Fishing Reports – July 10, 2024
Washington
Marine Area 1 (Ilwaco)
No report this week.
The halibut quota for MA1 this year is 18,112 lbs. of which about 11,100 lbs. remains as of June 1st. Halibut will reopen on August 22nd.
Salmon fishing is open through September 30th, or until the quota is met.
Marine Area 2 (Westport)
Westport Tuna report!
The All Rivers crew and special guests geared up a little differently Friday morning, packed more ice than usual, stopped for a scoop of live anchovy on the way out of the marina and punched it west in search of Albies.
Just a quick 1.5 hour run and we put the gear in. Once everything was set it wasn’t more than a few minutes and rods started to fold over on the troll. Most actions were 2-5 hook-ups at a time, typical early season tuna, but we did deploy live bait each time and had great responses on that as well.
We looked over about a 10-15 area starting at 35nm from Westport and caught fish in all areas we explored.
All said and done we called it a day with 26 tuna at around 1:30pm. About half were on troll and half on live bait. What a great start!
The halibut quota for MA2 this year is 67,074 lbs. of which about 47,720 lbs. remains as of June 1st. Halibut will reopen on August 22nd.
Salmon fishing is open here Sundays through Thursdays only until July 11th, then it will be open daily beginning July 14th – September 15th, or until the quota is met.
Report submitted by Mark Coleman, All Rivers & Saltwater Charters, 425-736-8920 mark@allwashingtonfishing.com www.allwashingtonfishing.com
Marine Area 3 (La Push)
We had some great weather and good fishing this last week. Some days the bite was early and on some days it came later, but the folks that put in the time found their salmon. The chinook grade is a little smaller than recent years, and the coho are still on the smaller size, but the grades are getting bigger by the week. Find the birds and find the bait, and you will find the salmon. We’ve been doing salmon / lingcod / bottomfish combo trips, and the bottom fishing hasn’t disappointed either. These fish are lots of fun on our light tackle setups.
Jason with a nice chinook
Salmon University founder Norm with a average-sized chinook on Sunday
Jordan with a small lingcod that was found in the belly of a larger lingcod he caught
The halibut combined quota this year for MA3 and MA4 is 132,366 lbs. of which about 110,405 lbs. remains, as of June 1st. Halibut opens back up on August 16th, seven days a week. We have quite a few open spots for the summer halibut season, so if you’re interested, call us to book a spot.
Salmon fishing is open here until 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)
Salmon fishing has been a little slow but seems to be picking up. Lingcod and rockfish fishing continues to be good, and the weather has been good. The nearshore rockfish and lingcod trips have been seeing limits being brought in on each trip. Black sea bass to 4lbs+ and lingcod to 35″ are being caught.
The halibut combined quota this year for MA3 and MA4 is 132,366 lbs. of which about 110,405 lbs. remains, as of June 1st. Halibut will reopen on August 16th.
Salmon fishing is open here seven days a week until September 15th, or until the quota is met.
Marine Area 5 (Sekiu and Pillar Point)
No report this week
The halibut combined quota this year for MA5 through MA10 is 81,729 lbs. of which about 54,685 lbs. remains, as of June 1st. Halibut will reopen on August 16th.
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 is open here seven days a week until August 15th, or until the quota is met.
Marine Area 6 (East Strait of Juan de Fuca)
MA6 is open for all shrimp species from one hour before official sunrise to one hour after official sunset, on July 12-15 only. Details here.
The halibut combined quota this year for MA5 through MA10 is 81,729 lbs. of which about 54,685 lbs. remains, as of June 1st. The halibut season will reopen on August 16th until September 30th, or until the quota is reached.
Summer salmon fishing is open here seven days a week from July 1st — August 15th, or until the quota is met.
Marine Area 7 (San Juan Islands)
No report this week.
MA7 is open for non-spot shrimp (dock, coonstripe, sidestripe and pink shrimp only) through Oct. 15, with a maximum depth restriction of 200 feet. Details here.
The halibut combined quota this year for MA5 through MA10 is 81,729 lbs. of which about 54,685 lbs. remains, as of June 1st. The halibut season closed on June 30th, but reopen on August 16th until September 30th, or until the quota is reached.
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.
Shrimping will be open here on July 10 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. only, details here.
The halibut combined quota this year for MA5 through MA10 is 81,729 lbs. of which about 54,685 lbs. remains, as of June 1st. The halibut season closed on June 30th, but reopen on August 16th until September 30th, or until the quota is reached.
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)
Shrimping will be open here on July 10 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. only, details here.
The Tulalip Terminal Area fishery opened on May 24th, with a daily limit of (2) fish, and a minimum size on Chinook of 22″, with some nice fish being caught there, mostly on downriggers, flashers and spoons.
The halibut combined quota this year for MA5 through MA10 is 81,729 lbs. of which about 54,685 lbs. remains, as of June 1st. The halibut season closed on June 30th, but reopen on August 16th until September 30th, or until the quota is reached.
