Months come from each species' own season curve around Qualicum Beach. 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 | ||||||||||||
| Black Rockfish | ||||||||||||
| Surfperch | ||||||||||||
| Flounder / Sole (Flatfish) | ||||||||||||
| Herring | ||||||||||||
| Rockfish (Aggregate) |
Chinook Salmon: January poor, February fair, March good, April fair, May poor, June good, July peak, August peak, September peak, October poor, November poor, December poor. Coho Salmon: January none, February none, March none, April none, May poor, June peak, July peak, August peak, September peak, October good, November none, December none. Lingcod: January good, February good, March excellent, April fair, May fair, June fair, July fair, August good, September good, October fair, November fair, December good. Black Rockfish: January fair, February fair, March fair, April fair, May good, June good, July good, August good, September good, October fair, November fair, December fair. Surfperch: January poor, February fair, March fair, April fair, May good, June excellent, July excellent, August excellent, September good, October fair, November fair, December poor. Flounder / Sole (Flatfish): January poor, February fair, March good, April good, May good, June good, July good, August excellent, September good, October fair, November fair, December poor. Herring: January peak, February peak, March peak, April poor, May none, June poor, July poor, August poor, September poor, October fair, November fair, December good. Rockfish (Aggregate): January fair, February fair, March good, April good, May good, June good, July good, August good, September good, 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 July, August and September.
Qualicum Beach (Strait of Georgia) holds resident/feeder Chinook through winter and spring giving a moderate baseline that builds with warming water and bait, then peaks in late July through August as maturing Fraser and Puget Sound-bound stocks stage and migrate through. Abundance tapers through September as fish move to natal rivers, settling back to a winter feeder-Chinook baseline.
Peaks in June, July, August and September.
Coho are largely absent from Qualicum Beach waters in winter/early spring, with a modest presence of feeder/immature coho building through late spring and early summer. The dominant peak is the fall run (late August through September) as maturing coho stage in the Strait of Georgia near the Qualicum and Little Qualicum river mouths before spawning, then abundance drops sharply through October as fish move into freshwater.
Excellent in March.
Lingcod are resident year-round in Strait of Georgia waters off Qualicum Beach, so abundance never drops to zero. A late-winter/early-spring peak (Feb–Mar) reflects males guarding nests in shallower reefs, with a slight post-spawn dip in late spring as fish disperse, then a broad summer-fall rebuild as fish feed heavily and grow.
Good in May, June, July, August and September.
Black rockfish are non-migratory, structure-oriented resident fish in the Strait of Georgia around Qualicum Beach, so abundance stays near baseline year-round with no true biological absence. The modest summer-to-early-fall peak reflects warmer water pushing fish shallower and more active onto reefs, while winter shows slightly reduced presence as they hold deeper and feed less in colder temperatures.
Excellent in June, July and August.
Shiner and pile perch are resident year-round in Qualicum Beach's shallow eelgrass and sandy shorelines, so abundance stays near baseline. The spring peak (roughly March–April) reflects gravid females moving inshore to give live birth in warming nearshore waters, the best window for surfperch presence.
Excellent in August.
Flatfish are resident year-round in the shallow sandy flats around Qualicum Beach, so abundance stays broadly near baseline with no true zero weeks. A spring peak (Apr–Jun) reflects fish moving inshore to feed and spawn as water warms, with a secondary late-summer bump before deeper-water dispersal in colder months lowers inshore density.
Peaks in January, February and March.
The Strait of Georgia herring stock stages and spawns in the Qualicum Beach/Parksville area in late February through March (weeks 8-13), producing the dominant peak as mature fish mass in shallow nearshore waters to spawn on eelgrass and kelp. After spawning most adults disperse offshore to feed, leaving reduced but persistent nearshore presence of juveniles and residual schools through summer and fall, with abundance ticking up again in early winter as fish begin restaging.
Good in March, April, May, June, July, August and September.
Rockfish are long-lived, resident, non-migratory reef and rocky-structure dwellers in the Strait of Georgia near Qualicum Beach, so biological abundance is essentially flat year-round. A very mild summer bump reflects juvenile recruitment settling and slightly increased activity/feeding in warmer water, but the stock never truly leaves — the flat curve is realistic for this sedentary aggregate.
It depends on the species. Chinook Salmon peaks in July, August and September. Coho Salmon peaks in June, July, August and September. Lingcod is excellent in March. Black Rockfish is good in May, June, July, August and September. Surfperch is excellent in June, July and August. Flounder / Sole (Flatfish) is excellent in August.
On November 1, 2026, the forecast windows are Chinook Salmon 3 PM to 6 PM, Coho Salmon 3 PM to 6 PM, Surfperch 10 AM to 6 PM and Flounder / Sole (Flatfish) 10 AM to 6 PM. These are today's model windows, not a standing schedule.