Coho salmon
Excellent
The river run. Float gear with roe or a jig, or cast spinners and spoons in the slower tailouts after a rise in water.
Nanaimo Fishing Report
Updated Fri, Sep 25, 2026 from live weather and water data
Nanaimo on the Strait of Georgia: winter and summer chinook, coho, and the Nanaimo River for steelhead and salmon.
3/5
Fair. Fish the windows.A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.
Next tide
Low 6:09 p.m. model
Air / High
10 °C / 15 °C
Wind
NW 17 km/h
Sources: modelled tide curve, Open-Meteo, solunar calculated for these coordinates.
Today's Fishing Report
Nanaimo has cool water and fish holding a little deeper and slower. Today brings cloud cover, wind NW around 18 km/h, rising pressure near 1005 hPa and a high of 15 °C. Tides: high 12:04 p.m., low 5:48 a.m. and 6:09 p.m.: the moving water either side of each change is when this place feeds. Water sits around 13 °C for the season (estimated). With the full moon, the solunar majors run 10:25 AM-12:25 PM and 10:25 PM-12:25 AM: the windows to build the day around.
Chinook (spring) salmon
Good
Fish are staging or moving to the rivers. On the coast, the deeper banks and the winter feeders; in Great Lakes rivers, drifted roe and spinners in the deeper runs.
Tie on: Float and roe · Swung fly through the tailout · Jerkbait, long pauses · Hair jig on the rock. Prime windows: 10:25 AM-12:25 PM, 10:25 PM-12:25 AM, 4:55 AM-5:55 AM. Similar at 16 °C. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.
Before you go
British Columbia requires a fishing licence for most fishing, from C$11.43. British Columbia fishing licence: cost, rules and where to buy →
Chasing chinook (spring) salmon here? Check the size and bag limits with BC Freshwater Fishing before you keep anything; the Chinook (spring) salmon page has the seasons and the tactics.
Fishing times for Nanaimo today
Hour-by-hour bite forecast for today from sunrise (07:07), sunset (19:06), the moon and today's score, with the modelled tide changes in the panel below. Tap a bar to see why.
Bite planner
Solunar majors 10:25 AM-12:25 PM and 10:25 PM-12:25 AM; minor 4:55 AM-5:55 AM. Full Moon, 99% lit.
Water and weather
A modelled tide curve for these coordinates and the forecast for the day.
Tides (modelled)
Modelled sea level curve from Open-Meteo Marine for these coordinates, datum mean sea level. Fish the moving water either side of each change.
A model, not the official prediction: times can drift by tens of minutes inside bays and estuaries. Check the Canadian Hydrographic Service predictions at tides.gc.ca for the exact times before you rely on them.
Fri
LOW5:48 a.m.-1.07 m
HIGH12:04 p.m.1.50 m
LOW6:09 p.m.-0.88 m
Sat
HIGH12:10 a.m.1.40 m
LOW6:19 a.m.-1.14 m
HIGH12:32 p.m.1.50 m
LOW6:48 p.m.-1.25 m
Right now
Latest readings
Air temp10 °C
High / Low15 °C / 10 °C
WindNW 17 km/h, gusts 36 km/h
Pressure100.54 kPa, rising
Sky / Rain100% cloud, 70%
Sunrise / Sunset07:07 / 19:06
MoonFull Moon, 99%
Water temp (seasonal)~13 °C est.
7-day fishing forecast: which day to fish Nanaimo
The best day on Nanaimo this week looks like Sunday Sep 27, at 4 out of 5, against 3 today. Every day is scored by the same engine as the report above: pressure trend first, then wind, sky and season. Pick a species and the plan for that day changes with it.
Best day this week: Sunday, Sep 27 — good at 4/5, falling pressure, usually the best window of a week.
Today, Sep 25 — Fair
A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.
- Solunar majors
- 10:25 AM-12:25 PM and 10:25 PM-12:25 AM
- Minor period
- 4:55 AM-5:55 AM
- Sun
- 07:07 to 19:06
- Moon
- Full Moon, 99% lit
- Sky and wind
- Rain, 24 km/h
- Rain chance
- 70%
Scores are a planning aid built from forecast data, not a promise.
Species guide
The species that matter on Nanaimo: seasons written for the Canadian year, and how to fish each one. Today's ratings live in the report above.
Chinook (spring) salmon
BC coast: spring to late summer; Great Lakes tributaries: September and October
The biggest Pacific salmon, called spring or king on the BC coast. Feeds along the kelp lines, points and tide rips of the BC coast before running rivers in late summer; introduced to the Great Lakes, where it runs the tributaries in fall. Retention on the BC coast changes by area and by DFO fishery notice. Fish are staging or moving to the rivers. On the coast, the deeper banks and the winter feeders; in Great Lakes rivers, drifted roe and spinners in the deeper runs.
Coho salmon
BC coast: July to September; rivers: October and November
Silver, aggressive and surface-oriented. Feeds hard along the BC coast through summer and runs the Fraser Valley and Island rivers in fall, the Vedder and the Stamp among them. Hatchery coho are marked by a clipped adipose fin; what may be kept depends on the water and the DFO notice. The river run. Float gear with roe or a jig, or cast spinners and spoons in the slower tailouts after a rise in water.
