Fishing Reports – July 29, 2021

By on July 30, 2021

Washington

Marine Area 1 (Ilwaco)

no report this week

Marine Area 2 (Westport)

Chinook fishing has been steady, with fish averaging up to about 17lbs. and the largest chinook so far being about 23lbs. The charter boats are doing well.

The Quileute Nation (including La Push) reopened to the public on July 12th. The chinook fishing has been steady, with fish up to the high teens, and some pinks (3-5 lbs.) and coho (4-6lbs) in the mix as well.

Marine Area 4 (Neah Bay)

Sportfishers have been doing well off of Neah Bay for chinook. The chinook are still averaging in the teens, with some in the 20’s 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 most sportfishers fishing in Area 4 are running there from Sekiu.
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/

Marine Area 5 (Sekiu)

The WDFW closed chinook retention here on July 19th. The fishing has been steady and Sekiu has been crowded, as the Makah Nation and Neah Bay are still closed to visitors – so most of those folks are now launching out of Sekiu.

Marine Area 6 (East Juan de Fuca Strait)

The fishing has been good for chinook out of Port Angeles, with locals bagging their fish before going to work in the morning – 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)

After just one week of being open, the WDFW closed Area 7 to all salmon fishing on July 7th. The fishing had been good, with lots of small herring around and chinook in the teens caught…
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)

The WDFW closed the Tulalip Bubble fishery on July 16th. Prior to that, chinook in the teens were being caught on a regular basis – averaging about one fish per two sportfishers.

Marine Area 9 (Admiralty Inlet)

The fishing has slowed down a bit this week in Area 9, with more action being on the east side – Possession and the oil docks – than by Point No Point / Foulweather. Chinook are still being taken in the mid-teens, with some shakers and the occasional pink showing up.

Marine Area 10 (Seattle / Bremerton)

Chinook fishing is heating up – with good action at Jeff Head, and fish in the teens. Still lots of shakers and some small coho around, so try switching to large Silver Horde Kingfisher #4 spoons in Cop Car, or Top Cat spoons in green spatterback.

Marine Area 11 (Tacoma / Vashon Island)

Fishing has been slow, but starting to improve. There are lots of folks fishing, and with the tides this week, it seemed like 80 feet down in 120-150 feet of water was the sweet spot. Flashers and spoons like the Silver Horde #2 or #3 Kingfishers, or flashers and hootchies were the ticket.

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

The salmon fishing in this area has continued to be “fantastic”. Many avid anglers have now enjoyed well over five weeks of sport Sockeye Salmon fishing in the Alberni Inlet. The limit per day remains at four with a two-day total retention limit of eight. With very warm temperatures and lack of any precipitation the salmon have moved to deeper water and seem to be anywhere from seventy to one hundred feet down. Hopefully with some extra water flow out of the lakes the Somass River will have some cooler water so that the fish are able to migrate through the fish counters and into either Sproat or Great Central Lake where they will remain until the spawning season begins in the fall. The Sockeye are in relatively big schools in the inlet and they are still hitting the shorter sixteen-to-twenty-inch leaders with either a pink and blue or pink and black mp hootchie or just “black hooks” behind a variety of different colored flashers. The key to the fishing is keeping everything close to the boat and having extra dummy flashers which creates plenty of color attracting the salmon toward one’s lures. We are hoping the sport Sockeye fishing will continue to late July. Chinook and Coho fishing in the Inlet historically gets underway between the tenth and fifteenth of August.

Barkley Sound fishing has been very active for large amounts of feeder Chinook and there have been plenty on Coho in the five-to-seven-pound range in most locations. The larger salmon have been on the surf line and have been in locations such as Sail Rock, Austin-Cree, Beale, Edward King, and Kirby Point. Some larger migratory salmon have also been landed further in as the there have been large quantities of rich resources of bait fish found around Swale Rock, Pill Point and Diplock. Many individuals are using a variety of spoons in the two and a half to four-inch size. Lately some of the bait has been smaller so the smaller spoons have been working in cookies and cream and herring aide in the Coho killer. Bait in a variety of teaser head colors is also something anglers should now have on board their sport boat. West Coast Vancouver Island salmon will start to show relatively soon and anchovy in teaser head colors such as glow army truck, chartreuse, cop car, herring aide, green and purple haze are good color selections. Many anglers prefer hootchies and it does seem that the old standby AORL 12, green spatter back, Army Truck and Purple haze are often the four best.

