British Columbia fishes two worlds. On the coast, salt water from Victoria and Sooke to Nootka Sound, Bamfield, Tofino and Prince Rupert runs on the salmon, chinook and coho above all, with halibut and lingcod offshore. Inland, the rivers of the Fraser Valley and the north carry the salmon and steelhead runs, and the plateau lakes around Kamloops and the big mountain lakes such as Kootenay and Okanagan hold rainbow trout and kokanee. The pages here cover both, with live Water Survey of Canada gauges on the rivers and lakes that have one and a modelled tide curve on the coast.
Reports current for Monday, November 9
Every one of the 30 British Columbia waters we cover has a live read this morning. None reaches 4 out of 5 and 2 are slow. Water runs 3 °C to 10 °C. Pressure is rising on most of them, which costs a point in our model when the sky is clear. 25 have a better-than-even chance of rain.
Best right now: Bamfield 3/5, Barkley Sound 3/5, Bulkley River at Smithers 3/5
Live verdicts from this morning's reports.
The Vedder and the Chilliwack: one river from Slesse Creek to the Fraser, with fall salmon, hatchery winter steelhead and a live Water Survey of Canada gauge at Vedder Crossing.
Salt water off Vancouver: chinook under strict Fraser-stock rules, crab by trap and ring, and the Capilano and the Fraser close by, with a modelled tide.
Campbell River on Discovery Passage: chinook and coho in the tide lines, the Tyee Club’s rowboat tradition and Discovery Fishing Pier.
Victoria’s salt water on the Strait of Juan de Fuca: chinook under DFO’s hatchery-marked rules, halibut offshore and a modelled tide.
Sooke on the Strait of Juan de Fuca: summer chinook and coho along the kelp west of Victoria, with killer whale closures offshore.
Nanaimo on the Strait of Georgia: chinook and hatchery coho under Area 17 notices, rockfish conservation areas close to town and the Nanaimo River for fall salmon.
Nootka Sound on the west coast of Vancouver Island: chinook and coho outside, halibut on the banks, and wide seasonal finfish closures inside the sound.
The lower Fraser at Mission, where the CPR Bridge marks the tidal boundary: catch-and-release white sturgeon and salmon only by DFO notice, with a live gauge.
Bamfield on the east side of Barkley Sound: salmon and halibut water at the end of a gravel road, next to the West Coast Trail’s northern trailhead.
Ucluelet on the Pacific Rim: chinook, coho and halibut off the open coast and Barkley Sound, beside a national park reserve with its own fishing limits.
The Elk River at Fernie: westslope cutthroat on the dry fly in the Rockies of southeastern BC, with catch-and-release sections and a live gauge.
The Skeena near Terrace: summer steelhead, chinook and coho on a big northern river, with classified sections on the mainstem and a live gauge at Usk.
The Capilano on the North Shore: hatchery coho, chinook and steelhead below Cleveland Dam in a regional park, with a live gauge.
The Kitimat River: early-summer chinook, fall coho and hatchery steelhead near the town at the head of Douglas Channel, with a live gauge.
Kamloops and its lakes: stocked rainbow trout and kokanee on the plateau, the Thompson in town, and ice fishing where the synopsis allows it.
Port Alberni at the head of the Alberni Inlet: Somass sockeye by DFO notice, chinook and coho in the inlet, and the Stamp River above the town.
Tunkwa Lake in Tunkwa Provincial Park: rainbow trout stocked every spring, chironomids after ice-off, and Leighton Lake next door.
Powell River on the upper Sunshine Coast: chinook and coho under DFO notices, rockfish conservation areas toward Lund, and Powell Lake behind the city.
Kootenay Lake: Gerrard rainbow trout and bull trout under recovery rules, kokanee closed on the main lake, and a live level gauge at Queens Bay.
Pedder Bay near Metchosin: a sheltered bay onto the Strait of Juan de Fuca beside the closed Race Rocks reserve, with salmon rules set by DFO notice.
Tofino and Clayoquot Sound: offshore chinook and halibut from the end of Highway 4, with rockfish conservation areas and in-season closures to check.
