Fishing Reports for July 7, 2021

By on July 7, 2021

Washington

Marine Area 1 (Ilwaco)

Ocean salmon fishing opened on June 19th. Some boats found limits early on chinook up to about 17lbs. Not many coho yet – but if you find the chinook, the bite seems consistent.
The recreational coho catch quota this year is 70,000, up from 26,500 in 2020. This year’s chinook quota of 27,250 fish is a slight increase over the 2020 quota of 26,360. In Marine Areas 1 and 2, coho retention begins June 27. Anglers should check the area-specific rules for daily bag limits.
For more info, see this article: http://salmonuniversity.com/archives/8251

Marine Area 2 (Westport)

Ocean salmon fishing opened June 19th. Chinook averaging up to about 18lbs. have been caught, with the largest chinook so far being about 27lbs. The charter boats are doing well.
The recreational coho catch quota this year is 70,000, up from 26,500 in 2020. This year’s chinook quota of 27,250 fish is a slight increase over the 2020 quota of 26,360. In Marine Areas 1 and 2, coho retention begins June 27. Anglers should check the area-specific rules for daily bag limits.
For more info, see this article: http://salmonuniversity.com/archives/8251

Ocean salmon fishing opened June 19th.
The Quileute Nation has announced that La Push will open to the public on July 12th. For more information, please check the Quileute Nation website here: https://quileutenation.org/
In the meantime, any sportfishers fishing in Area 3 are running there from Area 2 or Area 5. Stay tuned for a report from Area 3 next week.
The recreational coho catch quota this year is 70,000, up from 26,500 in 2020. This year’s chinook quota of 27,250 fish is a slight increase over the 2020 quota of 26,360. In Marine Areas 3 and 4, coho retention begins July 4. Anglers should check the area-specific rules for daily bag limits.
For more info, see this article: http://salmonuniversity.com/archives/8251

Marine Area 4 (Neah Bay)

Ocean salmon fishing opened June 19th. Sportfishers have been doing ok off Neah Bay for chinook and halibut. The chinook are still averaging in the teens, and the coho so far are small.
The Makah Nation, including Neah Bay continues to be closed to the public due to COVID-19 – so any sportfishers fishing in Area 4 are running there from Area 2 or Area 5. As of June 16, 2021, the Makah Tribal Council’s decision is that the Makah Nation will be closed to the public until at least October 1, 2021. For more information, please see the Makah Nation website here: https://makah.com/
The recreational coho catch quota this year is 70,000, up from 26,500 in 2020. This year’s chinook quota of 27,250 fish is a slight increase over the 2020 quota of 26,360. In Marine Areas 3 and 4, coho retention begins July 4. Anglers should check the area-specific rules for daily bag limits.
For more info, see this article: http://salmonuniversity.com/archives/8251

Marine Area 5 (Sekiu)

Salmon fishing opened here on July 1st. The fishing has been steady and Sekiu has been crowded, as the Makah Nation and Neah Bay is still closed to visitors, so most of those folks are now launching out of Sekiu.

Marine Area 6 (East Juan de Fuca Strait)

Salmon fishing opened here on July 1st. The fishing has been good for chinook out of Port Angeles, but please remember that the chinook retention zone is “East of a true north/south line through the #2 Buoy immediately east of Ediz Hook”.

Marine Area 7 (San Juan Islands)

Salmon fishing opened here on July 1st, and closed today – July 7th. The fishing was good, with lots of small herring around and chinook in the teens caught… enough chinook caught to meet the WDFW quota. Area 7 may reopen later in the summer for coho retention.
Please see the article here for more details: http://salmonuniversity.com/archives/8279

Marine Area 8.1 (Deception Pass, Hope Island, Skagit Bay)

no report this week

Marine Area 8.2 (Ports Susan and Gardner)

Salmon fishing has continued to be steady in the Bubble fishery, with chinook in the teens being caught on a regular basis – averaging about one fish per two sportfishers.

Marine Area 9 (Admiralty Inlet)

Salmon fishing opens here on July 16th. Stay tuned for a report once it opens.

Marine Area 10 (Seattle / Bremerton)

Chinook fishing has been spotty so far, with lots of shakers and small fish. There are some coho around as well, but they are very small, in the sub-4lb. range.

