Nick Dudiak Fishing Lagoon
on the Homer Spit

The Nick Dudiak Fishing Lagoon, also known as "The Fishing Hole," is a special location when it comes to catching salmon. It is a unique opportunity to pack your cooler whether you are a self-professed expert at the angling game or a neophyte who just wants to know which end of the hook to put the bait on.

It doesn't matter if you are just there to watch the action or cast a lure, the lagoon's first-rate fishing creates a remarkable experience.

The human-enhanced fishery attracts thousands of king and silver salmon anglers each year and is an outstanding success story for its founder, a now retired Alaska Department of Fish and Game biologist, Nick Dudiak.

The lagoon provides easy-access angling from mid-May to mid-September and is one of the few places in Southcentral Alaska that has an early run of silver salmon starting in mid-July.

The king salmon and silver eggs are raised in a hatchery to smolt size then transferred to floating pens in the lagoon. They are held captive for two purposes: The tiny fish are fed to increase their size and therefore their survival rate when released into the ocean and to imprint them with the unique saltwater chemistry that will later, depending on the species attract them home to "The Hole."

King salmon can be caught at the lagoon from mid-May until the end of June; they average 15 to 20 pounds each.

A silver salmon enhancement program instituted at the lagoon, providing two runs of fish from mid-July to mid-September. As each of the runs dwindles, the Department of Fish and Game may open the Fishing Hole for snagging. The openings are announced locally and signs are posted.