Barkley Sound between Bamfield and Ucluelet: chinook, coho and Somass sockeye under DFO notices, and the Broken Group Islands with their finfish closure.
The Cowichan near Duncan: wild trout and steelhead released, fall salmon, fly-only reaches and a live gauge on a Canadian Heritage River.
The Harrison between Harrison Lake and the Fraser: fall chum and coho, sea-run cutthroat, white sturgeon catch and release, and a live gauge below Morris Creek.
Okanagan Lake at Kelowna: rainbow trout and kokanee in a regulated valley lake, with its own quotas and a live level gauge at the city.
The lower Stave below Ruskin Dam: fall chum and coho, hatchery steelhead, spawning-channel closures and flows set by BC Hydro’s dams.
The Squamish near Brackendale: fall chum, coho and odd-year pinks, winter steelhead released when wild, a bait ban and a live gauge.
Prince Rupert on Kaien Island: chinook, coho and halibut in Chatham Sound under north coast DFO notices, near the mouth of the Skeena.
The Bulkley near Smithers: fall summer steelhead on a Class II classified water under a bait ban, with a live gauge.
Shuswap Lake at Blind Bay: a live level that rises with the spring snowmelt, and rainbow trout, lake trout, bull trout and kokanee under the lake’s own quotas, bait ban and surcharge stamps.
Species activity across the covered waters, written for the Canadian year. Peak of the year: August.
1 = slow, 5 = peak. Current month highlighted.
Seasonal surface curve for the dominant water type here, in degrees Celsius (estimated, not a reading).
Read from the agency page named on each row, on the date shown, and calculated for 2026 from the rule as written: a date written as a day of the week is computed, not copied. Species with no published closure are not listed, which is not the same as open.
| Fishery | 2026 | Rule | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cowichan River summer closure | Closed 2026-07-15 to 2026-08-31 | No fishing 15 July to 31 August. From the weir at Cowichan Lake to Greendale Trestle no fishing 15 November to 15 April; below the Mile 66 trestle no fishing 1 September to 15 November. In 2025 the province brought the summer closure forward to 4 July by in-season order. | Government of British Columbia, 2025-2027 Freshwater Fishing Regulations Synopsis, Region 1, read 2026-09-27 |
| Chilliwack/Vedder, Tamihi Rapids to Vedder Crossing | Closed 2026-05-01 to 2026-06-30 | No fishing from Tamihi Rapids Bridge to Vedder Crossing Bridge 1 May to 30 June; upstream to Slesse Creek 1 April to 30 June. Below Vedder Crossing: fly only and bait ban in May, no fishing in June. | Government of British Columbia, 2025-2027 Freshwater Fishing Regulations Synopsis, Region 2, read 2026-09-27 |
| Capilano River steelhead | Catch and release only, all year | Every steelhead on the Capilano is released; bait ban 1 August to 31 October. | Government of British Columbia, 2025-2027 Freshwater Fishing Regulations Synopsis, Region 2, read 2026-09-27 |
| White sturgeon, Region 2 | Catch and release only, all year | White sturgeon are catch and release only; the Jesperson’s, Herrling Island and Seabird Island side channels are closed to all fishing 15 May to 31 July, and the non-tidal Fraser is closed at night. | Government of British Columbia, 2025-2027 Freshwater Fishing Regulations Synopsis, Region 2, read 2026-09-27 |
| Fraser side channels (Jesperson’s, Herrling Island, Seabird Island north) | Closed 2026-05-15 to 2026-07-31 (part of the water) | Closed to all fishing 15 May to 31 July in the Jesperson’s, Herrling Island and Seabird Island north side channels. | Government of British Columbia, 2025-2027 Freshwater Fishing Regulations Synopsis, Region 2, read 2026-09-27 |
| Ruskin and Northrop spawning channels | Closed all year (part of the water) | No fishing in the Ruskin spawning channel, from the inlet near the dam to the boat ramp crossing, or in the Northrop Spawning Channel (in-season change of 18 November 2025). | Government of British Columbia, 2025-2027 Freshwater Fishing Regulations Synopsis, Region 2, read 2026-09-27 |
