Fishing Near Ninilchik
From the village of Ninilchik, charter boats launch into the surf with the aid of tractors on the beach. This area feeds into the Kenai Peninsula and affords excellent halibut fishing--when the tide is high. Experienced charter boat captains urge their parties to consider the tides when planning a trip, so heed their advice. Around the area, halibut change feeding grounds with the changing tide, which can create a whole new ball game for anglers looking for this big fish. Anglers launch boats from the Deep Creek Wayside or from the mouth of the Ninilchik River.
Fishing the Mouth of the Kenai
Anglers sticking closer to shore near the mouth of Deep Creek where it feeds into the Kenai can expect good catches of halibut from April through September. Again, the key to good fishing is to check the tides. Halibut move closer to shore with high tides that stir up bait fish, retreating to deeper water at low tide.
Fishing Cook Inlet and Surrounding Islands
Moving offshore by boat, anglers around Deep Creek head for the outlying islands of Barren, Chugach, Elizabeth, Flat and Pearl to fish for halibut. Trolling herring is a popular technique. When fishing around structures such as submerged rocks, crabs may be the prevalent food source for halibut around Cook Inlet. Bait hooks with chunks of orange crab or use orange-colored lures bounced off the bottom in the waters around the outlying islands of Deep Creek.
