Months come from each species' own season curve around Campbell River. A strong month is strong for that fish, not a ranking against the others. Time of day, when it is shown, is today's forecast and moves with the tide.
Each row is shaded against that species' own best month here, so a dark cell means a good month for that fish rather than a comparison between them.
| Species | January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chinook Salmon | ||||||||||||
| Coho Salmon | ||||||||||||
| Halibut | ||||||||||||
| Lingcod | ||||||||||||
| Black Rockfish | ||||||||||||
| Surfperch | ||||||||||||
| Flounder / Sole (Flatfish) | ||||||||||||
| Herring |
Chinook Salmon: January poor, February poor, March fair, April good, May good, June peak, July peak, August peak, September fair, October poor, November poor, December poor. Coho Salmon: January none, February none, March none, April poor, May peak, June peak, July peak, August peak, September peak, October none, November none, December none. Halibut: January none, February poor, March fair, April excellent, May peak, June peak, July peak, August peak, September good, October poor, November none, December none. Lingcod: January fair, February fair, March fair, April fair, May good, June good, July good, August good, September good, October good, November fair, December fair. Black Rockfish: January fair, February fair, March fair, April fair, May good, June good, July excellent, August good, September good, October fair, November fair, December fair. Surfperch: January poor, February fair, March fair, April good, May excellent, June excellent, July good, August good, September excellent, October fair, November fair, December poor. Flounder / Sole (Flatfish): January fair, February fair, March good, April good, May good, June good, July excellent, August excellent, September good, October fair, November fair, December poor. Herring: January peak, February peak, March peak, April fair, May poor, June none, July none, August poor, September fair, October good, November good, December excellent.
These are today's forecast windows, taken at the spot leading each species. They are not a standing schedule.
Peaks in June, July and August.
Campbell River sits on the migratory highway to the Fraser and local Campbell/Quinsam systems, so summer abundance peaks mid-July through mid-August (weeks 29–31) as mature Chinook stage off the Discovery Passage before spawning. A secondary winter/spring presence of resident feeder (blackmouth) Chinook holds a moderate baseline through the colder months, giving the curve a bimodal but summer-dominant shape.
Peaks in May, June, July, August and September.
Saltwater abundance is zero in winter as adults die post-spawn. Immature resident 'bluebacks' appear in spring (April/May) and build until the massive migratory run of large 'Northern' Coho funnels through Discovery Passage from July to mid-September, before rapidly exiting the saltwater to spawn in the Campbell and Quinsam rivers by late October.
Peaks in May, June, July and August.
Pacific halibut migrate from deeper offshore wintering/spawning grounds into Campbell River's shallower feeding banks as waters warm, with peak abundance from late spring through mid-summer (May–July) driven by feeding aggregations. Numbers taper through fall as fish move back offshore, leaving a low but non-zero baseline in winter since some fish remain in deeper local waters year-round.
Good in May, June, July, August, September and October.
Lingcod are a resident, non-migratory bottomfish present year-round in Campbell River's rocky reefs and channels, so abundance stays near baseline with no true zeros. Spring peaks reflect post-spawn males guarding nests and aggregating on structure (late Feb–Apr males are catchable but egg-guarding lowers the early-season count), while a broader late-summer/fall peak reflects concentration on productive reefs and improved feeding activity before winter dispersal into deeper water.
Excellent in July.
Black rockfish are non-migratory resident reef fish in Campbell River's waters year-round, so abundance stays close to baseline all seasons. The modest summer bump (July–September) reflects warmer nearshore water pulling fish shallower and more concentrated over rocky structure and kelp, with juveniles recruiting to nearshore reefs, while winter fish remain present but disperse deeper.
Excellent in May, June and September.
Surfperch (shiner and pile perch) are resident year-round in Campbell River's nearshore waters, so abundance never drops to zero. A spring peak reflects pre-spawn aggregations near eelgrass and pilings (viviparous perch gather to mate/give birth May–June), and a stronger late-summer/early-fall peak (Aug–Sep) reflects warm water concentrating fish and abundant juveniles along beaches and structure before winter dispersal.
Excellent in July and August.
Flatfish are resident year-round in Campbell River's sandy/muddy bottoms, so abundance stays relatively broad and flat. Warmer summer and early-fall water pulls fish into shallower feeding grounds with a peak around August-September, while cold winter months push them deeper and slightly reduce nearshore density.
Peaks in January, February and March.
Pacific herring peak in early-to-mid spring (March–April) when mature adults mass in Strait of Georgia waters near Campbell River to spawn on kelp and eelgrass shallows. After spawning the adults disperse offshore and juveniles are dispersed, so presence drops through summer, with a modest fall buildup as schools reaggregate over winter feeding grounds.
It depends on the species. Chinook Salmon peaks in June, July and August. Coho Salmon peaks in May, June, July, August and September. Halibut peaks in May, June, July and August. Lingcod is good in May, June, July, August, September and October. Black Rockfish is excellent in July. Surfperch is excellent in May, June and September.
On October 31, 2026, the forecast windows are Chinook Salmon 3 PM to 6 PM, Coho Salmon 3 PM to 6 PM, Halibut 4 PM to 6 PM, Surfperch 8 AM to 6 PM, Flounder / Sole (Flatfish) 8 AM to 6 PM and Herring 4 PM to 7 PM. These are today's model windows, not a standing schedule.