| Vedder below Vedder Crossing Bridge | Closed 2026-06-01 to 2026-06-30 (part of the water) | Below Vedder Crossing Bridge: fly fishing only and bait ban 1 to 31 May, no fishing 1 to 30 June. | Government of British Columbia, 2025-2027 Freshwater Fishing Regulations Synopsis, Region 2, read 2026-09-27 |
| Cowichan below the CNR Mile 66 trestle (fall) | Closed 2026-09-01 to 2026-11-15 (part of the water) | No fishing downstream of the CNR Mile 66 trestle 1 September to 15 November; fly fishing only upstream of it in the same period. | Government of British Columbia, 2025-2027 Freshwater Fishing Regulations Synopsis, Region 1, read 2026-09-27 |
| Cowichan from the lake weir to Greendale Trestle (winter) | Closed 2026-11-15 to 2027-04-15 (part of the water) | No fishing from the weir at Cowichan Lake’s outlet to Greendale Trestle 15 November to 15 April. | Government of British Columbia, 2025-2027 Freshwater Fishing Regulations Synopsis, Region 1, read 2026-09-27 |
| Bulkley above the Morice confluence | Closed all year (part of the water) | No fishing in the Bulkley upstream of the Morice/Bulkley confluence. | Government of British Columbia, 2025-2027 Freshwater Fishing Regulations Synopsis, Region 6, read 2026-09-27 |
| Salmon, non-tidal Fraser from Mission Bridge | Closed, no reopening date | No fishing for salmon in the non-tidal Fraser from Mission Bridge to Sawmill Creek, and in the approaches to the river, since 1 January 2026, until DFO reopens it by fishery notice. | Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Fishery Notice FN0288, read 2026-09-27 |
| Region 4 streams (Elk River) | Closed 2026-04-01 to 2026-06-14; catch and release only 2026-11-01 to 2027-03-31 | No fishing in any Region 4 stream 1 April to 14 June; trout and char released 1 November to 31 March. On the Elk, trout are catch and release 15 June to 31 October from the Hosmer bridge to the northern Hwy 3 bridge at Fernie and on the other listed sections; bait ban; Class II water when open. | Government of British Columbia, 2025-2027 Freshwater Fishing Regulations Synopsis, Region 4, read 2026-09-27 |
| Bull trout, Elk River | Closed 2026-04-01 to 2026-06-14; release only the rest of the year, never kept | Bull trout are catch and release on the Elk above Elko Dam; the river is closed 1 April to 14 June. | Government of British Columbia, 2025-2027 Freshwater Fishing Regulations Synopsis, Region 4, read 2026-09-27 |
| Skeena watershed streams above Cedarvale (Bulkley) | Closed 2026-01-01 to 2026-06-15 | No fishing in any stream of the Skeena watershed upstream of Cedarvale 1 January to 15 June. The Bulkley above the Morice confluence is closed all year; no angling from boats from the Morice to Barrett 15 August to 31 December. | Government of British Columbia, 2025-2027 Freshwater Fishing Regulations Synopsis, Region 6, read 2026-09-27 |
| Steelhead in Region 6 rivers | Closed 2026-05-15 to 2026-06-15 | No fishing for steelhead in rivers and streams 15 May to 15 June. The province says Kitimat River regulations are under review: check the in-season changes page before fishing. | Government of British Columbia, 2025-2027 Freshwater Fishing Regulations Synopsis, Region 6, read 2026-09-27 |
| Sockeye, Skeena mainstem | Closed until 2027-03-31 | Sockeye closed in the Skeena mainstem from 28 August 2026 to 31 March 2027. | Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Fishery Notice FN0919, read 2026-09-27 |
| Shuswap Lake | Open all year | Open all year outside the closed areas below, with no ice fishing, a bait ban and single barbless hooks. Rainbow trout 1 a day, none under 50 cm, 5 a year; char (lake trout and bull trout) 1 a day, none under 60 cm, 5 a year; kokanee 5, none from streams. Lake trout must be released 15 October to 31 January. | Government of British Columbia, 2025-2027 Freshwater Fishing Regulations Synopsis, Region 3, read 2026-09-27 |
