Region 1 - Vancouver Island: Recreational salmon fishing limits, openings and closures
- No fishing is allowed within 100 meters of any government facility operated for counting, passing or rearing fish.
- You must be aware of these measurements:
- All retained chinook and sockeye must measure 30 cm or more from tip of nose to tail fork
- All retained coho must measure 25 cm or more from tip of nose to tail fork
- An "adult chinook" in Region 1 is defined as being over 50 cm
- You must be aware of these possession limits:
- The daily limit for all species of Pacific salmon from tidal and fresh waters combined is 4. Individual species limits also apply.
- The possession limit for all salmon from all waters is twice the daily limit. You cannot possess more than 8 salmon in total, except for salmon that are at your ordinary residence.
- The total annual limit for chinook salmon over 50 cm is 10 fish from all fresh waters combined.
- Annual bait ban in effect in all streams of Region 1 as follows:
- All streams in Region 1 except: Quatse River; Somass River; Sproat River; Stamp River downstream of "Girl Guide Falls" (approximately 275 m upstream of the mouth of Beaver Creek), unless otherwise described below.
Related links
Salmon limits, openings and closures
Unless otherwise stated in the table below, the daily limit for all waters in Region 1 is zero (0).
This table refers to fishing for salmon only. For information on other species please refer to the B.C. Freshwater Fishing Regulations Synopsis.
| Waters | Specific area | Species | Dates | Limits/Gear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Campbell River | from a fishing boundary sign at the end of Maple Street downstream to the fishing boundary sign at the cement block. | All | Aug 1 to Oct 31 | No fishing for salmon |
| downstream of the confluence with the Quinsam River | Coho | Oct 1 to Dec 31 | 4 hatchery-marked coho per day, only 2 of which may be greater than 40 cm | |
| Pink | Jul 15 to Oct 15 | 4 per day FN0951 |
||
| downstream of the confluence with the Quinsam River to the fishing boundary sign at the end of Maple Street. | Chinook | To be determined | To be determined | |
| Cayeghle River | including Colonial River. | Coho | Apr 1 to Mar 31 | 1 per day |
| Chemainus River | Coho | Oct 15 to Mar 31 | 1 per day, maximum size 35 cm | |
| Cluxewe River | Coho | Apr 1 to Mar 31 | 2 per day, hatchery marked only | |
| Colonial River - see Cayeghle River | ||||
| Comox Lake | All | July 1 to Mar 31 | No fishing for salmon | |
| Conuma River | Chinook | Aug 25 to Dec 31 | 2 per day, only 1 over 77 cm | |
| Coho | Aug 25 to Dec 31 | 2 per day, hatchery marked only | ||
| Courtenay River (the waters below the confluence of the Puntledge and Tsolum Rivers) | Chinook | Sept 1 to Dec 31 | 2 per day | |
| Coho | Oct 15 to Nov 30 | 4 per day FN1070 |
||
| Chum | Apr 1 to Oct 31 | Non-retention | ||
| Nov 1 to Nov 30 | 2 per day FN1151 |
|||
| Dec 1 to Mar 31 | Non-retention | |||
| Cowichan River | from 66 Mile Trestle downstream to the white triangle boundary sign located in Sandy Pool Regional Park | All | Sep 1 to July 14 | Open for salmon catch and release |
| Coho | Nov 1 to Dec 31 | 1 per day | ||
| Chum | Nov 13 to Dec 31 | 4 per day FN1222 |
||
| from the white triangle boundary sign located in Sandy Pool Regional Park, downstream to the tidal boundary. | All | Sep 1 to Nov 15 | No fishing | |
| Coho | Nov 16 to Dec 31 | 1 per day | ||
| Chum | Nov 16 to Dec 31 | 4 per day FN1222 |
||
| Goldstream River | All | Apr 1 to Mar 31 | No fishing | |
| Koksilah River | including tributaries. | Chinook | To be determined | To be determined |
| Coho | Apr 1 to Mar 31 | 1 per day, maximum size 35 cm | ||