Marine Area 11 (Tacoma / Vashon Island)

Marine Area 11 opened for salmon fishing on June 16th. The usual spots have been producing chinook in the teens, early morning bites and on the tide changes.
Rules: Daily limit 2. Chinook min. size 22″. All other salmon species, no min. size. Up to 1 Chinook may be retained. Release chum and wild Chinook.
For more information, see this article: http://salmonuniversity.com/archives/8240

Marine Area 12 (Hood Canal)

no report this week

Marine Area 13 (South Puget Sound)

no report this week

Freshwater – Grays Harbor Rivers

no report this week

British Columbia

Fisheries and Oceans Canada is no longer providing printed BC Sport Fishing Guides from previous years or link to access an online PDF version.
Interest in the Guides has diminished and there is an increasing gap between the information in the paper guides and the actual online fishing regulations.
For current fishing regulations in your area, please see the online Sport Fishing Guide at: https://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/rec/index-eng.html

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Please contact your local fisheries office at: https://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/contact/regions/pacific-pacifique-eng.html

Bamfield, Barkley Sound, & Port Alberni

We have said good-bye to June with July now here and lots of salmon fishing in this Pacific Rim area. The Salmon Sockeye Sport fishery in the Alberni Inlet has been fantastic to date. The run size has been upgraded to just over five hundred thousand salmon. This number may go up with the next in-season forecast which will take place at the end of the current week. Limits have been at four salmon per day since June 15th. Escapement to date to The Stamp River is approximately forty-three thousand pieces and to the Sproat thirty-five thousand sockeye salmon. Most of the fishing has taken place from Lone Tree Point to Hocking Point. Coming out of the China Creek Marina or Clutesi Haven anglers are only minutes away from the fishing. With the very warm temperatures the Pacific North West has been experiencing the salmon have gone from swimming in thirty to forty feet of water to sixty-five to eighty feet. With the extreme heat the salmon are schooling which provides for some lucrative sport fishing opportunities.

The salmon are hitting small mp-hootchies in pink and black or pink and blue colors. The straight up tandem or single black or red hooks are working for some anglers but hootchies and even a few small two and a half inch spoons seem to be working the best. We are hoping the Sockeye fishing will continue through July.

Barkley Sound salmon fishing continues to be hot. There are a large number of feeder Chinook from the seven to twelve-pound range all over Barkley Sound. Good numbers of migrating salmon in the fifteen to twenty-pound range seem to be in the same areas as the feeders. This is due to the terrific quantities of bait fish that the salmon are gorging themselves on. Anglers seem to be having their best success using three-inch skinny G spoons in a variety of colors and also various hootchies. Octopus and needle fish hootchies in greens and blue and also white in the AORL12 are working very well. Some anglers are using anchovy in teaser head colors in army truck glow, cop car, herring aid, and green haze. Some of the best fishing has been close to the Bamfield Harbor mouth, Edward King, Cree-Austin Islands, Pill Point and Swale Rock. The fish are in deeper water ranging from eighty to one hundred and twenty-five feet.

July should be a productive month for sport fishing in this area. Retention of Chinook salmon from one nautical mile off the surf line to inshore is two per day per person with a possession limit of four. Coho are also two per day. We are Looking for the returning West Coast Vancouver Island Chinook salmon to appear in Barkley Sound areas during the last week and a half of July.  Seventeen Percent of these returning salmon are predicted to be in the five-year-old range. This means there will be some fish in the thirty pound or higher range.

Tight lines

Report & pics submitted by Doug Lindores, Slivers Charters Salmon Sport Fishing (888) 214-7206 dlindy@shaw.ca; www.catchsalmon-ca.com

The cover image of this week’s report was also contributed by Doug Lindores – Barkley sound salmon…

Ucluelet

Salmon: Chinook Fishing has continued to be good during June with the exception of a few days around some stormy weather. Chinook fishing has continued to be good close to the harbour and lately in mostly protected water. Some of the spots are shallow water which makes the fight even better as Chinook are a deep water fish, generally wanting to dive deeper when hooked. It seems that it isn’t necessarily more baitfish hanging around the shore but rather higher numbers of salmon along the coast since we have seen consistent fishing during April and May as well. We are now going into what we consider our prime season though the fishing has been so consistent it is possible that there will be a large jump up in numbers of Chinook caught.

Halibut: The halibut fishing has been very good in quite a few places. Recently it started to get good closer in again. Whether we have had to drive 17 miles out or fish 10 miles out, the fishing has been quite consistent. It looks like we should have great fishing going in to July and it may just be the best we have seen in a while.

