CLOSED TO ALL FISHING TO SEP 30

Tidal Somass & Alberni Harbour

From the tidal boundary signs at the top of the rapids at Paper Mill Dam downstream through Alberni Harbour · DFO subarea 23-1 · BC tidal waters licence

Limits and restrictions

May not be kept5

ChinookClosed: then 2/day, area 23
CohoClosed: then up to 2 hatchery-marked/day, no wild coho
SockeyeClosed: 0/day here year-round
area 23 reads 4, this subarea is the exception
Chum Closed.
PinkClosed: Non-retention in area 23

Across this region, not just this water

Daily

4/day all species of Pacific salmon, tidal and fresh waters combined

Individual species limits also apply. DFO Region 1, daily limit preamble

River boundaries

Below the boundary signs at Paper Mill Dam, through Alberni Harbour. Tidal water on a tidal licence, and a different rule book from the river above it.

Map of Vancouver Island's salmon rivers from Paper Mill Dam down to Alberni Harbour. Status: Tidal Somass & Alberni Harbour closed. Other waters are shown for context only.

1.0×

Closed to salmon (broken outline) Open (see species & limits) Other waters (context) River gauge (tap for level and flow)

Paper Mill Dam. The tidal boundary. Above the signs at the top of the rapids you are on a freshwater licence; below them you are in subarea 23-1 on a tidal waters licence.

Timing

When you may fish, as opposed to what you may keep. Sun times are for this water, today.

Time-of-day closure. No fishing in the tidal Somass and Alberni Harbour from 10:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m., year round. Region 2 synopsis

Fishery regulations and notices

Regulation table

DFO Area 23, salmon restrictions table

Last checked: Tue, Oct 6, 2026 · 7:29 p.m. PDT

A fishery notice outranks the regulation table when the two disagree.

The most recent fishery notices naming this water, in DFO's own words.

FN1013-RECREATIONAL - Salmon - Coho - Stamp and Somass rivers - Region 1 - Coho Management Measures - Effective September 19, 2026
- Read what this notice says
FN0504-RECREATIONAL - Salmon - Coho - Region 1 - Stamp and Somass Rivers - Coho Management Measures - Effective August 25, 2026
- Read what this notice says
FN0475-RECREATIONAL - Salmon - Sockeye - Portion of the Somass River at Somass Park - Region 1 - Opening - May 1 to July 23, 2026
- Read what this notice says

Almanac

A day back and two ahead on one clock. Pressure is observed and stops at Now; future rain is ECCC's HRDPS weather model, and the moon is astronomy. Not a fishability call.

A timeline of moon phase, observed rain and observed barometric pressure across a day back and two ahead. Tide turns, river levels and pressure trend are also given in text on the water pages and map callouts.

Licence

What you need on this water

BC tidal waters sport fishing licence, not the freshwater one the rivers above use, plus the salmon conservation stamp to retain salmon. Retained chinook must be recorded on the licence. VERIFY

Buy a tidal waters licence Area 23 limits & closures