| Little Qualicum River | all open portions of the Little Qualicum River | All | Apr 1 to Mar 31 | Hook restriction, single barbless hook less than 15mm from point to shank |
| all waters unless indicated below | All | Sept 1 to Nov 30 | Fly-fishing only | |
| Chinook | Sept 1 to Nov 30 | 2 per day | ||
| Coho | Oct 1 to Nov 30 | 1 per day, hatchery marked only | ||
| from the hatchery fence to signs located approximately 35 meters downstream | All | Apr 1 to Mar 31 | No fishing | |
| from the falls in Little Qualicum Falls Provincial Park downstream to the hatchery fence | All | Dec 1 to May 31 | No fishing | |
| Nahwitti River | Coho | Apr 1 to Mar 31 | 1 per day | |
| Nanaimo River | including tributaries, except in the area described below. | Coho | Oct 15 to Mar 31 | 1 per day, maximum size 35 cm |
| from the power line crossing at "Bore Hole" upstream to the fishing boundary signs at the mouth of Boulder Creek | All | Jan 1 to Dec 31 | No fishing | |
| from the Cedar Road Bridge crossing upstream to the Highway 19 Bridge crossing | All | Sep 1 to Oct 15 | No fishing FN0575 |
|
| from the upstream side of the Cedar Road Bridge, upstream to the downstream side of the Highway 1 overpass. | Coho | Nov 1 to Dec 31 | 2 per day, hatchery marked only | |
| Chum | Nov 13 to Dec 31 | 4 per day FN1223 |
||
| Nitinat River | upstream of Parker Creek | All | Apr 1 to Mar 31 | No fishing for salmon |
| downstream of Parker Creek, except in the areas and times described below. | Chinook | Aug 25 to Sep 30 | 2 per day, only 1 over 77 cm. | |
| Coho | Aug 25 to Sep 30 | 2 per day | ||
| Oct 16 to Dec 31 | 2 per day | |||
| Chum | Aug 25 to Sep 30 | 2 per day | ||
| Oct 16 to Dec 31 | 2 per day | |||
| Nitinat River from 50m upstream to 50m downstream of the Nitinat River bridge. | All | Aug 25 to Oct 15 | Finfish closure | |
| from the powerline crossing upstream of the Nitinat River Hatchery water intake, downstream to the lowest point of confluence with the Little Nitinat River and then perpendicular to the flow of the Nitinat River, to the opposite shore | All | Apr 1 to Mar 31 | Finfish closure | |
| between fishing boundary signs located approximately 100m above and below Red Rock Pool. | All | Aug 25 to Dec 31 | Finfish closure | |
| Puntledge River | From signs located 50m upstream of the BC Hydro generating station tailrace to signs located 75m downstream of the Puntledge River hatchery fish fence (total distance approx. 500m) | All | Apr 1 to Mar 31 | No fishing |
| downstream from the base of Stotan Falls (approximately 450 m downstream of the Duncan Bay Mainline logging road bridge) | Coho | Oct 15 to Nov 30 | 4 per day FN1070 |
|
| Chinook | Oct 15 to Dec 31 | 2 per day FN1070 |
||
| Chum | Nov 1 to Nov 30 | 2 per day FN1151 |
||
| Morrison Creek closure: between fishing boundary signs located 100m upstream and downstream of the confluence with Morrison Creek. | All | Apr 1 to Mar 31 | Finfish closure | |
| Qualicum River | All open portions of the Qualicum River | All | Apr 1 to Mar 31 | Hook restriction, single barbless hook less than 15mm from point to shank |
| those waters upstream of the Big Qualicum Hatchery upper weir (located approximately 125 m downstream of the E&N railway bridge). | Chinook | Aug 30 to Dec 31 | 2 per day FN0884 |
|
| Coho | Sept 15 to Dec 31 | 4 per day, hatchery marked only | ||
| Pink | Aug 15 to Oct 15 | 4 per day | ||
| downstream of the upper weir (located approximately 125 m downstream of the E&N railway bridge) to the QFN boundary fence located approximately 100 m downstream of the hatchery counting fence | All | Aug 15 to Oct 15 | No fishing for salmon | |
| waters below the QFN boundary fence, downstream to the Hwy 19A bridge | All | Apr 1 to Mar 31 | No fishing for salmon | |
| Quatse River | Coho | Jun 15 to Mar 31 | 2 per day, hatchery marked fish only | |
