Fishing Reports – April 24, 2024
Washington
A reminder for Washington anglers: 2023-2024 licenses expired on March 31, 2024 and anglers will need new licenses for April 1, 2024 through March 31, 2025. You can buy your licenses today by visiting myWDFW.com, going to a license dealer near you, or calling 360-902-2464.
Marine Area 1 (Ilwaco)
No report this week.
Halibut fishing will open here on May 2nd, on a Thursday, Sunday, Tuesday schedule. The halibut quota for MA1 this year is 18,112 lbs.
Salmon fishing will open here seven days a week from June 22nd through September 30th, or until the quota is met.
Marine Area 2 (Westport)
Halibut will open here on May 2nd, on a Thursday, Sunday, Tuesday schedule. The halibut quota for MA2 this year is 67,074 lbs.
Salmon fishing will open here Sundays through Thursdays only, June 30th – July 11th, then open daily beginning July 14th – September 15th, or until the quota is met.
Marine Area 3 (La Push)
We repowered our boat with a new engine this Spring, got it in the water and had been doing some research fishing with WDFW last week, but Saturday was our first real fishing charter of the 2024 season – and the fishing was awesome. Lingcod that we caught on the Rockpile were 5-15 pounds, the ones we kept – a few smalls we tossed back. Black rockfish were kinda hard to find, the first few spots we checked were empty, but once we found a big school it was easy fishing.
We have some open spots for lingcod and rockfish trips the next few weeks, call 360-374-2660 if you’d like to book.
Halibut will open here on May 2nd on a Thursday, Friday, Saturday schedule for the first couple of weeks. The halibut combined quota this year for MA3 and MA4 is 132,366 lbs.
Salmon fishing will open here seven days a week from June 22nd — September 15th, or until the quota is met.
Report submitted by Jim Richeson, Top Notch Ocean Charters, 360-374-2660 topnotchoceancharters@gmail.com www.topnotchoceancharters.com
Marine Area 4 (Neah Bay)
Lingcod and sea bass fishing has been great in Neah Bay, weather permitting. We’ve had reports of boats limiting in the first hour or two of the day. This week’s weather and tides look good, hopefully that translates to productive fishing.
Halibut will open here on May 2nd on a Thursday, Friday, Saturday schedule for the first couple of weeks. The halibut combined quota this year for MA3 and MA4 is 132,366 lbs.
Salmon fishing will open here seven days a week from June 22nd — September 15th, or until the quota is met.
Report submitted by Swain’s General Store, 360-452-2357 info@swainsinc.com www.swainsinc.com
Marine Area 5 (Sekiu and Pillar Point)
Salmon fishing closed here on April 20th due to quota. Prior to the closure, the salmon fishing had been good.
Halibut is scheduled to be open through June 30th, seven days per week, one fish per day, six fish annual bag limit. The halibut combined quota this year for MA5 through MA10 is 81,729 lbs.
Lingcod fishing (hook and line) opens here on May 1st, with a slot limit between 26″ and 36″, daily limit 1 fish.
Rockfish fishing opens May 1st as well, and is limited to black or blue/deacon rockfish, daily limit three fish west of Slip Point and one fish east of Slip Point.
Summer salmon fishing will open here seven days a week from July 1st — August 15th, or until the quota is met.
Report submitted by Swain’s General Store, 360-452-2357 info@swainsinc.com www.swainsinc.com
Marine Area 6 (East Strait of Juan de Fuca)
Folks have been finding halibut, out of both Port Angeles and Sequim. We’ve had reports of two-fish early mornings and back to the dock by 9:30am. The grade of halibut started off small, 15-20lbs. but they seem to be getting a little bigger, and fish up to 55 lbs. have been reported.
Halibut is scheduled to be open through June 30th, seven days per week, one fish per day, six fish annual bag limit. The halibut combined quota this year for MA5 through MA10 is 81,729 lbs.
See our articles about the Port Angeles boat ramp issues here:
Initial March 8th article
Follow-up March 26th article
Lingcod fishing (hook and line) opens here on May 1st, with a slot limit between 26″ and 36″, daily limit 1 fish. Rockfish fishing is closed year-round.
