Trial Islands

The Trial Islands sit off the southern tip of Victoria in DFO subarea 19-4, a cluster of exposed kelp-fringed rock reefs rising from mid-channel depths along Juan de Fuca Strait. The structure holds Chinook Salmon through their June to August peak and Coho Salmon from June into September, with both species moving along the current lines that wrap the islands. Lingcod work the rock from 35 to 100 feet and bite through the winter window of November to March before a second push from April to June, while Yelloweye Rockfish hold deeper on the same broken bottom. Tide rips around the islands are strong and consistent, concentrating bait against the reef edges and kelp margins. The combination of hard structure, kelp cover, and moving water defines the fishery here year round.