| West end, Seymour Arm north of Albas and the Sicamous end | Closed 2026-03-15 to 2026-05-14 (part of the water) | No fishing 15 March to 14 May west of the Henstridge Road and Wharf Road signs to Little Shuswap Lake (where rainbow trout and char are also catch and release the rest of the year), north of Albas, and east of Murdock and Semaphore points to the Highway 1 bridge. | Government of British Columbia, 2025-2027 Freshwater Fishing Regulations Synopsis, Region 3, read 2026-09-27 |
| Salmon Arm Bay | Closed 2026-09-01 to 2026-12-31 (part of the water) | No fishing 1 September to 31 December in Salmon Arm Bay, west of a line from Engineer’s Point to Sunnybrae Point, to protect chinook and coho; anglers on the Salmon Arm community pier are exempt. | Government of British Columbia, 2025-2027 Freshwater Fishing Regulations Synopsis, Region 3, read 2026-09-27 |
| Lingcod and rockfish, inside waters | Open 2026-05-01 to 2026-09-30 | Inside waters (Areas 13 to 19 and the inside subareas of 12, 20 and 29) are open to rockfish and lingcod 1 May to 30 September; lingcod 1 a day, 65 cm minimum, 10 a year. Rockfish Conservation Areas are closed to all finfishing. | Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Fishery Notice FN0199, read 2026-09-27 |
| Lingcod and rockfish, outside waters | Open 2026-04-01 to 2026-11-15 | Outside waters are open to rockfish and lingcod 1 April to 15 November; lingcod 3 a day, 65 cm minimum. Rockfish Conservation Areas, and the permanent finfish closure in the Broken Group, are closed to all finfishing. | Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Fishery Notice FN0199, read 2026-09-27 |
Think of BC in three parts. The coast, from the sheltered Strait of Georgia to the open Pacific outside Vancouver Island, is salmon country, fished by trolling, with the runs peaking from early summer to fall. The Fraser Valley and the northern rivers, the Vedder, the Harrison, the Skeena and the Bulkley, are fished from the bank and the drift boat for salmon in the fall and steelhead in winter and spring. The interior, around Kamloops and in the Kootenays, is lake country, with ice fishing where winter allows.
Fresh water is licensed by the province, with conservation surcharge stamps for the fish that need extra protection: a steelhead stamp to fish for steelhead anywhere in BC, even to release them, and stamps to keep a salmon or the big rainbows of Kootenay and Shuswap lakes. White sturgeon above the CPR bridge at Mission need their own conservation licence, and the fifty-two classified trout streams need a classified waters licence while classified. All wild steelhead must be released. Salt water is licensed by Fisheries and Oceans Canada, and salmon openings, limits and closures change by DFO fishery notice during the season, on DFO’s Fishery Notice System.
On the rivers, the gauge is the first thing to read: a rise after rain moves fish and a drop and clear brings the best fishing. On the coast, the tide and the wind decide the day, and the tide panel is a modelled curve that says so; the Canadian Hydrographic Service publishes the official predictions. On the lakes, the water temperature estimate places the fish above or below the thermocline, or under the ice.
If you fish both fresh and salt water, yes: a BC freshwater licence and a DFO tidal waters licence, with extra surcharges or stamps for salmon and steelhead. See our British Columbia licence page.
On the coast from early summer to fall, and in the rivers in the fall; what may be kept changes by DFO fishery notice and the synopsis, so read the current notice for the area on DFO’s Fishery Notice System before keeping a fish.
The south and west coast of Vancouver Island, Vancouver, the Sunshine Coast and Prince Rupert; the Fraser, Vedder, Harrison, Stave, Capilano, Squamish and Cowichan; the Skeena, Bulkley and Kitimat; the Elk; and Kootenay, Okanagan and the Kamloops lakes.
The facts on this page were checked against these pages, from the agencies, park services and operators that manage the water on September 27, 2026; anything we could not verify was taken out.