Pacific halibut
Spring and summer on the BC coast, under DFO limits
The big flatfish of the outer coast: Bamfield, Ucluelet, Tofino, Nootka and the north coast. Annual and daily limits and size rules are set by DFO and change during the season. Fewer fish; the offshore banks on the calm days.
Lingcod
Spring to fall, with a winter closure in many areas
The toothy reef fish of the BC coast, on rock piles and pinnacles. Limits and closures vary by DFO management area. Fish move shallower; jig the rocky points.
Pink salmon
Late summer, mainly in odd-numbered years in the south
The smallest and most numerous Pacific salmon. In the south of BC the big runs come in odd-numbered years; the fish crowd the estuaries and the lower rivers in August and September. The run is over.
When to come: the Nanaimo calendar
Activity by species and month for the Canadian year, and how the water warms and cools. Tap any cell.
Species activity by month
1 = slow, 5 = peak. Current month highlighted. January is midsummer here.
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Chinook (spring) salmon
Coho salmon
Pacific halibut
Lingcod
Pink salmon
SlowPeak
Water temperature through the year
Typical surface temperature for this water type in degrees Celsius; today is around 13 °C (estimated, not a reading).
Angler reports
Real reports from real anglers, reviewed before publishing. Nothing here is copied from a shop or a charter. The water log below tracks each day automatically.
No angler reports yetBe the first: your report helps every angler who checks Nanaimo today.
Water log, last days
Auto-logged from live dataThu, Sep 24
3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Coho salmon led the card at excellent. High of 15 °C, wind to 14 km/h.
Wed, Sep 23
3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Coho salmon led the card at excellent. High of 17 °C, wind to 16 km/h.
Tue, Sep 22
3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Coho salmon led the card at excellent. High of 22 °C, wind to 16 km/h.
Before you go
Licence
BC freshwater fishing licence, from C$11.43 for a resident adult, with higher prices for other Canadians and visitors. Details and where to buy →
Regulations
Size and bag limits, closed seasons and protected areas are set by BC Freshwater Fishing and, in salt water and for salmon, by Fisheries and Oceans Canada, and change: confirm the current rules on the agency page linked from the British Columbia licence page before you keep anything.
Access
Salt water needs the DFO tidal licence and salmon stamp; the Nanaimo River needs a BC freshwater licence and, for steelhead, the surcharge.
About this water
Nanaimo is a coastal town in British Columbia, Canada, covered from the British Columbia reports and listed in all Canada waters.
Fishing Nanaimo: the full guide
Fishing Nanaimo
Nanaimo is the harbour city on the east coast of Vancouver Island, facing the Strait of Georgia and Gabriola Island, with the ferries from the mainland arriving at Departure Bay and Duke Point. Its fishing is salmon in the strait, bottom fish on the reefs and the Nanaimo River south of the city. The report on this page is scored for the city, with a modelled tide curve.
Species and seasons
Chinook are fished off Nanaimo in winter and summer, and coho in late summer; the strait’s salmon rules are among the most restrictive on the coast and change by DFO notice. Lingcod and rockfish live on the reefs, with rockfish conservation areas closed to bottom fishing. The Nanaimo River has winter steelhead and fall salmon.
Where to fish it
Boats fish the waters off Gabriola and the channels between the Gulf Islands, and the reefs and drop-offs close to town. The Nanaimo River is fished from the bank in its lower reaches under the freshwater rules.
Planning a visit
Nanaimo has marinas, launches and tackle shops, and the ferries make it an easy trip from Vancouver. The strait is sheltered compared with the outer coast but rough in a southeaster. The Gabriola ferry leaves from the downtown harbour, and the Nanaimo River estuary south of the city is a good place to read the tide before choosing where to fish.
The water through the year
Winter chinook, summer salmon and fall river runs make three seasons; the river rises and colours with the winter rain. Herring spawn along this part of the strait in late winter, and the birds, sea lions and fish that follow them make early spring a lively time on the water.
Reading this report here
The tide panel is modelled and labelled as such; the Canadian Hydrographic Service publishes the official tables. Pressure and wind build the score.
Licence, access and rules
Salt water needs the DFO tidal licence and salmon stamp; the Nanaimo River needs a BC freshwater licence and, for steelhead, the surcharge. Area limits and rockfish conservation areas are on the DFO pages linked below.
Common questions
What can I catch in Nanaimo?
Chinook and coho in the strait, lingcod and rockfish on the reefs, and steelhead and salmon in the Nanaimo River.
Are there rockfish closures near Nanaimo?
Yes, rockfish conservation areas close some reefs to bottom fishing; DFO publishes the maps.
Do I need two licences?
For salt water and the river, yes: DFO tidal and BC freshwater.
Is fishing good at Nanaimo right now?
Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.
Nearby waters
Where this page's numbers come from
- Tide curve (modelled)
- Open-Meteo Marine, sea level height including tides
- Open-Meteo forecast model
- https://open-meteo.com/
- Moon and solunar windows
- Calculated on this site
- The written guide on this page
Pablo Ruiz Quintero
Readings refresh on a 30-minute window. The full method, with every figure and its source, is on How our reports are made. Something wrong here? Tell us and it goes in the log with the date.