Months come from each species' own season curve around Nanaimo. 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 | ||||||||||||
| Lingcod | ||||||||||||
| Dungeness Crab | ||||||||||||
| Black Rockfish | ||||||||||||
| Surfperch | ||||||||||||
| Flounder / Sole (Flatfish) | ||||||||||||
| Herring | ||||||||||||
| Rockfish (Aggregate) |
Chinook Salmon: January poor, February fair, March fair, April fair, May good, June peak, July peak, August peak, September good, October poor, November poor, December poor. Coho Salmon: January none, February none, March poor, April poor, May good, June peak, July peak, August peak, September peak, October fair, November none, December none. Lingcod: January fair, February fair, March good, April good, May good, June good, July good, August good, September good, October fair, November fair, December fair. Dungeness Crab: January fair, February fair, March fair, April fair, May fair, June good, July excellent, August excellent, September excellent, October good, November fair, December fair. Black Rockfish: January fair, February fair, March good, April good, May good, June good, July good, August good, September good, October fair, November fair, December fair. Surfperch: January fair, February fair, March good, April good, May good, June excellent, July excellent, August good, September good, October fair, November fair, December fair. Flounder / Sole (Flatfish): January fair, February fair, March good, April fair, May good, June good, July good, August excellent, September good, October fair, November fair, December poor. Herring: January peak, February peak, March peak, April fair, May none, June none, July none, August none, September poor, October poor, November good, December good. Rockfish (Aggregate): January fair, February fair, March fair, April fair, May good, June good, July good, August good, September fair, October fair, November fair, December fair.
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.
Nanaimo (Gulf of Georgia) holds resident/feeder Chinook through winter and spring, giving a steady baseline, while the strong summer peak (late July–August) reflects mature Fraser and local river-bound Chinook staging and migrating through the Strait. Abundance tapers through September–October as fish enter rivers to spawn, hitting the annual low in fall before winter feeders rebuild presence.
Peaks in June, July, August and September.
Nanaimo-area Coho peak in late August through September as returning adults stage off the Nanaimo River and surrounding Strait of Georgia beaches before spawning; a modest summer build reflects feeder/immature coho present through mid-summer, while winter and early spring see the lowest biological presence as fish have spawned out or dispersed offshore as juveniles.
Good in March, April, May, June, July, August and September.
Lingcod are resident year-round in Nanaimo-area waters (Strait of Georgia reefs and ledges), so abundance never drops to zero. The clearest peak is late winter to early spring (Feb–Mar) when males aggregate on nesting reefs to guard egg masses, making them highly concentrated and catchable, with a modest secondary bump in mid-summer as post-spawn fish feed heavily on baitfish.
Excellent in July, August and September.
Dungeness crab are resident year-round in Nanaimo's protected waters, so abundance never drops to zero, but adult hard-shell biomass peaks late summer through fall (Aug–Oct) after the spring/early-summer molt when crabs harden and fill out. The early-summer molt period (May–Jul) shows a modest dip as many crabs are soft-shelled and less catchable, with a gradual winter tapering as crabs move to deeper water.
Good in March, April, May, June, July, August and September.
Black rockfish are non-migratory resident bottomfish around Nanaimo's rocky reefs and are present year-round, so the curve stays broad and flat. Slight summer peak (July–August) reflects warmer water, higher metabolism, and more active surface/mid-water feeding, while winter shows a modest dip as fish hold deeper and feed less in colder temperatures.
Excellent in June and July.
Shiner and pile perch remain resident in Nanaimo's nearshore, eelgrass, and pilings year-round, so the curve stays broadly near baseline. The clear late-winter/early-spring peak (Feb–Apr) reflects the pre-spawn aggregation when gravid, live-bearing females stack up along beaches and structure, after which numbers ease through summer as fish disperse.
Excellent in August.
Flatfish are resident year-round in Nanaimo's sandy/muddy nearshore flats and estuaries, so abundance never drops to zero. A spring spawning aggregation (Feb–Apr) and a stronger late-summer/early-fall peak (Aug–Sep), when fish move onto shallow warm flats to feed, drive the two bumps; winter fish stay deeper and slightly less concentrated.
Peaks in January, February and March.
Nanaimo lies within the Strait of Georgia herring migration corridor, with the massive late-winter spawning aggregation peaking February–March (weeks 6–11) when mature herring flood inshore to spawn. Outside the spawn, most adults disperse offshore into deeper Strait waters, leaving lower but non-zero background presence from juvenile and resident schools, with a slight late-year uptick as pre-spawn fish begin staging.
Good in May, June, July and August.
Rockfish (aggregate) are long-lived, non-migratory residents of nearshore reefs and rocky structure around Nanaimo, so biological abundance is essentially flat year-round. The very slight summer rise reflects warmer water pulling fish shallower and more concentrated onto reef edges, but the stock never leaves and is never biologically absent.
It depends on the species. Chinook Salmon peaks in June, July and August. Coho Salmon peaks in June, July, August and September. Lingcod is good in March, April, May, June, July, August and September. Dungeness Crab is excellent in July, August and September. Black Rockfish is good in March, April, May, June, July, August and September. Surfperch is excellent in June and July.
On November 1, 2026, the forecast windows are Chinook Salmon 3 PM to 6 PM, Coho Salmon 3 PM to 6 PM, Dungeness Crab 8 AM to 6 PM, Surfperch 8 AM to 6 PM, Flounder / Sole (Flatfish) 8 AM to 6 PM and Herring 8 AM to 6 PM. These are today's model windows, not a standing schedule.