Halibut Fishing in Sidney, BC

Sidney sits at the doorstep of Haro Strait, and the halibut that feed here run a predictable calendar. Fish push in from deep offshore spawning grounds starting in March, building fast through April into a strong spring arrival peak in late April and May. The bite stays broad from late May into July, then tapers as fish spread deeper, with a second feeding push in August. Numbers thin sharply after October and stay lowest from December through February, when most adults are out on the shelf edge. March through August is your window.

Nine spots around Sidney hold halibut: Active Pass, Colburne Passage and Moresby Island, D'Arcy Island, James Island, Patrician Bay, Portland Island, Sidney Spit, and Willis Point. These are current-swept edges where herring and sand lance stack up, and the halibut follow the bait.

Everything here revolves around the tide. Fish the slack. From dead slack up to about 0.5 knots you can hold bottom and feel your gear, and by roughly 2.5 knots the water shuts you down. Plan your runs around the window either side of high or low water. Drift jigging over sand and gravel flats in 120 to 300 feet is the dominant approach, working metal jigs, leadhead jigs with soft plastics, or a spreader bar with bait near bottom. When you want to sit still, anchor whole herring, salmon bellies, octopus or squid on heavy weights.