The time of year you decide to go fishing can have a big impact on your experience. Choosing the right time to go can be the difference between catching something every time you cast and catching nothing at all.

Of course, where you choose to go also has a large impact on your fishing experience. For instance, the area around Vancouver is a moderate climate, and good fishing can be found there year-round. Another factor in the best time to go fishing is what type of fishing you want to do. Freshwater and saltwater fish have different seasons, and then within the fresh and saltwater categories, different species have different seasons for their runs. The type of fish you plan to catch will dictate when and where you will want to go fishing.

 

The Year Breakdown

June-September:

  • This is the best time for saltwater fishing, though the peak time tends to be from mid-July to early September.

  • Trout fishing in rivers starts in mid-July. The rivers are usually too high before then.

  • Salmon fishing starts getting good in late August.

  • Sturgeon fishing is great all summer long in the Fraser River.

  • Steelhead fish in northern BC in mid-September.

 

September-November:

  • This is the best time to fish the coastal rivers. This will yield mostly chum salmon and coho salmon. They’re most prevalent during October.

  • Steelhead fishing is at its peak at this time of year. Many rivers, like the Bulkley and the Skeena, have their best fishing in September and October.

  • Lake fishing in the interior gets good as temperatures cool off and fish are fattening up for winter.

  • Sturgeon fishing continues to be excellent in the Fraser River.

 

November-February:

  • Steelhead fishing around Vancouver Island starts in December for winter-run steelhead.

  • Salmon fishing in Vancouver is decent for smaller winter Chinook salmon.

 

February-June:

  • Ice starts coming off the lakes in April, and fish start feeding heavily. May and June are prime fishing months for huge rainbow trout.

  • Steelhead season in southern BC rivers starts in February and gets really good in March and April.

  • Chinook salmon start their run in northern BC at this time.

British Columbia has lots of great fishing, and whenever you decide to come and start your fishing trip, BC will have something for you to catch.