Identification and biology
The coho is the silver salmon of the Pacific coast, bright silver at sea with a dark back and small black spots on the back, and white gums at the base of the teeth in the lower jaw. The federal COSEWIC status report describes tail spots that, when present, usually sit on the upper lobe only, adults of 2 to 5 kilograms and 45 to 70 centimetres, and a three-year life in which most coho spend 18 months at sea before returning in the fall to spawn and die. On the way they turn red-sided and hook-jawed. Coho are aggressive and feed near the surface, which makes them a favourite on light gear. Many BC rivers have hatchery coho marked by a clipped adipose fin, and the rules often allow hatchery fish to be kept while wild coho are released. Ontario’s stocking record lists coho released into its waters in 2024.
Where they live through the year
On the BC coast, coho feed along the tide lines and bait schools from midsummer, close to the surface, and are the late-summer fish of Sooke, Ucluelet, Tofino and the Strait of Georgia. In the fall they gather off the river mouths and wait for rain, then run up the rivers, the Vedder, the Capilano and the Squamish among the waters on this site. COSEWIC describes spawning through the fall and early winter, in small tributaries as well as the main rivers.
The mistakes that cost fish
Trolling too slow and too deep: coho respond to fast-moving, bright lures near the surface. Fishing the river on the day of a big rise, when the water is high and dirty, instead of the day or two after, when it drops and clears. Keeping a wild coho where only hatchery fish may be kept: check the adipose fin and the synopsis for the water.
Reading the report for coho
On the river pages, the gauge is the first thing to read: coho move on a rise and bite best as the river drops. On the coastal pages, the wind and the tide decide the day. Grey, drizzly fall days are classic coho weather in the rivers.
Where to fish them in Canada
On this site, coho are on the pages for Sooke, Victoria, Ucluelet, Tofino and the other Vancouver Island coast towns in summer, and on the Vedder, Capilano, Squamish, Harrison and Stave river pages in the fall, each with the live gauge where there is one.
Tackle setups
| Situation | Setup | Why it works |
|---|---|---|
| Surface trolling at sea | 2.7 m rod, 7 kg line, bucktail fly or small hoochie trolled fast in the top five metres | Coho chase fast, bright lures near the surface |
| River spinner | 2.7 m spinning rod, 5 to 6 kg line, size 3 to 5 spinner or small spoon | Casting to fish holding in the slower tailouts |
| Float fishing | 3.3 m float rod, 5 kg line, jig or roe under a float | Drifting a bait at the right depth through the runs |
| Fly | 2.7 m rod for a 7 or 8 weight line, sink-tip, bright streamer | Stripped through the slow water where coho hold |
Playbook by water temperature
The plan the daily report picks for coho salmon in each band; the water temperature on each page is a seasonal estimate for its type of water and says so.
Hot water (over 27 °C)
Coho sit higher than chinook. Troll bucktail flies and small hoochies fast near the surface at dawn, or cast spoons to feeding fish.
Warm water (18 to 27 °C)
The best of the coastal run: surface to twenty metres along rips and bait schools, fast troll, bright colours.
Cool water (10 to 18 °C)
The river run. Float gear with roe or a jig, or cast spinners and spoons in the slower tailouts after a rise in water.
Cold water (under 10 °C)
Late fish in the rivers are dark and done; the coast is quiet until spring.
The legal season is a separate question
Activity says when the fish bite; the agency says when you may keep one. These are the closures that name coho salmon, computed for 2026 from each rule as written and read on the date shown. A province with no row publishes no closure for this species, which is not the same as open all year.
| State | Fishery | 2026 | Rule | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| British Columbia | 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 |
| British Columbia | 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 |
| British Columbia | 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 |
| British Columbia | 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 |
Month by month
Activity for the Canadian year, 1 slow to 5 peak; January is midwinter, with most lakes under ice. Current month highlighted.
Waters we cover for coho salmon
24 Canada waters carry coho salmon on their species card, each with a daily report.
British Columbia
Common questions
When do coho run in BC rivers?
In the fall, after rain raises the rivers, and they spawn through the fall and early winter; the timing differs from river to river.
Can I keep a coho?
It depends on the water and the season: many rivers allow hatchery coho with a clipped adipose fin to be kept and require wild coho to be released; the synopsis and DFO notices set the rules.
What is the best lure for coho?
Bright spinners and spoons in the rivers, and bucktail flies or small hoochies trolled fast near the surface at sea.
Pages checked
- canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/species-risk-public-registry/co
- data.ontario.ca/dataset/fish-stocking
- notices.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fns-sap/index-eng.cfm
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.