Summer salmon fishing will open here seven days a week from July 1st — August 15th, or until the quota is met.
Report submitted by Swain’s General Store, 360-452-2357 info@swainsinc.com www.swainsinc.com
Marine Area 7 (San Juan Islands)
Halibut opened here on April 4th and will be open through June 30th, seven days per week, one fish per day, six fish annual bag limit. The halibut combined quota this year for MA5 through MA10 is 81,729 lbs.
Lingcod fishing (hook and line) opens here on May 1st, with a slot limit between 26″ and 36″, daily limit 1 fish. Rockfish fishing is closed year-round.
Marine Area 8.1 (Deception Pass, Hope Island, Skagit Bay)
Halibut opened here on April 4th and will be open through June 30th, seven days per week, one fish per day, six fish annual bag limit. The halibut combined quota this year for MA5 through MA10 is 81,729 lbs.
Lingcod fishing (hook and line) opens here on May 1st, with a slot limit between 26″ and 36″, daily limit 1 fish. Rockfish fishing is closed year-round.
Marine Area 8.2 (Port Susan, Port Gardner)
Halibut opened here on April 4th and will be open through June 30th, seven days per week, one fish per day, six fish annual bag limit. The halibut combined quota this year for MA5 through MA10 is 81,729 lbs.
Lingcod fishing (hook and line) opens here on May 1st, with a slot limit between 26″ and 36″, daily limit 1 fish. Rockfish fishing is closed year-round.
Marine Area 9 (Admiralty Inlet)
Halibut opened here on April 4th and will be open through June 30th, seven days per week, one fish per day, six fish annual bag limit. The halibut combined quota this year for MA5 through MA10 is 81,729 lbs.
Lingcod fishing (hook and line) opens here on May 1st, with a slot limit between 26″ and 36″, daily limit 1 fish. Rockfish fishing is closed year-round.
Marine Area 10 (Seattle / Bremerton)
The year-round piers in MA10 remain open to salmon fishing. The Agate Pass Area in Marine Area 10 remains open daily to catch-and-release fly fishing only through March 31.
Lingcod fishing (hook and line) opens here on May 1st, with a slot limit between 26″ and 36″, daily limit 1 fish. Rockfish fishing is closed year-round.
Halibut opened here on April 4th and will be open through June 30th, seven days per week, one fish per day, six fish annual bag limit. The halibut combined quota this year for MA5 through MA10 is 81,729 lbs.
Report & pics submitted by Matt McCulloch, Tyee Charters, 206-799-2530, maligem@comcast.netwww.tyeecharters.net
Marine Area 11 (Tacoma / Vashon Island)
Salmon fishing close dhere on April 15th.
Lingcod fishing (hook and line) opens here on May 1st, with a slot limit between 26″ and 36″, daily limit 1 fish. Rockfish fishing is closed year-round.
Marine Area 12 (Hood Canal)
MA12 is currently closed for salmon, lingcod, rockfish, and halibut. Salmon fishing should open July 10th.
Your options for now are limited to other flatfish (flounders, sole, sanddabs), or catch-and-release fishing for trout along the shorelines.
Marine Area 13 (South Puget Sound)
Salmon fishing is open here year-round. The daily limit is two fish, Chinook (minimum 22″) other species no size limit; release chum, unclipped coho, and unclipped Chinook.
Lingcod fishing (hook and line) opens here on May 1st, with a slot limit between 26″ and 36″, daily limit 1 fish. Rockfish fishing is closed year-round.
British Columbia
A reminder for British Columbia anglers: All fishing and hunting licenses expired at the end of March, so be sure to get your new licenses before your next trip outdoors. Often there are changes in the regulations, so take some time to read and review the regulations before going out and accidentally getting into trouble. Saltwater anglers will find new regulations regarding crab and prawn floats and the conditions of license in effect. And be sure to carry BOTH pages of your new saltwater angling license.
Anglers are advised to check http://bcsportfishguide.ca for further fishing closures, regulations, and information for specific areas.
