Vancouver Saltwater Salmon Fishing Report
The coho fishing continues to be great and now we have some chinook opportunity as well. The announcements dropped yesterday, and it is the same as the last 3 years. There are chinook opportunities NW of Gower Point in 29-1 and 29-2 and also over in area 17 from Thrasher Rock Marker N up along Gabriola and Entrance. One chinook a day, hatchery or wild. Min size is 62cm and max size is 80cm. Coho are two hatchery a day.
I was over at Gabriola on Thursday, doing some scouting, and there is lots of bait and good numbers of chinook.
A typical Area 17 chinook that falls into the slot limit of 62-80
Here are the actual Fisheries Notices that outline the chinook opportunities:
Area 17 & 29 Chinook non-retention areas:
Effective 00:01 hours August 1 until 23:59 hours October 15, 2023 – Subareas 17-5 to 17-7, 17-9, 17-13 to 17-17, 17-19 and 17-20; and that portion of Subarea 17-4 except for those waters southeasterly of a line from Shingle Point to Pilkey Point; and that portion of Subarea 17-12 inside a line from Tinson Point to Snake Island Light (RCA boundary) to the southern Five Finger Island group, then to the RCA boundary starting at Horswell Channel Buoy (49°12.93’N and 123°56.03’W), thence true west to a point on shore north of Horswell Bluff located at 49°12.93N and 123°56.47’W; and in Subareas 17-18 to 17-20 and a portion of 17-12, those waters inside a line from Icarus Point on Vancouver Island true north 2 nautical miles, thence northwesterly to the Navy buoy in Ballenas Channel, thence to Nankivell Point at the entrance to Schooner Cove on Vancouver Island.
Area 17 & 29 Chinook retention opportunities (excluding those portions listed above as closed or non-retention):
00:01 hours July 15 to 23:59 hours August 31: One (1) Chinook per day with a maximum size limit of 80 cm on marked and unmarked Chinook.
00:01 hours September 1 to 23:59 hours December 31: Two (2) Chinook per day, no maximum size limit. The minimum size for Chinook in Area 17 is 62 cm.
Subareas 29-1 and 29-2 Chinook retention opportunities (excluding those portions listed above as closed or non-retention):
00:01 hours July 15 to 23:59 hours August 31: One (1) Chinook per day with a maximum size limit of 80 cm on marked and unmarked Chinook.
00:01 hours September 1 to 23:59 hours December 31: Two (2) Chinook per day, no maximum size limit. The minimum size for Chinook in Area 29 is 62 cm.
Basically, it looks like this:
Fishing has been great in general, so get out there and get your coho and chinook! I will be out on the water quite a bit this week, so see you out there!
Jason Tonelli