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)
No report this week
The halibut combined quota this year for MA5 through MA10 is 81,729 lbs. of which about 54,685 lbs. remains, as of June 1st. The halibut season will reopen on August 16th until September 30th, or until the quota is reached.
Marine Area 10 (Seattle / Bremerton)
Fishing for coho salmon in central sound has been good! We’re finding fish lately from 50-120’ on the downriggers. Plenty of chinook have been stretching the lines day to day, looking forward to opener for chinook on the 18th.
The halibut combined quota this year for MA5 through MA10 is 81,729 lbs. of which about 54,685 lbs. remains, as of June 1st. The halibut season will reopen on August 16th until September 30th, or until the quota is reached.
Report & pics submitted by Matt McCulloch, Tyee Charters, 206-799-2530, maligem@comcast.net www.tyeecharters.net
Marine Area 11 (Tacoma / Vashon Island)
No report this week.
MA11 is open for non-spot shrimp (dock, coonstripe, sidestripe and pink shrimp only) through Oct. 15 with a maximum depth restriction of 150 feet. During the non-spot season 1/2-inch mesh pots are allowed, depth restrictions are in place, and all spot shrimp are required to be released immediately. Details here.
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.
MA13 is open for non-spot shrimp (dock, coonstripe, sidestripe and pink shrimp only) through Oct. 15 with a max depth restriction of 200 feet. During the non-spot season 1/2-inch mesh pots are allowed, depth restrictions are in place, and all spot shrimp are required to be released immediately. Details here.
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
Report & pics submitted by Sam Vandervalk, Salmon Eye Charters, Ucluelet, BC, 877-777-4344, fishing@salmoneye.net www.salmoneye.net
Bamfield, Barkley Sound, & Port Alberni
The Sport Fishing in the Alberni Inlet and areas of Barkley Sound have been very good during this first full week of July. With the extreme warm air temperatures the Sockeye Salmon have gone to deeper water and are sitting in big schools at seventy-five to one hundred feet of water. Until the water cools and or rain arrives the fish will stay out in the inlet in large schools before continuing their migration into the Stamp River system and into either Sproat Lake or Great Central Lake. The Sockeye are averaging about five to six pounds. Sockeye is a very fun sport fishery and is a fantastic fishery for all ages. The Alberni Inlet is a very comfortable angling opportunity. The run size is still estimated at a modest five hundred to six hundred thousand Sockeye. Black Hooks and the usual pink and black and or pink and blue mp hoochies are still working very well. The retention limit per day is four with a two day limit in possession of eight. Hopefully the Sockeye will continue right through July before the Chinook and Coho arrive to the Inlet waters.
Deryk from Edmonton fishing with Slivers Charters Salmon Sport fishing and has these two Sockeye landed as a double header….
Salmon fishing out in Barkley Sound has been quite good
The runs of migrating mature Chinook combined with decent schools of Coho travelling the Vancouver Island West Coast surf line to the large southerly watersheds continue to be very good. Sport fishing enthusiasts fishing Barkley Sound and areas close to Ucluelet and close to the surf line have been doing quite well. Current sport fishing regulations provided by the DFO will allow sport fishing for Chinook salmon within one nautical mile of the coastline until the fifteenth of July. After this date anglers will be permitted to fish offshore waters for Chinook salmon. Pacific Rim areas are often a feeding station to these transient salmon. The islands close to the Ucluelet Harbor mouth and up the coastline to Wya Point and Florencia and the many areas of Barkley Sound often hold vast quantities of bait fish in herring, anchovy, squid and needlefish. To date Sail Rock, Great Bear, Florencia Island, and Black Rock which are all close to Ucluelet have had provided some very good Sport Fishing. Barkley Sound locations such as Cree Island, Meares, Kirby, Edward King, Bamfield Wall, and Swale Rock have really improved over the last ten days. There have been some terrific fishing days. The Barkley Sound sport fishing will get even better during the later part of July as the West Coast Vancouver Island salmon begin to show.
The salmon fishing in Barkley Sound has been terrific. This group fished with slivers charters salmon sport fishing had a great three days of fishing
Historically the most common gear and consistent salmon producer when fishing Barkley Sound has been trolling with anchovy behind a variety of colored flashers. However, that trend has changed over the past couple of years with fish hitting various Herring Aid spoons as well as other Skinny G’s, Coho Killer spoons, and a variety of octopus, cuttlefish, and needle fish hootchies. Anchovy teaser head colors that work well are Green Haze, Glow Army Truck, Herring Aid, and Cop Car. Flashers in blue, green glow, chartreuse, and even red with at least a six-foot leader are best. Spoons behind a flasher can vary from forty-two inches to five feet. Hootchie leader lengths behind a flasher are thirty-eight to forty-two inches. Favorite hootchies are the AORL 12, the pistachio hoochie and cuttlefish, oil slick, and other white and or white-blue cuttlefish. The salmon have been feeding on small immature herring and needle fish around Meares, Austin, Edward King, Kirby, and Cree Island. Smaller Spoons work well when the bait is small. In areas around Beale, Whittlestone, and Florencia Island there have been mature squid.