Ucluelet
April can be hit and miss for weather here but fishing on calm weather days is normally good. We had a good herring spawn in Ucluelet during March which is a good sign. We haven’t seen tons of bait yet but have seen some schools of needlefish on the bottom and herring mid water.
Chinook, Halibut and Lingcod fishing have been good. Our first trip we caught 12 in relatively quick order. The last trip out for Chinook salmon we had 4 double hook ups and hit about 17 fishing for about 3 hours. The trip before that we landed 4 but had a few more on.
We have been using 3″ and 4 inch Silver Horde and Gibbs spoons and needlefish hutchies. Green and blue are the go to colors and most Chinook are being caught in the bottom half of the ocean.
Halibut are already showing up and though we haven’t fished for them, some boats are catching. If you would like to book an early season trip the weather forecast is good for the next week. We don’t have many spots left in July/August but given how good early season is, you may be good to avoid the crowds and get some great fishing in here. We also have cabins and a place to park your boat trailers if you want to bring your boat up.
Submitted by Sam Vandervalk, Salmon Eye Charters, Ucluelet, BC, 877-777-4344, fishing@salmoneye.net www.salmoneye.net
Bamfield, Barkley Sound, & Port Alberni
This seventy pound Halibut was landed by a father/son combo fishing offshore. Halibut over the past year have been in relatively good abundance. Many people who fish with us for four days at our LODGE LOCATION in Barkley Sound will take one day out for fishing halibut.
Spring is upon us, and those of us living on Canada’s West Coast are patiently waiting for the arrival of the summer months, which brings longer and warmer days. In early Spring, the saltwater fishing opportunities increase and the sport fishing productivity dramatically improves. The weather and water conditions improve as well. This is a favorite time for anglers to begin their spring-summer season, and is a time for early season Chinook, halibut, and ling cod angling on Vancouver Island’s West Coast. In Barkley Sound the “early summer Chinook” migrating to the big southerly watersheds such as the vast Columbia River system and even Puget Sound swim down the West Coast. These migratory salmon come into the islands close to Ucluelet and come into surf line areas and much of Barkley Sound and feed on the rich resources of bait fish. With the dramatic change in the offshore winds, many fisher persons venture out to the many sandy banks and in May begin fishing halibut which migrate from the deep water to the shallows. This is a very popular sport fishing opportunity. It is best to check halibut size regulations before any trip.
Glen from Idaho/Oregon landed this beautiful Chinook Salmon fishing with his daughter.
There are many popular spots to salmon fish at this time of year in the pristine and protected waters of Barkley Sound. Surf Line areas like Cree Island, Austin Island, Meares, Edward King, Sail Rock, Great Bear, Mara Rock, and Swale Rock are fantastic areas that often have the best salmon fishing opportunities and productivity. Usually at this time of year the areas will have great sport salmon fishing if the bait fish resources are abundant. With colder water copepods abundance play an important role as a key component in the salmon food chain. Squid also begin to show especially around the Ucluelet Islands, Wya Point and Florencia which are inside the one-mile nautical mile. Squid also show-up around areas close to Bamfield, Bamfield Wall, and out towards Cape Beale and Edward King Island. As well needlefish and small herring can be in huge dense abundant schools. When the bait fish are close the salmon are near by. The salmon and bait are normally in water ranging from eighty to one hundred and thirty feet. Currently the Feeder Chinook, which can be termed local fish are ranging from seven to fourteen pounds. The transient salmon have been up to as large as twenty pounds or better. Most anglers will fish with a variety of octopus, squid, and needlefish hootchies. Hootchies and cuttle fish known as an AORL 12 and Green Spatter back are very popular. Spoons from two and a half to four inch in size will work well. Various Skinny G’s are fantastic. Smaller spoons in cookies and cream and Irish Cream are terrific.
Coho fishing is something at times spectacular on the West Coast of Vancouver Island. Coho are best mid August and well into September. This fish was landed using anchovy last August close to the Bamfield Wall.
We are excited about the new season. Salmon fishing for Chinook and Coho for West Coast Vancouver Island salmon should be more than terrific this summer
Halibut begin to show in good numbers by mid-May as they migrate to the many sandy banks offshore. Halibut are also around the Swiss buoy in Trevor Channel, Austin Island, and Swale Rock.
