Geography

• Ninilchik is located on the northern side of the Kenai Peninsula approximately 48 miles south of the town of Kenai, and 37 miles north of Homer. The town is right off of the Sterling Highway, and is approximately a three-and-a-half hour drive from the large city of Anchorage.
  
  

Licenses & Regulation

• Everyone between the ages of 16 and 60 regardless of residency must have a sports fishing license to fish for halibut in Ninilchik. Residents over the age of 60 should apply for a Permanent Identification Card, which acts as a permanent license. As of 2010, no resident or nonresident under the age of 16 needs a sports fishing license. As of 2010, a license costs residents $24 for an entire year. Nonresidents have a choice between five different licenses. The prices on these range from $20 for one day to $145 for a full year. The limit for anglers is two halibut per angler per day around Ninilchik.
  
  

Fishing Lodges

• Several fishing lodges are located in and around Ninilchik. The accommodations at these lodges range from the luxury fishing lodge with extra amenities included in a package deal to some basic camps with cabin rental and guides available for daily hire. Rates vary from year to year and are also based on whether you book during the height of tourist season or during a less busy time.
  
  

Charters & Guides

• Several halibut charters and guides are available in Ninilchik. Many lodges come with their own professional guides, and several of the charters cut discount deals to certain lodges in return for being sent business. These guides or captains will know the local waters well and be able to direct visiting anglers to the places where they are most likely to catch trophy halibut; in fact, that is what you are paying them to do.
  
  

Strategy

• The best strategy for catching halibut around Ninilchik is to release "chum" around the boat to release the scent of bait into water. A good captain will hook several lines with live bait and use a sinker set up to place the bait where halibut are most likely to feed. If there are no bites after 30 minutes, the bait should be changed out for something different. If the live bait doesn't work, the captain will know the best artificial jig rigs for that area.
  
  

Considerations

• When halibut fishing, having a paid guide is always a good idea when you don't know the waters well. This isn't only for help finding fish, but for safety concerns. Always wear a life jacket when fishing in Cook Inlet, and make sure you have your own survival kit or first aid kit just in case you run into trouble. This goes for whether you're fishing for halibut or taking a day off to explore the wilderness---it's always best to be prepared in Alaska.