Halibut fishing in July is in full swing. Many sport-fisher people will either drift, jig or anchor. Halibut will often prefer salmon bellies as well as large herring or octopus. If jigging try a Gibbs Hali Hawg tipped with salmon belly. Lingcod fishing is also relatively good. How ever it is important that a good descending device is on board as any yellow-eye rockfish are to be released.
The 2024 sport fishing season has been fantastic to date in this area.
Tight lines and Good fishing
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. Strong winds this past week kept the number of people fishing to a minimum for much of the week. Chinook fishing was FAIR to GOOD where open. Coho are open for retention on Saturday, and we heard of fin clipped coho being caught in Sooke and near Pedder Bay. Lingcod and rockfish fishing was GOOD. Crabbing was HIT or MISS in most areas.
Submitted by Tom Vaida, Island Outfitters, 3319 Douglas Street, Victoria, BC (250) 475-4969, info@fishingvictoria.com www.fishingvictoria.com
Sooke
Halibut fishing was FAIR with this past week, with the best fishing off Muir Creek, Jordan River, and points further west. Crabbing has been FAIR in the Sooke basin. Fin clipped coho up to 7 lbs were caught by those targeting the coho. Anglers fishing catch & release are reporting some big springs near Otter Point.
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 GOOD this past weekend inside the bay within the open area. The clipped springs caught have been as large as 23 lbs in size. Most of then have been from 5 to 10 lbs though. 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 SLOW this past week. Constance Bank, East Race, and Willliam Head have been some of the better spots. Octopus and Herring have been successful baits when used with a glow hootchy. Lingcod and rockfish fishing was GOOD.
We also heard of nice fin clipped coho caught this past weekend near Pedder Bay. 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 inside 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 fishing was GOOD. Crabbing has been HIT OR MISS. as commercial crabbers are now working the waterfront..
Chinook salmon fishing was SLOW this past week except at Constance Bank. Most of the springs were 5 to 10 lbs in size. There were some larger springs around as well. 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
Halibut fishing was GOOD south of Discovery Island. Catch & release salmon fishing has been SPOTTY to GOOD in Oak Bay, depending on the day. The Flats were better than the Gap most days. Most anglers have been trolling but jigging can the effective too. The best results have been for fish holding close to the bottom. Effective spoons have been the 4” Marguerita AP Tackleworks, Bon Chovy Skinny G, and Glow Herring Aid Wee Gs. and Coho Killers. Crabbing has been HIT OR MISS
Submitted by Tom Vaida, Island Outfitters, 3319 Douglas Street, Victoria, BC (250) 475-4969, info@fishingvictoria.com www.fishingvictoria.com
Sidney & Vancouver
Chinook fishing was FAIR this past week, and anglers were catching hatchery marked fish up to 20lbs. Some of the better spots were Cordova Channel, Saanichton Spit, James Island, and the Powder Wharf. Prawning is a little slower and most boats were not getting limits Crabbing has been HIT OR MISS.
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 FAIR to GOOD.
Cowichan River
Trout fishing above Skutz Falls are having mixed results. The water level rose with the rains this week and is now around 0.7 meters in the top end. Insect activity is increasing with this warmer weather.
Trout
Trout fishing has been FAIR to GOOD at most local lakes. The best fishing has been in the Elk, Langford, Prospect and Langford Lakes where the most trout are 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.
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
Fishing is GOOD. Bass are all along the shallows and near structure. It’s time to fish around docks, fallen trees, weeds and shorelines. Soft plastic baits are hot right now, as well as spinner baits and glide baits All lakes should be producing good catches now.
Dave Peterson writes that the Western Fishing League held a Boater Series derby on Langford Lake on Sunday, June 9th. Although we had a small group out for this one, quite a few big fish were submitted. Fish 5 lbs, 20″ or better, one being a 21.25 monster, and our big fish of the day. It was caught by Mr. Sparkle himself, Tristan Harwood. Awesome catch bud, congrats. The abnormally clear water conditions on Langford Lake for this time of year, and it being post spawn, had visible fish with lock jaw, and after the morning bite was over the fishing got tough, with the odd fish being caught here and there Here are our results In 1st place. Dean Rudolph with a 3 fish limit totaling 58.25″ Dean also takes home the $100 gift card to Harbour Chandler that was generously donated to us by Jonathan and Tristan of Mr Sparkle Exterior Cleaning Congratulations Dean In 2nd place. Freddy Landman with a 3 fish limit totaling 54.25″ Freddy travels to compete with us, it’s nice to see you having a good showing bud. Congratulations! In 3rd place Jesse Mcmullan with a 3 fish limit totaling 51.5″ Jesse picking up his biggest fish late in the day, with what looked to be a wicked battle.
Submitted by Tom Vaida, Island Outfitters, 3319 Douglas Street, Victoria, BC (250) 475-4969, info@fishingvictoria.com www.fishingvictoria.com
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