On April 1st Prawn fishing opened in the Alberni Inlet and many areas of Barkley Sound. Many avid fisher persons will throw out their traps before their fishing day and then check them later after fishing. This is a remarkable time of year for sport fishing prawns. Limits also vary in the different areas.
Feeder Chinook landed close to Ucluelet off of Sail Rock
Doran from Idaho landed this Salmon using a blue herring aid four inch spoon….
The 34th Annual Sproat Loggers Winter/Spring Derby was attended with well over 450 participants in early March. Don Deforest, one of the derby’s founders who spent countless hours yearly organizing the derby suddenly passed away on February 5th. Don’s legacy continued with other derby committee members making the derby “happen” in Don’s name. Those that knew Don will dearly miss him. The three largest fish in the Derby were landed by Mike Roberts at 21.5 lbs., Brian Elliott 19.6 lbs. and Dave Fleck 17 lbs. The weather was not the best for this first derby of the season but some good-sized fish were weighed in over the derby weekend. We expect terrific sport salmon fishing in the spring months. The later summer months will see some world-class fishing as West Coast Vancouver Island returns have been termed abundant in the early season forecasts.
Some nice weather occurred in March in Barkley Sound. Chinook landed using a needle fish hootchie.
Report & pics submitted by Doug Lindores, Slivers Charters Salmon Sport Fishing (888) 214-7206 dlindy@shaw.ca; www.catchsalmon-ca.com
South Vancouver Island overview:
Halibut fishing was FAIR this past week. Octopus, herring, and salmon bellies were the best baits to use. Chinook fishing was SPOTTY where open. Crabbing was GOOD in many areas. Prawning has been GOOD in Saanich Inlet.
New regulations for chinook fishing and retention starting April 1st are now available at:
https://notices.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fns-sap/index-eng.cfm?pg=view_notice&DOC_ID=298760&ID=all
NOTABLE CATCHES: Derek Collins caught a 52 lb halibut that now tops the Pedder Bay Marina’s leaderboard.
Sooke
Halibut fishing was GOOD with the best fishing off Jordan River. The area around Muir Creek was somewhat productive this past week. Crabbing has been FAIR in Sooke.
Submitted by Tom Vaida, Island Outfitters, 3319 Douglas Street, Victoria, BC (250) 475-4969, info@fishingvictoria.com www.fishingvictoria.com
Becher Bay
Salmon fishing was SLOW this past week inside the bay north of Fraser Island. Most of the winter springs were on the small side, but some larger ones have been caught. Small spoons such as Krippled “KC”, Skinny G’s, Wee G’s, and AP Tackleworks have been working well. Popular flashers have been the Betsey, the Bon Chovy, the Madi and Blue/Silver Hot Spots. Crabbing has been SPOTTY inside the bay.
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 FAIR. Constance Bank, East Race, and Willliam Head have been some of the better spots. Octopus and Salmon bellies have been successful baits when used with a glow hootchy.
Salmon fishing has been SLOW out of Pedder Bay for those anglers heading into area 19. Fishing was best near Albert Head and east of William Head. Spoons such as Krippled “KC”, Skinny G’s, Wee G’s, and AP Tackleworks have been working well. Anchovies in the 12 pack or smaller sizes were good baits and popular choices for teaser head colors are Chartreuse, Bloody Nose and Purple Haze. Popular flashers have been the Guide Series Oki ‘s and Glow Hot Spots. Crabbing has been GOOD in the bay.
Submitted by Tom Vaida, Island Outfitters, 3319 Douglas Street, Victoria, BC (250) 475-4969, info@fishingvictoria.com www.fishingvictoria.com
Victoria
Halibut fishing was FAIR. at Constance Bank, the Mud Hole and Albert Head. Salmon fishing was SLOW off Victoria. The best action was coming from the west side of the waterfront, from Witty’s Beach to Fisgard Light. Most of the springs were 5 to 7 lbs in size, but larger ones have been caught. Constance Bank was productive for numbers of fish but not large ones. Spoons such as Krippled “KC”, Skinny G’s, Wee G’s, small, from and AP Tackleworks have been working very well. Hoochies have been good in glow colour patterns. Anchovies are always effective for springs and popular choices for teaser head colors are Chartreuse, Bloody Nose and Purple Haze. Popular flashers have been the Herring Aid, Madi and Blue/Silver Hot Spots. Halibut fishing was FAIR. at Constance Bank, the Mud Hole and Albert Head. Crabbing has been GOOD.
