Vancouver BC Fishing Report
By Rodney Hsu, Fishing with Rod | Last updated: January 30th, 2012
The video above is a compilation of all the best footages that we shot in 2011. If you'd like to see all the video features from last year, then please go to our video section. We will be releasing this year's video features very soon, so please stay tuned.
Heavy rainfall in the next several days will keep rivers in the Lower Mainland rather unfishable. Once condition returns to normal, fishing should be good again. Steelhead fishing has been very good in the Chilliwack River and catches have also been reported in other Fraser Valley river systems. Lower Fraser River and tributaries' trout and char fishing is happening again now that the deep freeze is over. Lake fishing will remain slow until stocking resumes two months from now.
Upcoming Events and Promotional News
I would like to welcome three new supporters of our website.
- Bon Chovy Fishing Charters operates out of Downtown Vancouver. Jason and Jeff provide saltwater salmon fishing around Vancouver (Burrard Inlet, Capilano mouth, Bowen Island) as well as Gulf Islands packages for both salmon and bottom species fishing. Their current special offer is five hours of winter chinook salmon fishing from Downtown Vancouver for $409/four people between February 1st and March 15th!
- Prestige Sportfishing is based in Harrison Mills. Mike and his team offer guided salmon and sturgeon fishing trips in the Fraser and Harrison Rivers. Right now they also offer cutthroat trout fishing day trips for $125/person.
- The Rambling Fisherman is based on Vancouver Island and specializes in guided drift boat steelhead fishing in several streams such as Stamp and Cowichan River. Rate starts at $175/person, which is an extremely good deal!
Here are some of the latest news and upcoming events in the Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley!
- If you are interested in building your own fishing rods, Valley Custom Rods in Chilliwack can supply all the blanks, components and tools that you need.
- Jig tying and steelhead fishing combo packages and jig pack special offers are now available from Bent Rods Guiding.
- Check out Pacific Angler's seminars in early 2012. The store is moving in the end of February, find out where they are moving to.
- Riverside Fly and Tackle is hosting the annual Coquitlam River Cleanup on February 5th.
- BC Boat and Sportsmen's Show is happening on March 2nd to 4th.
Capilano River
Fishing in the Capilano River is generally very slow during this time of the year. You may encounter the odd winter steelhead, but please remember that total catch and release for both wild and hatchery marked steelhead currently applies to this system.
Chilliwack River
The saying "you should have been here last week" definitely applies here. Chilliwack River's condition has been good since February 2nd and should remain so due to the positive weather forecast. Hopefully the river level will not drop too much so fish will not continue moving through instead of staying at particular spots and becoming shy.
Your target species during this time of the year is winter steelhead. Fishing was good last week, with catches being reported throughout the lower and mid sections of the river. Most hatchery marked steelhead retained have been between 7 and 12lb, but some fish in the mid and high teens have also shown up. Float fishing with roe bags, prawns, marabou jigs, pink worms, spinners have all been working well.
Here are some items to check out and remember for this fishery.
- Yours truly gave this fishery a go on February 2nd and you can read more about it in this blog post.
- If you have never tried out this fishery, take a look at this article.
- The broodstock collection program has started, please read this article if you are not familiar with it.
- Make sure you sign up for this season's Wally Hall Jr Memorial Steelhead Derby.
- You should also make sure that you have purchased a steelhead conservation surcharge on your freshwater fishing licence for this season before targeting steelhead.
- Once you retain your hatchery marked steelhead, you must mark it on your fishing licence and stop fishing for the day.
Fred's Custom Tackle is located just minutes from the Chilliwack River (just north of Vedder Crossing Bridge). If you are not familiar with the Chilliwack River, drop by the store to grab a map of the river and ask about their upcoming steelhead fishing seminars.
Stave River
Stave River is a great river to try out when other rivers are muddy and high. Due to the dam, this river usually stays in very good shape. Between now and spring, you have the opportunities to catch coastal cutthroat trout and mountain whitefish on light tackle. The odd winter steelhead have been caught lately.
If you fish for steelhead in this system, please note that BC Conservation Foundation is looking for your help to improve the hatchery steelhead program. They need information of the steelhead you catch so please read this notice.
For information on salmon and trout fishing in the Stave River and tributaries on the north side of the Fraser River (Kanaka Creek, Nicomen Slough, Norrish Creek, Harrison River), visit Hatch Match'r Fly and Tackle in Maple Ridge. Owner Randy Morgan is also an eager flyfishing instructor so don't hesitate to ask him questions.
Squamish River
Squamish River offers fishing opportunities for bull trout, coastal cutthroat trout and rainbow trout during this time of the year. Winter steelhead fishing usually picks up in March and April, but it's not unusual to catch the odd fish during this time of the year. River condition is fair and driving condition is not so good, especially in the upper portion of the system. Cheakamus River, a tributary of the Squamish River, is also a nice system to try out.
This is a catch and release fishery so please release all fish with care. Most trout and char have been fairly fat this season, most likely due to all the pink salmon eggs that they have been feeding on. Please remember that there is a bait ban in effect year round.
