Vancouver Island salmon fishing
Map of Vancouver Island's salmon rivers from the Nanaimo north to the Campbell. Status: Stamp River open, Somass River open, Tidal Somass & Alberni Harbour closed, Sproat River closed, Quinsam River open, Campbell River open, Courtenay River open, Puntledge River open, Comox Lake closed, Nanaimo River closed, Qualicum River open, Little Qualicum River open, Cowichan River closed, Koksilah River open, Chemainus River closed, Shawnigan Creek closed, San Juan River closed, Reay Creek closed, Nitinat River closed.
Open now9/19
- Stamp Riverchinook, coho
- Somass Riverchinook, coho
- Quinsam Rivercoho, pink
- Campbell Rivercoho, pink
- Courtenay Riverchinook, coho
- Puntledge Riverchinook, coho
- Qualicum Riverchinook, coho, pink
- Little Qualicum Riverchinook, coho
- Koksilah Rivercoho
Fishing on Vancouver Island
Shinook covers 19 waters on Vancouver Island. Openings are set water by water, not region-wide: two rivers a few kilometres apart can be open and closed on the same day, and a water open for one species is usually closed for the others. Limits also move during the season as DFO issues fishery notices, so what is true in August often is not in October.
Boundaries matter as much as dates. A bridge, a dam or a boundary sign can be the line between open and closed water, and every water page draws the points its own rules name.
Which licence you need depends on whether the water is fresh or tidal, not on where you are, and a river can change from one to the other along its length. Retaining a salmon needs a conservation stamp on top of the licence itself. Every water page says which licence it needs, links to where you buy one, and links to the exact regulation row its limits were read from. The Sources page lists every official page watched for changes, and when each was last checked.