishing trip.

Sport Fishing For King Salmon Closed in Upper Cook Inlet Salt Waters
King Salmon Bag Limit Reduced from 2 to 1 in Lower Cook Inlet Salt Waters
Restrictions to King Salmon fishing in the Ninilchik River
Rockfish bag limit reduction: 2 pelagic, 1 non-pelagic. No retention of yelloweye April 1st – June 30th.

For additional information, you can contact the Homer ADF&G Office at 907-235-8191.

Until next week.

Nick can be reached at ncvarney@gmail.com if you have any tips, tales or confirmation of the rumor about some clueless line flingers fishing the Ninilchik River when it was closed.