Vancouver Saltwater Coho Salmon Fishing Report
Time to break out the flashy gear—hatchery coho is open!
We’re one week into hatchery coho season, and early signs are pointing toward a promising fishery. The first few days haven’t been on fire, but our guide boats have already bumped into a handful of fish during charters. That’s typical for early June—coho fishing tends to be “snappy.” You might troll around for an hour or two without a sniff, and then all of a sudden, rods are popping off every time the gear hits the zone. Just as quickly as it fires up, it can shut right down again.
During these snap bites, your sounder is your best friend. Was there a bait ball under the boat? Sometimes those flurries of action are from a traveling pod you’ve intercepted, and sometimes it’s a school actively feeding on bait. If you spot bait and get some bites, try to stay on top of them. Drop a waypoint, keep track of the tide direction, and make an educated guess about where that bait—and those coho—might move next.
A nice early season hatchery coho.
If you’re new to trolling for coho, there are a few techniques that will up your odds. Speed is key when chasing coho. Adjust your speed to match the tide, but generally, 2.8–3.5 mph is a solid range. Coho often feed high in the water column early in the season, and our guides have had recent success between 40 and 60 feet. Because you’re trolling shallower, you can push the speed a bit more without compromising your downrigger angles—you don’t have to worry too much about a perfect 45-degree angle.
Coho love flash—especially when they’re near the surface. Use flashers with reflective tape and UV materials. For spoons, nickel-plated models are go-tos for our guides because they catch and reflect light effectively. The Goldstar Coho Killers, Kingfishers, and Gibbs Wee Gees are all proven producers.
Some top picks for June coho!
Hoochies are a coho staple. A 28-inch leader is standard, and UV colours like white, pink, and green are top picks. If you want to dial it in further, rig a small clevis and blade in front of your hoochie to add extra flash and vibration—perfect for grabbing more attention.
As more fish show up, you’ll encounter both wild and hatchery coho. Only hatchery fish, missing the adipose fin, can be retained, so careful handling of wild fish is a must. If you can identify the adipose fin before netting, even better—you can skip the net and gaff-release wild fish safely at the side of the boat.
Have questions or need gear recommendations? Drop by the shop or give us a call—we’re always happy to talk tackle and tactics.
Tight lines,
Jake