As of July 15th offshore salmon fishing for Chinook began. The current limit offshore is for two Chinook but until the 1st of August all retained Chinook must be eighty centimetres or less. Many individuals are fishing South Bank and the Big Bank and doing the salmon-halibut combo trips.

Tight lines

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

Ucluelet

Well the Canadian government finally announced that the border will open August 9 for vaccinated Americans. It’s been a long wait.

Big Bank has been producing very consistently as expected this time of year for Chinook, Coho and Halibut. There continue to be a plethora of chicken halibut on the bank and you can even catch them when not near the bottom while trolling for salmon. The Chinook have been at depths from 100 to the bottom. Some days and places on the bank the Coho are aggressively attacking while you are letting down your line so you have to get your rigger into free fall to get past them. The north nipple, Gspot, egg and nose have all been producing fish. Lots of combinations are working. White, blue/green, and brown/white hootchies are working well. Anchoring for halibut has been good as well.

Lighthouse Bank has also been good some days as we expect this time of year for Chinook and Coho. Bites there tend to be a little more hot and cold. In a little over a week we are going to have the larger Chinook close to shore which is what many of us are waiting for. We are going to be getting in the neighborhood of 130K Chinook going past our door.

Tight lines and we hope to see you out there or on one of our boats!

Report & pics submitted by Sam Vandervalk, Salmon Eye Fishing Charters, Uculet, BC; 1-877-777-4344;  www.salmoneye.net

The cover image of this week’s report was also contributed by Sam Vandervalk – “July 24th with Dave”

Becher Bay

Cheanuh marina reported that salmon fishing has been EXCELLENT.  Fishing for pinks has been GOOD between Aldridge Point and the Trap Shack. Anglers fishing for chinooks were having GOOD success catching hatchery marked springs up to 22 lbs within the Becher Bay retention area north of Fraser Island. Depths of 50-70 feet have been the best for catching springs. Anchovies have been the best bait for springs. Coho fishing has slowed down. The coho were mostly between 2-6 lbs in size with a few larger ones being caught. Most anglers fishing coho and pinks are using spoons and hoochies as lures. Halibut and Lingcod fishing was SLOW this past weekend. Lingcod fishing was slow. 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 wee 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 FAIR 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. Spoons and squirts have been the best lures for the springs. Halibut, Lingcod and Rockfish fishing was SLOW near Oak Bay. Crabbing has been SPOTTY 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

Catch and release fishing for spring salmon in the bay has PICKED UP in the bay. Pink salmon fishing has PICKED UP, but Coho fishing has SLOWED DOWN. Whirls Bay to Beechy Head has been the best are for pinks and coho. Both the coho and pinks have been from 3-6 lbs in size. Halibut fishing was SLOW this past week. 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. Crabbing has been FAIR.

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

Sidney

We heard that it was GOOD catch and release fishing for chinooks near Hambley Point and Coal Island. No monsters, but 10-12 lb springs were caught. Coho Killers. Skinny G’s and APT Needlefish spoons produced the best action on springs. Bottom fishing was SLOW this past week. 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

Pink salmon fishing has been GOOD in Sooke.  The fishing was best near Secretary Island and 30-50 feet on the downrigger were the best depths to catch the pinks. Coho fishing has been SLOWER. The coho are small, mostly between 30-60 cm in length. About a quarter of the coho are fin clipped. Most angler fishing for coho have been using spoons. We have heard that some large chinooks have been caught and released this past week. Halibut fishing was SLOW, 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

Catch and release salmon fishing was SLOW along the waterfront. Look for some pink salmon to start being caught near Constance Bank and the Yellow Can. Halibut fishing was SLOW off the waterfront this past 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. Crabbing was FAIR and 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

The water temperature in the river is rising and the “float tube hatch” is strong on warm days. The river is now closed for fishing until September 1st.

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

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. Topwater fishing is good in the early mornings and evenings with anglers 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. Hot lakes continue to be Shawnigan, Quennell, Langford and Prospect Lakes.

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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