Submitted by Tom Vaida, Island Outfitters, 3319 Douglas Street, Victoria, BC (250) 475-4969, info@fishingvictoria.com www.fishingvictoria.com
Oak Bay
Salmon fishing has been QUIET in Oak Bay. The Flats produced the most fish in the [previous week. The springs were small, mostly 3-7 lbs in size but some larger hatchery marked springs are hanging around. Most anglers have been trolling but jigging can be effective too. The best chinook fishing has been for fish holding close to the bottom. Effective spoons this past week were the 4” White Hoochy AP Needlefish, Bon Chovy Skinny Gs as well as Glow Herring Aid Wee Gs. and Coho Killers. Crabbing has been FAIR. Halibut fishing was SLOW.
Submitted by Tom Vaida, Island Outfitters, 3319 Douglas Street, Victoria, BC (250) 475-4969, info@fishingvictoria.com www.fishingvictoria.com
Sidney & Vancouver
April is one of the better months of the year for numbers of chinook salmon in Vancouver waters. You have to read the regulations carefully as some areas go to catch and release only for chinook salmon and some areas go to no fishing for chinook. We have some good opportunities to get out on the water for catch and release options for chinook salmon in Vancouver during the months of April and May. From our Sidney location, we are open to the retention of hatchery chinook in most of the areas we fish. If you are looking at keeping salmon, please ask us about our Sidney fishing trips!
Things are now in transition as chinook salmon start to change their feeding patterns in the Salish Sea. There will be fish still in the normal winter fishing areas, but offshore areas in the Gulf Island’s start to perk up with more and more baitfish congregating offshore to feed on planktkon and krill. In the Sidney area, most fish will still be pretty close to bottom as the area is not subject to the same kind of plankton blooms.
As mentioned, our Sidney location is open to chinook retention this spring!! It is one of the few areas in Southern BC that is open for chinook retention. In addition to our day charters, we also have some great multi day packages! Details here… charter packages here.
Submitted by Bon Chovy Fishing Charters, 1814 Mast Tower Road, Vancouver, BC, (604) 763-5460, info@bonchovy.com www.bonchovy.com/
Lakes and Rivers
Trout and bass fishing is GOOD with the warmer water temperatures.
Cowichan River
Trout fishing above the 70.2-mile bridge are having mixed results. Those anglers drifting the river are having much better success than those anglers wading the river. It’s all about access to the better pools close to Lake Cowichan. The water level near Lake Cowichan has been dropping and was near 0.575 meters on Sunday. Mayfly and Caddis hatches are increasing with this warmer weather.
The Cowichan River from the CNR Trestle at mile 70.2 to Skutz Falls is closed to fishing until 23:59 hours April 30, 2024.
Trout
Trout fishing has been PICKING UP at most local lakes. There has been more activity near the surface but most action is still coming from just off the bottom. The best fishing has been in the Elk, Langford, Prospect and Langford Lakes where the most trout have recently been stocked. Shore anglers use Powerbait, Gulp Eggs, and worms while fishing close to the bottom. Fly anglers are mostly fishing Woolly Buggers, Leeches and Chironomid patterns. Trollers are catching the most trout with worms fished on Gibbs Wedding Bands behind Gang Trolls.
The Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC has started the spring stocking of catchable triploid rainbow trout into Vancouver Island lakes. On April 12th, Elk and Langford Lakes each received 1,500 trout. On April 11th, Elk and {rps[ect Lake each received 1,500 trout averaging 241.77 g in size. On March 20th, Shawnigan Lake received 500 trout averaging 219.387 g in size. On March 19th, Thetis Lake received 1,000 trout and Glen Lake 500 trout averaging 250.697 g in size. On March 15th, Shawnigan Lake received 750 trout, Dougan Lake received 1,00 trout and Colwood Lake received 250 trout averaging 213.428 g in size. On March 11th, Kemp Lake received 750 trout and Matheson Lake 500 trout averaging 222.892 g in size. On March 8h, Shawnigan Lake received 1,000 trout and Ida Anne Lake 250 trout averaging 216.907 in size. Further stockings occurring on March 20th were Prospect Lake and Langford lakes each receiving 1,000 yearling coastal cutthroat trout averaging 74.833g in size.
