About Whale Rock

Whale Rock is an outer-exposed pinnacle off Port McNeill, British Columbia, where rock structure rises through depths of 75 to 160 feet. The exposed pinnacle draws Chinook Salmon from May through August and Coho Salmon from May into September, both taken by trolling whole herring, anchovy, or flashers with hootchies through the upper water column. Lingcod hold tight to the rock and respond to metal jigs and swimbaits worked near the bottom, with peaks in late winter and again through summer into September. Pacific Halibut move onto the deeper edges from May through August, where drift jigging leadhead jigs with plastic swimbaits or metal jigs covers the bottom. Black and Copper Rockfish populate the structure through the summer season and take metal jigs and soft plastic swimbaits fished along the rock.