If you are looking to book a fishing trip make sure you do so right away as there is not a lot of space or accommodation availability. We do have our packages which include accommodation. You can check out Ucluelet-Info.com or get one of our fishing packages available at https://www.salmoneye.net/site/fishing-packages.html. We have very little ocean view accommodation but still have some cabins available.

For more info on Vancouver Island also check out https://www.discovervancouverisland.com/.

Report & pics submitted by Sam Vandervalk, Salmon Eye Fishing Charters, Uculet, BC; www.salmoneye.net

Becher Bay

Cheanuh marina reported that coho fishing has been EXCELLENT between off Beechey Head and the Trap Shack. The coho are still small, mostly, between 30-50 cm in length. Pink salmon are also being caught by those fishing for coho. Most anglers fishing coho and pinks are using spoons as lures. Anglers fishing for chinooks were having FAIR success catching hatchery marked springs up to 15 lbs within the Becher Bay retention area north of Fraser Island. Depths of 50-70 feet have been the best for catching springs. Halibut fishing was SLOWER this past weekend. Lingcod anglers were catching fish when jigging near Aldridge Point. Crabbing has been FAIR inside the bay.The fishery notice for the retention only area states, “that portion of Subarea 20-5 northerly of a line drawn from 48°19.554’N, 123°37.768’W to 48°19.589’N, 123°36.533’W, then following the shoreline of Frazer Island east to the RCA boundary at 48°19.700’N, 123°36.267’W, then to 48°19.633’N, 123°35.681’W; and effective immediately to 23:59 hours July 31, 2021, one (1) Chinook per day hatchery-marked only.” Anglers were having some success with hatchery marked springs up to 18 lbs being caught on the weekend. The DFO is closely monitoring the area with plane and drone surveillance

Submitted by Tom Vaida, Island Outfitters, 3319 Douglas Street, Victoria, BC (250) 475-4969 info@fishingvictoria.com; www.fishingvictoria.com.

Oak Bay

Anglers are having MEDIOCRE success catch and release fishing for chinooks on the Flats. Most of the springs have been from 8-15 pounds and about 80% of the salmon are hatchery marked. This is usually one of the best times for salmon fishing in Oak Bay. Spoons and squirts have been the best lures for the springs. Halibut, Lingcod and Rockfish fishing was SLOW near Oak Bay. Crabbing has been FAIR in the Oak Bay and Cadboro Bay area.

Submitted by Tom Vaida, Island Outfitters, 3319 Douglas Street, Victoria, BC (250) 475-4969 info@fishingvictoria.com; www.fishingvictoria.com.

Pedder Bay

Halibut fishing was GOOD this past week on Friday and Saturday but slower on the other days.. The most productive halibut areas were straight out from William Head, West Constance Bank and the East Race. Most of the halibut were small, from 15-30 lbs in size. There were lots of spring salmon in the bay and catch and release fishing was GOOD for fish into the mid-20s. Coho fishing has been GOOD, but the coho are small, mostly between 30-50 cm in length. One 6 + lb coho was seen at the cleaning table. Some similar size pink salmon are also being caught. Crabbing has been SLOW. Some coho were caught nearby.

Submitted by Tom Vaida, Island Outfitters, 3319 Douglas Street, Victoria, BC (250) 475-4969 info@fishingvictoria.com; www.fishingvictoria.com.

Sidney

Bottom fishing was SLOW this past week. We also heard that it was SLOW catch and release fishing for chinooks near Coal Island, Sidney Spit, Hambley Point and the Powder Wharf, Jigging has been the most successful method for salmon fishing recently. Crabbing and prawning has been HIT & MISS.

Submitted by Tom Vaida, Island Outfitters, 3319 Douglas Street, Victoria, BC (250) 475-4969 info@fishingvictoria.com; www.fishingvictoria.com.

Sooke

Coho fishing has been GOOD, but the coho are small, mostly between 30-50 cm in length. Some similar size pink salmon are also being caught. The best fishing has been between Secretary Island and the Bluffs in depths up to 400 feet. Some boats have reported catching over 20 coho during trips. About a third of the coho are fin clipped. Most angler fishing for coho have been using spoons. Halibut fishing was FAIR, with the best action coming from west of Sooke. The Bluffs, Muir Creek and Jordan River produced a few fish recently. Crabbing has been FAIR in the basin.

Submitted by Tom Vaida, Island Outfitters, 3319 Douglas Street, Victoria, BC (250) 475-4969 info@fishingvictoria.com; www.fishingvictoria.com.