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
The Langford Lake Spring Fling Derby: Tickets will be by donation again and all donations will be going to our Local lodge “Vancouver Island Lodge” once again. Tickets will be available April 2nd at these locations: Island Outfitters 1681A Island Hwy and the Langford Lake Boat launch 7-8 AM April 28th.
All participants will be required to sign a liability waiver and all children under 16 will require a parent/guardian signature to comply with our permit from the city. Fish weigh ins on shore will be at these locations from 8 AM-2:30 PM: Langford Lake Beach on Leigh Place, the fishing dock by the YMCA, the new dock on the trail by the water walkway and the fishing dock at Kitty Le Quesne trail. Fish weigh ins on the water will be done by two separate boats on each side of the lake, starting at 8AM-2:30PM. They will have a Canadian flag hanging off the back of their boat to be identified.
We will be limiting prizes to 1 prize per guest. This is a Kids derby so most of the prizes are for the kids, HOWEVER, we have a few for adults too. There will be random prize draws, a hidden weight prize, and of course the heaviest trout for youth and adults. Here are some of the categories to look forward too along with the random giveaways and few other prizes: Heaviest trout ages 19+, heaviest trout ages 13-18, heaviest trout ages 12 and under and a mystery draw for all kids under 16, and adult’s smallest trout.
There will also be a Fly-Casting seminar at the Langford Lake beach Park held by “Zak Davis” from Robinsons outdoor store from 12-2pm and he will also be tying flies for fly fishing with kids one on one throughout the day at the same location. Zak is a phenomenal teacher in both casting and tying so it should be a great time. There will be another fly tying station going throughout the day for kids to learn to tie flies at the other end of the lake. This will be located at the new family dock on the trail by the water walkway. This will be held by “Finley Dodge” a very avid fly fisherman and fly tyer.
The end ceremonies will be held at the “Langford Lake Beach Park” at the end of Leigh Place for 4:30pm the same day. Event parking will be of course around the lake and the “Event overflow Parking” for the city of Langford which is located at the top of “West Shore Parkway” on the right-hand side by the roundabout. We ask people to please not park in the YMCA parking lot. This should be a fun time just like last year!
Bass
Fishing is GOOD. Bass can be found in the shallows as well as near deep structures. Docks, overhanging trees, and structure can be great spots to locate pre spawn bass. Reaction baits and soft plastics will be your best bet for catching feeding bass.
Submitted by Tom Vaida, Island Outfitters, 3319 Douglas Street, Victoria, BC (250) 475-4969, info@fishingvictoria.com www.fishingvictoria.com
Mexico
Mazatlán
From longtime SU friend Mike S:
“I fished with Starfleet Charters, they arranged the cab to pick me up at my hotel to take me there and bring me back, which was nice because the location of the boat dock was off the beaten path on a river with only a few other boats, so it was not the main marina. We went out and headed west for about 40/45 minutes and started fishing. We had two good bites that started ripping line, but only stuck for 5 to 10 seconds. The captain said those were probably Marlin. There were no other boats around us. Then must’ve gotten word about where the tuna were as he went into high gear and 15 minutes later we were with 8 to 9 other boats and hundreds of dolphin around us. We caught two nice yellowfin tuna within 10 minutes. We fished this area for another 20/30 minutes, then moved on to where there were no boats again. About 90 minutes later a striped marlin bit and stuck and I fought that for about 20 minutes. They didn’t ask if I wanted to keep it or not, and hit it on the head as soon as it got next to the boat and brought it in. We trolled around for another two hours before heading in with no other action. I flew home with a 28 quart cooler filled with tuna and a few big pieces of the marlin.”
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