You should also watch out for wildlife in the area. The upper part of this river is quite remote so it is in your best interest to go very prepared.
Harrison River
Harrison River offers coastal cutthroat trout fishing right now. This is a hit and miss fishery, which requires a lot of walking to find feeding fish. You can either spincast with a small spoon or fly fish with small nymphs and minnow patterns. Most fish are between 10 and 16 inches long but don't be surprised when you encounter a much bigger fish or possibly a bull trout.
A boat can be very advantageous. If you do not have a boat and wish to experience this fishery, you may want to contact Mike Duncan at Prestige Sportfishing, whoc currently offers cutthroat trout fishing day trips for $125/person.
Sturgeon fishing is also happening right nowin both the Harrison River and Fraser River. If you haven't fished for awhile and are getting the itch to fight a big fish, then contact the following guiding services that are running some sturgeon fishing trips during this time of the year.
Tidal Fraser River
The tidal portion of the Fraser River remains slow for fishing during this time of the year. Once the weather warms up, bull trout and coastal cutthroat trout will start appearing to feed in the shallows. This usually starts happening in late February and early March when the first waves of juvenile salmon appear in this part of the river.
If you have the patience, you can also bottom fish with roe for steelhead that are returning to systems in the Fraser Valley. The chance of catching one is pretty low but it can be rather exciting when you do get the bite.
At the Fraser River mouth around Steveston, you can also catch Pacific herring at times. To catch these small yet tasty fish, you need a herring jig, which is available at most tackle stores.
To fish the Tidal Fraser River (downstream from the railway bridge in Mission), you are required to have a valid saltwater fishing licence. If you want to keep salmon, you also need to buy a salmon stamp.
For more information on this fishery and the latest updates on saltwater fishing around Steveston and the Tidal Fraser River, stop by the following stores in Richmond.
Non-tidal Fraser River
Fishing condition has improved since the deep freeze. Water clarity is not bad at all. Please note that Island 22 is closed to vehicle traffic on weekdays between February 1st and 17th (see notice)
The backwaters of the Fraser River can be very good for coastal cutthroat trout fishing during this time of the year. These fish start showing up at where salmon have spawned as they like to feed on salmon eggs. Look for them near the mouth of small tributaries, where they have a tendency to stage. Try float fishing with a small salmon egg (either natural or artificial). If you are fly fishing, try fishing with small nymphs, egg patterns and possibly minnow patterns. Look for signs of fish on the surface. Please make sure all wild trout are released.
Most of these fish are between 10 and 16 inches long, so a light setup is adequate enough. A spinning rod rated between 2 and 6lb or a 4/5 weight fly fishing rod is ideal.
Chilliwack Dart and Tackle is only several minutes from Island 22 boat launch by car. It carries all fishing tackle needed for Fraser River and other systems in the Fraser Valley. Staff member Nick Basok is a former trout hatchery technician and he is extremely knowledgable on this subject so definitely ask him lots of questions when visiting the store.
Lower Mainland lakes
The Region 2's trout stocking database is usually updated once rainbow trout are stocked by the Fraser Valley Trout Hatchery. These rainbow trout are released at "catchable size", usually have an average weight of 300g.
The Fraser Valley Trout Hatchery has finished stocking catchable rainbow trout into all urban lakes for 2011. Fishing is generally slow during this time of the year due to the cold water and the lack of stockings. It is always worth trying of course. For best result, bait fishing on the bottom can be productive. Stockings will resume in late March.
Back in early December, the hatchery also released batches of surplus brood trout into Lafarge, Green Timbers and Mill Lakes. If you are interested in catching a big trout, these three lakes are your best option around the Lower Mainland.
Most lakes are currently fully or partially covered by ice so fishing may not be possible. This should change pretty soon because we are expecting warmer weather ahead of us.
For all your introductory fishing needs, please visit Berry's Bait and Tackle in Richmond and Sea Run Fly and Tackle in Coquitlam. These articles may assist you:
Please remember that if you are fishing from shore, you are only allowed to use ONE rod. If you are fishing alone in a boat, then you are permited to use two rods. Only one single hook is allowed on your rod. Please note that barbless hooks are required to be used at some lakes. You are allowed to keep four trout per day (please note, this does not apply to ALL lakes in the Lower Mainland. Green Timbers Lake has a limit of two fish per day. Catch and release is required in some lakes, please check regulations). If you witness violations, please contact the nearest conservation office or phone 1-877-952-RAPP (7277).
Before heading out to one of the above mentioned lakes. please read the freshwater regulations in Region 2 first. If you have a question regarding this Lower Mainland fishing report or would like to offer some feedbacks, please feel free to email me. While I do my best to reply to all emails, my inbox is usually filled pretty fast during peak fishing seasons so my replies may not always be right away. Thank you for your patience.
Good luck and please conserve your catches!
Rodney Hsu
Webmaster, Fishing with Rod Production