PFMA 23-7Halibut · Open

Sandford Island / Coaster Channel

48.87°N · 125.18°W

Species
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Best score for the day · 10 AM
88/100
GOOD

Now 19 · 11 PM PDT

BEST WINDOW
6 AM-2 PM
Tide flooding
DFO · PFMA 23-7 · Halibut openRegulations ↗1 per day · max 112 cm · angling, spear fishing while diving
Recent reports
Updated 5 days ago

Sandford Island fishing well, chinook…

14-Day Forecast
Data from: ECMWF + GFS + BlueCaster

24-Hour Conditions

All times PDT

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Conditions
Time
11 PM
Now
Score
19
Tough
Tide
2.6 ft ▲
Flooding
Current
Flood
Wind
5 kn
S · gusty
Sea state
Rough
1.2 m
Air temp
13°
Mild
Weather
Overcast
100% cloud
Hour 11 PM. Score 19 Tough. Tide 2.6ft Rising ▲. Current -0.0kn Slack. Wind 5kn S G23. Sea 1.2m Rough. Air 13.3°.
Why this score
Current
Slack
Prime

Current regulations

In effect now

What you can keep at this spot today

Halibut
Retention open
Daily limit
1 per day
Possession
Not published
Size
Maximum 112 cm
Gear
angling, spear fishing while diving
Annual quota
10 per year
Other
Areas 23 and 123. Coastwide annual limit 10 (Apr 1 2026–Mar 31 2027). Max 112 cm head-on. Possession limit equals daily limit. Spear fishing while diving closed in Pacific Rim National Park. Non-residents must obtain in-person licence for Areas 121, 23, 123.
Other species here
Lingcod Retention openChinook Salmon Retention openCoho Salmon Retention openRockfish (Aggregate) Retention open
Always check with DFO

Source: DFO/MPO · PFMA 23-7 · synced 4 days ago

Seasonality

52-week view · today highlighted

When Halibut is best at this spot

Peak seasonCurrently in peak season for Halibut
~1 more week at peak
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Peak seasonShoulder seasonOff season
SPOT PROFILE
DEPTH
40-200 ft
Rock
LAUNCH
Not mapped
PEAK
Peak now
STRUCTURE
Drop Off
Mid

Sandford Island's Coaster Channel is a rocky drop-off near Bamfield, British Columbia, where the bottom falls away through mid-exposure water from about 40 to 180 feet. The channel holds Chinook Salmon at their peak from May through August and Coho Salmon from May into September, with Rockfish concentrated over the rock structure from May through September. Trolling anchovy, herring, flashers, and hootchies works the salmon through the water column, while mooching cut-plug herring covers the shallower edges of the drop-off. Coho respond to trolling spoons and hootchies along the same lines, and bucktailing takes fish near the surface. For Rockfish, jigging metal and leadhead jigs or soft plastic swimbaits down along the rock produces over the deeper portions of the drop-off.

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Sandford Island / Coaster Channel is one of the spots we track around Bamfield. See every scored spot in British Columbia.

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