Ask anyone and they'll tell you, Homer is famous for its Spit.

And most of that fame comes from the bountiful fishing opportunities found there.

A large fleet of halibut and salmon charters clog the Homer Harbor each summer. For landlubbers, the Spit also is home to the famous Nick Dudiak Fishing Lagoon, aka the Fishing Hole.

Summer returns for king salmon in the lagoon are good from mid-May through early July, with some fish exceeding 40 pounds.

The first run of silvers hits the lagoon in July and goes into late August, while a second run continues the fishery into September (for more information, see page 32).

The beaches at the end of the Homer Spit also offer Dolly Varden fishing with the beach between Land's End Resort and the Homer Ferry Terminal a popular spot for anglers of all ages.

When the fish are running into the lagoon, the east side of the Spit from Mud Bay to the small boat harbor is a good place to hook into salmon that pool there during low tides. Egg clusters, herring, shrimp with bobbers and small lures all work well.

Kachemak Bay and Beyond

The pristine waters of Kachemak Bay are home to all five species of salmon, monster halibut and a few less-targeted species like lingcod.

Each year, during the winter months, king salmon swim from streams in Canada up to Kachemak Bay and lower Cook Inlet to feed.

These "feeder kings" provide anglers a chance to catch fresh salmon year round, as well as a chance at big cash and prizes in March when the Homer Chamber of Commerce holds its popular Winter King Salmon Derby.

Snagging is allowed in Kachemak Bay, but not at the Fishing Hole except during specific periods authorized by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game - likely in late June-early July for kings and in mid-September for silvers.

Halibut Cove Lagoon, China Poot Bay, Seldovia Bay and Tutka Bay provide good angling at different times during the summer, thanks mostly to the enhancement efforts of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game and Cook Inlet Aquaculture Association, which is funded by commercial salmon fishermen. Kings appear in Halibut Cove and Seldovia Bay in mid-May and run for a month. Reds can be snagged from China Poot Bay in July and early August. Alaska residents can dipnet for reds in China Poot Creek from July 1 to Aug 7.

By early May, halibut start migrating back into the bay and can be caught in deeper waters off the west side of the Spit and sometimes in shallower waters to the east.

A large fleet of charter boats leaves daily from the Spit for both salmon and halibut fishing in Kachemak Bay and lower Cook Inlet. There are many types to choose from - including half-day, full-day and overnight trips.

Smaller six-pack boats tend to travel the farthest in search of bigger fish.

Depending on the time of year and the weather, captains will venture to the Barren Islands or the outer coast in search of barn-door size halibut.

The larger boats tend to take more people a shorter distance.(For more information on halibut charters, see related story, page 34.)

The daily limit for halibut is two fish with two in possession.

Anchor River

This popular stream pours into Cook Inlet in Anchor Point and is closed to fishing from Jan. 1 through June 30, except during king salmon season, which opens the weekend before Memorial Day weekend.

Kings can be fished Saturday to Monday for five consecutive weekends below the bridge in Anchor Point.

Dolly Varden fishing is good from July until freeze-up. Silver salmon run from early August until mid-September. Over the past couple of years, silvers have been holding near the river's mouth and then charging upstream in big surges. Time this right, and the silver fishing can be spectacular. Catch and release steelhead fishing is good from Sept. 1 until freeze-up.

The Anchor River Boat Launch also is a hot spot for charters and locals searching for saltwater kings.

Deep Creek, another productive and popular stream, is located about five miles south of Ninilchik. Deep Creek Wayside is located one-half mile down the Deep Creek turnoff, on the south side of the road. A boat-launching facility also is here. Anglers can expect to find the same species here as in the Anchor River, as well as rainbow trout lurking farther upstream.

Deep Creek

Deep Creek, another productive and popular stream, is located about five miles south of Ninilchik. Deep Creek Wayside is located one-half mile down the Deep Creek turnoff, on the south side of the road.

A boat-launching facility here sup-ports a large charter fleet. Boats launch from Deep Creek searching for salmon and halibut. Anglers can expect to find the same species here as in the Anchor River, as well as rainbow trout lurking farther upstream.

Deep Creek opens for king salmon fishing on Memorial Day Weekend for three consecutive weekends.

Ninilchik River

The Ninilchik River winds from its headwaters southeast of Clam Gulch to Cook Inlet at the small town of Ninilchik.

The river is closed to all fishing Jan. 1 through May 25 when it opens to king salmon fishing for three con-secutive weekends from its mouth upstream approximately two miles to the Fish and Game markers.

Recent regulation changes allow anglers to retain two king salmon per day with two in possession, but only one may be a wild king salmon recognized by the presence of the adipose fin. Check the fishing regu-lations before heading out.

Both Deep Creek and the Ninilchik River also support a run of silver salmon. These fish arrive in August and, like, their neighbor to the south, the Anchor River, both Deep Creek and the Ninilchik River provide good fishing after the leaves change.

Kasilof River

The Kasilof River is located about 30 miles north of Ninilchik and offers a bounty of fishing opportunity. The silty blue river flows from Tustumena Lake to the east some 15 miles to Cook Inlet and is home to spectacular drift-boat and tidewater fishing for kings and silvers. The river boasts two king runs one beginning in mid-May and the other in late June. The silvers start arriving in early August.