Vancouver

no report this week

Victoria

Halibut fishing was FAIR off the waterfront. Friday produced the most fish as the tides were the best. It did slow down on the weekend. The best areas to fish were Constance Bank, the Mud Hole, and Trial Island. Most anglers are fishing in over 300 feet of water for the big flatfish. Catch and release salmon fishing was SLOW along the waterfront but better at Constance Bank, Crabbing is FAIR prawning was SLOW.

Submitted by Tom Vaida, Island Outfitters, 3319 Douglas Street, Victoria, BC (250) 475-4969 info@fishingvictoria.com; www.fishingvictoria.com.

Lakes and Rivers

Cowichan River

It is SLOW for fly fishing at the top end. The water temperature in the river is rising and the “float tube hatch” is strong on warm days. The water level is now at close to the summer lows.  Insect activity is good, and dry fly fishing has been good in the early morning and evening. Tried and true fly choices at the top end include Prince nymphs, stonefly nymphs, pheasant tail nymphs, rolled muddlers, wooly buggers, and egg patterns. Elk Hair Caddis and Goddard Caddis flies work well as dry flies.

Trout

Trout fishing has been SLOWER at local lakes. The water temperatures is increasing and the trout have started going deeper in many of the local lakes. Shore anglers are catching trout on Powerbait, Gulp Eggs, and worms fished just off the bottom. White, Pink, Chartreuse and Fluorescent Yellow have been good choices recently for Powerbait. Fly anglers are mostly fishing Wooly Buggers, Leeches and Chironomid patterns. Chironomid hatches have been happening at most lakes. Trollers are catching the most trout with worms fished on Gibbs Wedding

Here is the Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC spring stocking report for the Greater Victoria area. On June 3rd, Lookout Lake received 250 trout averaging 235.38g in size. On May 20th, Elk Lake received 500 trout averaging 207.4g in size. On May 17th, Lookout Lake received 250 trout averaging 205.5g in size. On May 5th, Langford Lake received 1,200 trout and Lookout Lake 250 trout averaging 235.98g in size. On April 30th, Elk Lake received 1,507 trout averaging 219.11g in size. On April 22nd, Lanford Lake received 1,500 trout, Durrance Lake 1,000 trout and Glen Lake 500 trout averaging 202.01g in size. On April 21st, Elk Lake received 1,993 trout averaging 227.43g in size. On April 20th, both Prospect and Elk lakes received 1,500 trout, Ida Anne Lake 150 trout and Colwood and Poirier Lakes 150 trout averaging 220.64 g in size. On April 14th, Spectacle Lake received 1,000 trout averaging 209.07g in size. On April 13th, Lookout Lake received 250 trout averaging 218.67 g in size. On April 9th, Prospect Lake received 1,800 trout, Durrance Lake 1,000 trout and Thetis Lake 500 trout averaging 218.67 g in size. On April 7th, Elk Lake received 2,000 trout, Langford Lake 1,500 trout and Colwood Lake 200 trout with a 194.93 g average size. On March 10th, Dougan Lake received 1,000 trout and Shawnigan Lake 600 trout averaging 232.77g in size. On March 1st, Thetis Lake received 1,000 trout and Glen Lake 500 trout averaging 259.23g in size. On March 3rd, Lookout Lake received 250 trout averaging 228.72 g in size. There were no trout releases this past week in the South Island.

To find out about fish stockings all over the Island and the province, as well as the different strains being released, click on the link http://www.gofishbc.com/Stocked-Fish.aspx

Bass

Bass fishing continues to be EXCELLENT. Big Largemouth and Smallmouth bass have been quite active and four pound plus fish are being caught regularly. Hot lakes continue to be Shawnigan, Quennell, Langford and Prospect Lakes. Topwater fishing is picking up and anglers are having good luck with wake baits, frogs and poppers, Subsurface soft plastics continue to trigger the most bites, with wacky and Texas rig worms at the top of the list. Try fishing close to the docks and near shallow structure. Deep water has been good during the day and jigs and drop shot fishing has been effective.

Submitted by Tom Vaida, Island Outfitters, 3319 Douglas Street, Victoria, BC (250) 475-4969 info@fishingvictoria.com; www.fishingvictoria.com.

Oregon

Tillamook Bay

no report this week

Willamette River

no report this week

Great Lakes

no report this week

Salmon University Staff
Salmon University is the top online resource for fishing in the Pacific Northwest. Follow us on Twitter @salmonuniv for the latest news and other updates.

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