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PFMA 14-3Halibut · Open

Ballenas Islands

49.35°N · 124.17°W

Species
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Best score for the day · 10 AM
90/100
GOOD

Now 20 · 10 PM PDT

BEST WINDOW
7 AM-5 PM
Tide ebbing
DFO · PFMA 14-3 · Halibut openRegulations ↗2 per day · max 112 cm · angling, spear fishing while diving
14-Day Forecast
Data from: ECMWF + GFS + BlueCaster
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24-Hour Conditions

All times PDT

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Conditions
Time
10 PM
Now
Score
20
Tough
Tide
11.3 ft ▼
Ebbing
Current
—
Ebb
Wind
15 kn
SE · steady
Sea state
Flat
0.1 m chop
Air temp
15°
Mild
Weather
Overcast
100% cloud
Hour 10 PM. Score 20 Tough. Tide 11.3ft Falling ▼. Current -1.5kn Ebb. Wind 15kn SE G21. Sea 0.1 m chop Flat. Air 15.2°.
Why this score
Current
Slack
Prime

Current regulations

In effect now

What you can keep at this spot today

Halibut
Retention open
Daily limit
2 per day
Possession
2 in possession
Size
Maximum 112 cm
Gear
angling, spear fishing while diving
Annual quota
10 per year
Other
Annual limit 10 (Apr 1 2026 – Mar 31 2027). Max size 112 cm head-on (85 cm pectoral/head-off). Possession limit equals daily limit (not twice). Must record retained halibut on licence.
Other species here
Lingcod Retention openChinook Salmon Retention openCoho Salmon Retention openRockfish (Aggregate) ClosedSablefish Retention openCopper Rockfish ClosedCod Retention openBlack Rockfish ClosedCanary Rockfish Closed
Always check with DFO ↗

Source: DFO/MPO · PFMA 14-3 · synced today

Seasonality

52-week view · today highlighted

When Halibut is best at this spot

Shoulder seasonShoulder season for Halibut
~4 more weeks in shoulder
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Peak seasonShoulder seasonOff season
SPOT PROFILE
DEPTH
70-220 ft
Rock
LAUNCH
Not mapped
PEAK
Shoulder
STRUCTURE
Kelp Reef
Outer Exposed

The Ballenas Islands sit in the outer, exposed waters off Nanaimo, British Columbia, where a rocky bottom and kelp reef structure drops through depths of 20 to 120 feet. This terrain holds Lingcod, which peak from March through April and again May through August, alongside Pacific Halibut running strong March through August and a year-round aggregate rockfish fishery. Chinook and Coho Salmon move through from June to September, drawing anglers who troll anchovy, herring, and flashers with hoochies through the passages. Over the rock and reef, jigging metal jigs, swimbaits, and leadhead jigs works the resident Lingcod and rockfish, while drift jigging with leadhead jigs and soft plastics or herring covers the deeper halibut ground. The exposed setting and steep depth changes reward working the structure edges where these species stage.

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Ballenas Islands is one of the spots we track around Qualicum Beach. See every scored spot in British Columbia.

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