Gulf Islands BC Fishing Locations

The Gulf Islands are located between Vancouver Island and the mainland of BC. These are all found within the Strait of Georgia. These Gulf Islands provide fishing opportunities all year round. Within these islands there are many fishing areas that are given specific names that may or may not link to the geography. For example, “Thrasher Rock” is a popular Salmon area that has no specific rock named Thrasher but is simply a general area just southeast of Gabriola Island. This tip provides some context for these popular fishing names and spots. There are endless places to explore around these islands, this is just a primer.

Resident Feeder Chinooks and Run Times

These are immature Chinook (King) salmon usually around 2-3 years old. They’re usually start showing up to the Gulf Islands in the Winter around December and remain in the area until March and April. They are in the area during this time because of the abundance of herring and small bait fish. These fish aren’t giants yet and are typically in the 5 lbs to 20 lbs range. That said, these fish are great fighters and super aggressive as they’re fattening up to be full adults (spawners) next year.

Migratory Chinooks and Run Times

These are adult Chinook (King) Salmon usually 4+ years old that are making their way back to their birthplaces to spawn. These fish usually start showing up in the Gulf Islands in February and can continue to be found in the area until mid/late October. The overlap (March & April) of the feeder Chinook and migratory Chinook run times can make for some fantastic fishing! However, the majority of the migratory Chinooks show up around late June and early July.

These are the migratory Chinook can range from 10 lbs to 30 lbs (some exceeding 30 lbs). Most of these fish are heading into large rivers within British Columbia, Washington & Oregon (Fraser River, Columbia River, etc.) and then moving into their respective tributaries.

Coho, Pink & Chum Salmon Run Times

There are a number of other Salmon species migrating through the Gulf Islands, here are some of these species and run times.

Coho Salmon begin to show up in August and can continue to be found until December. However, the majority of the Coho will be found between late September to late October.

Pink Salmon show up in early August (most abundant during odd years), these fish come close to shore so can be targeted inshore and off the beach.

Chum Salmon will begin to show up in September but aren’t as popular to target as anglers are often targeting Chinook and Coho at this time.

Gulf Islands Areas

Here is additional areas to explore and fish within the Gulf Islands. For space sake these are not all included on the map above. I’ve included a “Open Map” link which will open the location in Google Maps.

More Information on the Southern Gulf Islands

If you’re looking for further information on the Southern Gulf Islands (e.g. places to explore, things to do, maps, island events, ferries, etc) I’d recommend the Experience the Southern Gulf Islands. This page provides a wealth of tourist information on Galiano, Mayne, Pender, Salt Spring, and Saturna Islands.