Fishing Reports – May 8, 2024

By on May 8, 2024

Washington

Marine Area 1 (Ilwaco)

No report this week.

Halibut fishing opened 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)

No report this week.

Halibut opened 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)

No report this week.

Halibut opened 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.

Marine Area 4 (Neah Bay)

Halibut is doing good even by the garbage dump, folks aren’t having to run too far. The strong tides this upcoming week will be challenging, and they will probably favor the folks that anchor up.

Halibut opened 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)

Halibut has been kinda slow with the winds, but some people are catching fish, especially those that are anchoring. Strong tides this upcoming week will likely make it a tough week for fishing halibut.

Halibut is open here and 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) opened here on May 1st, with a slot limit between 26″ and 36″, daily limit 1 fish.
Rockfish fishing opened on 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)

Halibut fishing has slowed down a bit, in part due to less effort because of windy weather, but the folks that are anchoring are still doing well. A few 100 lb. fish have been caught in Sequim and we had a report that a 150 lb. fish was lost as well. Strong tides this upcoming week will likely make it a tough week for fishing halibut.

Halibut is open and 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) opened 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)

Lingcod fishing has been good, with some folks limiting first thing in the morning, on the usual suspects – leadhead jigs, pipe jigs, lancers, etc.

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) opened 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)

No report this week.

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) opened 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)

We’ve had reports of limits of nice lingcod around Possession Bar – not very picky about what they would eat, but lots of folks fishing lancers, etc. and some folks fishing live bait.

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) opened 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)

We’ve had reports of limits of nice lingcod around Possession Bar – not very picky about what they would eat, but lots of folks fishing lancers, etc. and some folks fishing live bait.

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) opened 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)

No report this week.

Lingcod fishing (hook and line) opened here on May 1st, with a slot limit between 26″ and 36″, daily limit 1 fish. Rockfish fishing is closed year-round.

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.

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.

Marine Area 11 (Tacoma / Vashon Island)

No report this week.

Lingcod fishing (hook and line) opened 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)

No report this week.

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)

No report this week.

Lingcod fishing (hook and line) opened here on May 1st, with a slot limit between 26″ and 36″, daily limit 1 fish.

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.

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

Fishing has continued to be good when the weather allows. Like normal this time of year, the wind can divert your fishing plans but we will start seeing the weather get more consistent.
The Chinook fishing is still good very close to the harbour and we have been able to limit out on all of our past trips these last few weeks. Some bites have been fast, others have taken an hour to come on.
The lingcod fishing continues to be good, and we expect that to be good into July. The halibut fishing has been good for those who have made it out. We haven’t been out  for halibut but should be getting out soon.
The bait is small this time of year, so sticking with needlefish hootchies and small spoons will get you the best success. The #3 Silver Horde is one of our go to spoons and all colors seem to be working including yellow, blue, and green. There seems to be enough bait to keep the salmon interested in feeding. The size of the Chinook have been between 7-15 lbs which is pretty decent for this time of year.

We still have some early spots open, so if you are looking to come fishing in May or June give us a shout. We expect good fishing this year, especially early season.

Submitted by Sam Vandervalk, Salmon Eye Charters, Ucluelet, BC, 877-777-4344,  fishing@salmoneye.net   www.salmoneye.net

Bamfield, Barkley Sound, & Port Alberni

No report this week.

South Vancouver Island overview:

Poor weather this past week kept most anglers off the water. Halibut fishing was SLOWER this past week. Octopus, herring, and salmon bellies were the best baits to use. Chinook fishing was FAIR 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 Muir Creek, Jordan River, and points west. 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 SPOTTY this past week inside the bay north of Fraser Island. Most of the winter springs were on the smaller side, but some larger clipped springs 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 and some good sized ones were caught this past week.. 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. Lingcod and rockfish fishing was GOOD as the season opened..

Salmon fishing has been SPOTTY out of Pedder Bay for those anglers heading into area 19.  Fishing was best near Constance Bank and Albert 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 and in the Mud Hole. Lingcod and rockfish opened for retention on Wednesday and fishing was GOOD for these species. Crabbing has been GOOD.

