Gulf Islands Fishing Report & Forecast

When to fish Gulf Islands

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.

Chinook Salmon: January poor, February fair, March fair, April fair, May excellent, June peak, July peak, August peak, September fair, October poor, November poor, December poor. Coho Salmon: January none, February none, March poor, April poor, May fair, June excellent, July peak, August peak, September peak, October excellent, November none, December none. Lingcod: January fair, February fair, March excellent, April good, May fair, June fair, July good, August good, September fair, October fair, November fair, December fair. Black Rockfish: January fair, February fair, March fair, April fair, May good, June good, July good, August good, September good, October good, November fair, December fair. Copper Rockfish: January fair, February fair, March fair, April good, May good, June good, July good, August good, September good, October good, November fair, December fair. Surfperch: January fair, February fair, March good, April good, May good, June good, July excellent, August good, September fair, October fair, November fair, December fair. Flounder / Sole (Flatfish): January fair, February fair, March good, April good, May good, June good, July good, August excellent, September good, October fair, November fair, December fair. Herring: January peak, February peak, March peak, April poor, May none, June none, July poor, August poor, September poor, October fair, November excellent, December peak. Rockfish (Aggregate): January fair, February fair, March fair, April fair, May good, June good, July good, August good, September good, October good, November fair, December fair.

• Chinook Salmon. Gulf Islands Chinook show a strong summer peak (July–August) as maturing Fraser and Puget Sound stocks stage and migrate through the islands toward natal rivers, with the sharpest abundance in late July. A secondary lift in winter/spring reflects resident 'feeder' (immature) Chinook that overwinter in these inshore waters, keeping abundance well above zero year-round.
• Coho Salmon. Coho abundance in the Gulf Islands peaks in late August through September (weeks 34-37) as maturing adults stage and migrate toward Fraser and local river systems. A modest early-summer bump (weeks 26-33) reflects feeder/immature coho building through the season, while winter and early spring show minimal presence as most fish are offshore or have spawned out.
• Lingcod. Lingcod are resident, non-migratory reef/rock-structure fish in the Gulf Islands, present year-round with modest seasonal shifts. The spring peak (Feb–May) reflects males aggregating on nesting rocks to guard egg masses in shallower, more accessible water, making them locally most concentrated; abundance stays near baseline the rest of the year with slight dips during post-spawn dispersal into deeper water in early summer.
• Black Rockfish. Black rockfish are resident, non-migratory, long-lived reef dwellers in the Gulf Islands, so abundance is essentially flat year-round with only a slight rise through the warmer months when fish are more active and dispersed on shallower structure. The minor late-fall/winter dip reflects reduced feeding activity and movement to deeper water during coldest temperatures, but the stock never leaves these waters.
• Copper Rockfish. Copper rockfish are non-migratory, long-lived resident bottomfish tightly associated with rocky reef and kelp structure in the Gulf Islands, so their biological abundance is essentially flat year-round. Minor seasonal variation exists as fish may move slightly deeper in winter, but they remain present in these waters every week with no true biological absence.
• Surfperch. Shiner and larger surfperch are resident year-round in Gulf Islands eelgrass and cobble shallows, so abundance stays broadly near baseline. The spring peak (March–May) reflects pre-spawn aggregations moving inshore to give live birth in warming nearshore waters, with a slight late-summer bump as young-of-year recruit before a mild fall/winter dispersal into deeper, cooler water.
• Flounder / Sole (Flatfish). Flatfish are resident year-round in Gulf Islands sandy/muddy bays, so the curve never hits zero, but abundance peaks in warmer months when fish move into shallower feeding flats. The spring build (Apr–Jun) and a strong late-summer/early-fall peak (Aug–Sep) reflect inshore feeding aggregations; winter fish drop to deeper water lowering nearshore density.
• Herring. Gulf Islands Pacific herring peak sharply in late February through March when mature adults mass in the Strait of Georgia to spawn on nearshore eelgrass and kelp (weeks 8–13). After spawning the bulk of adults disperse offshore to deeper feeding grounds, leaving low but persistent juvenile and resident presence through summer and fall, with a slow build as pre-spawn schools begin staging again in early winter.
• Rockfish (Aggregate). Rockfish are extremely resident, non-migratory, long-lived structure-oriented fish that occupy the same rocky reefs and pinnacles of the Gulf Islands year-round, so biological abundance stays flat near baseline all 52 weeks. Minor seasonal variation exists (slightly deeper/less active in cold winter months) but the standing stock does not leave, making a truly flat curve the realistic representation.

Before you go

Fishing Gulf Islands

Common questions about Gulf Islands

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