Vancouver Saltwater Salmon Fishing Report
The second half of July has been treating the Pacific Angler guide boats exceptionally well. With just over a week of chinook retention open in the Gulf Islands (Area 17), it’s safe to say the fishery has lived up to the anticipation.
Doubled Up
When the weather has allowed us to make the run, the Gulf Islands have been producing outstanding fishing. Chinook action has been consistently excellent, with plenty of quality fish coming to the net and a healthy mix of coho keeping rods busy throughout the day. Add in the reliable bottom fishing, and it’s been hard to ask for much more from a summer charter.
If you haven’t made it over to the Gulf Islands yet this season, now is a fantastic time.
Results of a productive day on the water.
For anglers staying closer to Vancouver, there’s been no shortage of opportunity. South Bowen and the Sunshine Coast continue to see good numbers of coho, providing lots of action, while Gower Point has been producing keeper-sized chinook alongside the usual mix of undersized fish.
Some days require covering a bit more water to locate legal fish, but when you find them, the bite can come together in a hurry.
Inside Vancouver Harbour, the coho fishery is beginning to build momentum. Success has been a little more tide-dependent than in other areas, but anglers fishing the right windows have found aggressive schools and managed to put a few hatchery coho in the box. With August approaching, we expect this local fishery to continue improving week by week.
Nothing beats a day on the water!
Looking ahead, there’s a lot to be excited about. Stable summer weather, excellent chinook fishing in the Gulf Islands, growing local coho numbers, and productive bottom fishing make this one of the best times of the season to get on the water.
If you’ve been thinking about booking a charter, now is an excellent time to make it happen. Give us a call at 778-788-8582 to check availability or ask any questions.
Finally, thanks to everyone who checked out our latest coho videos. If you haven’t watched them yet, be sure to give it a look and keep an eye on our YouTube channel next week when we release the next episode in the series, where we’ll dive into our favourite tactics for targeting chinook salmon.