ReelCaster
PFMA 17-16Halibut · Open

Northumberland Channel

49.14°N · 123.84°W

Species
tap to switch species
Best score for the day · 6 AM
90/100
GOOD

Now 26 · 11 PM PDT

BEST WINDOW
6 AM-9 PM
Tide flooding
DFO · PFMA 17-16 · Halibut openRegulations ↗1 per day · max 112 cm · angling, spear fishing while diving
14-Day Forecast
Data from: ECMWF + GFS + BlueCaster

24-Hour Conditions

All times PDT

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Conditions
Time
11 PM
Now
Score
26
Tough
Tide
11.5 ft ▼
Ebbing
Current
—
Ebb
Wind
5 kn
SE · steady
Sea state
Rippled
0.2 m
Air temp
16°
Mild
Weather
Partly cloudy
34% cloud
Hour 11 PM. Score 26 Tough. Tide 11.5ft Rising ▲. Current -0.7kn Ebb. Wind 5kn SE G7. Sea 0.2m Rippled. Air 16.2°.
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
Not published
Other
Annual limit: 10 halibut aggregate (Apr 1 2026 – Mar 31 2027). Max size 112 cm head-on (85 cm pectoral/head-off). Possession limit equals daily limit. Must record all retained halibut.
Other species here
Coho Salmon Retention openLingcod Retention openChinook Salmon Catch & release
Always check with DFO ↗

Source: DFO/MPO · PFMA 17-16 · synced 7 days ago

Seasonality

52-week view · today highlighted

When Halibut is best at this spot

Shoulder seasonShoulder season for Halibut
~6 more weeks in shoulder
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Peak seasonShoulder seasonOff season
SPOT PROFILE
DEPTH
60-300 ft
Mixed
LAUNCH
Not mapped
PEAK
Shoulder
STRUCTURE
Drop Off
Mid

Northumberland Channel is a mid-exposure drop-off off Nanaimo, British Columbia, where a mixed bottom falls through depths of 80 to 280 feet. The structure holds lingcod, which peak from March through April and again from May into August, alongside Chinook and Coho Salmon that run strong from June through September. Anglers work the drop-off for lingcod with jigging using metal jigs, swimbaits, and leadhead jigs, or drop whole herring, live greenling, and squid on bait fishing setups over the deeper mixed ground. Chinook come to trolled anchovy, herring, flashers with hoochies, and spoons, with mooching cut-plug herring an effective option along the same edge. Coho hold higher in the water column and take trolled spoons, hootchies, and flashers, with jigging metal jigs a workable alternative when fish stack near the structure.

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Northumberland Channel is one of the spots we track around Nanaimo. See every scored spot in British Columbia.

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