Months come from each species' own season curve around Port Hardy. 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 | ||||||||||||
| Halibut | ||||||||||||
| Coho Salmon | ||||||||||||
| Lingcod | ||||||||||||
| Black Rockfish | ||||||||||||
| Surfperch | ||||||||||||
| Flounder / Sole (Flatfish) | ||||||||||||
| Herring |
Chinook Salmon: January poor, February poor, March fair, April fair, May excellent, June peak, July peak, August peak, September poor, October poor, November poor, December poor. Halibut: January none, February poor, March good, April peak, May peak, June peak, July peak, August excellent, September fair, October poor, November none, December none. Coho Salmon: January none, February none, March none, April poor, May fair, June peak, July peak, August peak, September peak, October poor, November none, December none. Lingcod: January fair, February fair, March fair, April fair, May good, June excellent, July excellent, August excellent, September good, October fair, November fair, December fair. Black Rockfish: January fair, February fair, March fair, April good, May good, June good, July excellent, August good, September good, October fair, November fair, December fair. Surfperch: January fair, February fair, March good, April fair, May good, June excellent, July peak, August excellent, September good, October fair, November fair, December fair. Flounder / Sole (Flatfish): January poor, February fair, March good, April good, May good, June excellent, July excellent, August excellent, September good, October fair, November fair, December poor. Herring: January excellent, February peak, March peak, April good, May poor, June poor, July poor, August poor, September poor, October poor, 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.
Port Hardy sees resident (feeder) Chinook year-round giving a steady winter baseline, but the dominant peak is the summer migratory run of northern-bound and Fraser/Vancouver Island-bound Chinook passing through Queen Charlotte Strait in late June through July, tapering through August. A modest spring build reflects arriving feeders and early migrants.
Peaks in April, May, June and July.
Pacific halibut migrate from deep offshore winter spawning grounds onto Port Hardy's shallower banks as waters warm from spring through summer, peaking roughly May–September when they feed heavily on abundant baitfish. Abundance tapers through fall as fish return to deeper offshore water, leaving reduced but not fully absent numbers in winter.
Peaks in June, July, August and September.
Port Hardy coho abundance peaks in late August through September (weeks 33-36) as mature fish stage off the northern Vancouver Island coast en route to natal rivers, with the sharp August build reflecting feeder coho fattening on herring and needlefish. A minor spring/early-summer presence reflects immature feeder coho, while winter shows near-absence as adults have spawned and juveniles are still rearing in freshwater.
Excellent in June, July and August.
Lingcod are resident, non-migratory reef and pinnacle dwellers around Port Hardy so they're present year-round with only moderate seasonal swing. Late winter/early spring shows a slight dip as post-spawn males (guarding nests Dec–Mar) and spent females recover, while summer (Jul–Aug) marks peak abundance as fish feed heavily in warmer, prey-rich water and pre-spawn aggregations build.
Excellent in July.
Black rockfish are non-migratory resident structure-dwellers around Port Hardy's rocky reefs and kelp, so they're present year-round with only modest seasonal variation. Abundance peaks in mid-to-late summer (July–August) when warmer water boosts activity and juveniles recruit inshore, while cold winter months push fish slightly deeper and less concentrated but never absent.
Peaks in July.
Shiner and pile perch are resident to Port Hardy's protected inshore waters year-round, so abundance never hits zero. The summer peak (late June–August) reflects post-spawn dispersal of newly birthed young (surfperch are livebearers) plus warmer nearshore water concentrating fish along beaches and eelgrass, while a secondary spring bump tracks pre-birth aggregations.
Excellent in June, July and August.
Flatfish are resident in Port Hardy's sandy/muddy inshore flats year-round, so the curve stays broad rather than spiking. Abundance builds through spring as fish move onto shallow feeding flats and peaks in late spring and again in late summer with warmer water and strong bait cycles; deeper winter dispersal into offshore basins lowers inshore presence in December–February.
Peaks in February and March.
Pacific Herring in Port Hardy peak sharply in late February through April when mature adults mass in nearshore waters to spawn on kelp and eelgrass. After spawning, adults disperse offshore, leaving lower but persistent summer/fall abundance from resident and juvenile fish that never fully vanish from these productive North Vancouver Island waters.
It depends on the species. Chinook Salmon peaks in June, July and August. Halibut peaks in April, May, June and July. Coho Salmon peaks in June, July, August and September. Lingcod is excellent in June, July and August. Black Rockfish is excellent in July. Surfperch peaks in July.
On October 31, 2026, the forecast windows are Chinook Salmon 4 PM to 7 PM, Halibut 8 AM to 7 PM, Coho Salmon 4 PM to 7 PM, Surfperch 8 AM to 7 PM, Flounder / Sole (Flatfish) 8 AM to 7 PM and Herring 8 AM to 7 PM. These are today's model windows, not a standing schedule.