Salmon fishing was SPOTTY this past week. Most of the springs were 5 to 7 lbs in size, but an 18 lb hatchery spring was caught off Finlayson Point. 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.

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 SPOTTY in Oak Bay. The Flats produced the most fish, but many were unclipped. Most anglers have been trolling but jigging can the effective too. The results have 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

Prawning is open in the Inlet and most boats were targeting spot prawns rather than salmon. Limit catches were made by many anglers who left their traps out over night. Chinook fishing was SPOTTY this past week but some anglers were catching hatchery marked fish in the teens. Some of the better spots were Saanichton Spit, James Island, Sidney Channel and Hambley Point. Crabbing has been FAIR.

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

Lakes and Rivers

Trout and bass fishing is EXCELLENT with the warmer water temperatures.

Cowichan River

Trout fishing above Skutz Falls are having mixed results. Those anglers drifting the river are having EXCELLENT for those drifting the top end, while than those anglers wading the river aren’t having as much success. It’s all about access to the better pools close to Lake Cowichan. Insect activity is increasing with this warmer weather.

Trout

Trout fishing has been EXCELLENT at most local lakes. 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 Prospect 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

Langford Lake Spring Fling Derby organizer Nickeifer Kotanko writes that this year’s derby was a huge success.. There was a total of 61 anglers with a grand total of $1140 being raised for the Canadian Cancer Society’s Vancouver Island Lodge.

Even though the weather was horrendous at best for a lot of the day, the fishing was very good! Most of our anglers toughed it out for the whole day. We had great amount of fish weighed in all day. The largest being Tom Hooge (4 lbs 12 oz). There was total of 37 fish being weighed by our amazing volunteer staff who stayed all day in the rain and wind to weigh fish and help on shore. Huge thank you to them for making it possible! Kim Kotanko, Allan Townsend, spencer, Mike Lawrence, Zak Davis, raven, Steve Evans, Finley dodge.

Winning fish weights for the kids 13-18: 1st place: Hunter Arnold with a 1.7lb rainbow trout. The prize was $250 donated by Trailside at The Lake, a Cross Water fly reel donated by Island Outfitters, a handmade 8′ 5/6 fibreglass fly rod made by Kotanko Leather co, a custom 100% handmade custom leather hard body fly rod case made by Kotanko Leather co.  Runner up was Bodhi with his 5oz rainbow trout. Prize was boat caddy from island outfitters, 50$ donated by Trailside at the lake.

Under 12: 1st place was Avery Dinsdale-Young with a 2.7lb rainbow trout. Prize was a fly rod with a reel and line from Robinsons Outdoor Store, a fly box from Island Outfitters, $125 Island Outfitters gift card from Ace Garcia.  Runner up “Dominic” with his 2.5lb rainbow trout. Prize was $100 gift card donated by Adam Sampson.

Heaviest fish 19+: – 1st place Tom Hoogie with a 4.12 lb rainbow trout. Prize was a hunting blind donated by Adam Sampson”, 50$ donated by “Johns Lawn-N-Haul”, $150 donated by Kotanko Leather co., a 100% handmade leather snakeskin wallet.  In 2nd place was Ben Wright with a 4.4b rainbow trout. His prize was $200 cash donated by “Johns Lawn-N-Haul”, a 1-hour tattoo gift certificate from Memorial Tattoo Studio, a 100% handmade snakeskin custom leather wallet donated by Kotanko Leather co.

Adult smallest trout: Tyler Royer-Collard with his 3oz rainbow trout. Prize was a 1-hour Tattoo gift certificate and a hat also donated by Memorial Tattoo studio.

Under 16 smallest trout: Leo Legras with his 4oz whopper. Prize was a 100$ gift card to island outfitters and a spin cast set up also from island outfitters.

Bass

Fishing is EXCELLENT. Most lakes have been producing good catches and some lunker bass are being caught.  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.

Steve Klipper caught his personal best bass, a 9 lb 7 oz largemouth from Elk/Beaver Lake. He has caught this bass 3 times over the years, in a different location each time and with a different lure each time!

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

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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