| 100m upstream and downstream of the Quatse River Hatchery weir | All | Apr 1 to Mar 31 | No fishing | |
| Quinsam River | Coho | Oct 1 to Dec 31 | 4 coho per day in the aggregate, must be hatchery marked, only 2 of which may be greater than 40 cm | |
| Pink | Jul 15 to Oct 15 | 4 per day FN0951 |
||
| Reay Creek | All | Apr 1 to Mar 31 | No fishing for salmon | |
| Seymour River | Coho | Apr 1 to Mar 31 | 2 per day | |
| Shawnigan Creek | All | Apr 1 to Mar 31 | No fishing for salmon | |
| Somass River | All | June 1 to Aug 24 | Bait ban | |
| Except in those areas and times listed below | Chinook | Aug 25 to Dec 31 | 2 per day, 1 of which may be more than 77cm in length. | |
| Coho | Aug 25 to Dec 31 | 2 per day | ||
| from the tidal boundary signs at the top of the rapids at Paper Mill Dam upstream approximately 0.5km to the northeast corner of Collins Farm. Square boundary signs may be present to delineate the upstream boundary. | All | Aug 25 to Nov 15 | Finfish closure | |
| from the northern boundary of Somass Park (off Service Road) downstream to the southern boundary of Somass Park. Square boundary signs may be present to delineate these boundaries. | Sockeye | May 1 to July 23 | 1 per day | |
| Sproat River | All | May 1 to Oct 31 | Bait ban | |
| All | Apr 1 to Mar 31 | No retention of salmon | ||
| from Sproat Lake to approximately 300m below the Highway 4 bridge, at the downstream end of the pool that is below the rapids at the Sproat River Fishway. Square boundary signs may be present to delineate the downstream boundary. | All | Jun 15 to Nov 15 | Finfish closure | |
| Stamp River | Except in those areas and times listed below | Chinook | Aug 25 to Dec 31 | 2 per day, 1 of which may be more than 77 cm. in length |
| Coho | Aug 25 to Dec 31 | 2 per day | ||
| From the confluence of the Ash River upstream to the Great Central Lake Dam, including tributaries | All | Jan 1 to Apr 30 | Finfish closure | |
| From approximately 200 m upstream of the Stamp Falls fishway (50 downstream of site 17 in Stamp River Provincial Park) to 500 m downstream of the Stamp Falls fishway (225m downstream of the confluence of Deer Creek). Square boundary signs may be present to delineate these boundaries. | All | June 15 to Nov 15 | Finfish closure | |
| From the inlet upstream of Roberston Creek Hatchery Lagoon downstream to the outlet of the Hatchery lagoon. Square boundary signs may be present to delineate these boundaries. | All | Aug 25 to Sep 30 | Finfish closure | |
| From the southern portion of the Robertson Creek Hatchery Lagoon, east of a line drawn from the southern shoreline at the inlet to the Hatchery Lagoon to the northern shoreline at the inlet to the Hatchery Lagoon, then south of a line drawn from the northern shoreline at the inlet to the Hatchery Lagoon to the northern shoreline at the outlet to the Hatchery Lagoon, then west of a line drawn from the northern shoreline at the outlet to the Hatchery Lagoon to the southern shoreline at the outlet to the Hatchery Lagoon. Square boundary signs may be present to delineate these boundaries. | All | Oct 1 to Oct 31 | Finfish closure FN0965 |
|
| From the powerline crossing downstream approximately 500m to the inlet of Roberston Creek Hatchery Lagoon. Square boundary signs may be present to delineate the downstream boundary. | All | Oct 1 to Oct 14 | Finfish closure | |
| Stamp River downstream of “Girl Guide Falls” (approximately 275 m upstream of the mouth of Beaver Creek). Triangle sport fishing boundary signs may be present to delineate the upstream boundary. | All | Jun 1 to Aug 24 | Bait ban | |
| Washlawlis River | Coho | Apr 1 to Mar 31 | 1 per day | |
| Waukwaas River | Coho | Apr 1 to Mar 31 | 1 per day | |
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