Do I need a fishing licence in Vancouver?

Yes. Saltwater fishing around Vancouver needs the Tidal Waters Sport Fishing Licence from Fisheries and Oceans Canada, $25.86 a year for a canadian resident, 16 to 64 in 2026-27. The Salmon Conservation Stamp ($7.39) is required to keep any salmon. Releasing does not need it. This is the federal tidal licence. Fishing fresh water in BC needs a separate provincial licence, and one does not cover the other.

Today's best fishing in Vancouver: 10 AM to 1 PM

This page is full of real data to show you what you can see with ReelCaster in Vancouver.

Today's best fishing in Vancouver: 10 AM to 1 PM

Updated today

What's biting now around Vancouver: Coho

Coho fishing at Sandheads looks good today.

ReelCaster scores every hour at Sandheads from 0 to 100, reading the tide, current, wind and weather for Coho. The higher the score, the better your odds. Green means go.

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Every spot around Vancouver, scored

Each number is today's best score out of 100 at that spot. The card walks the most-fished spots.

View Vancouver fishing map

Vancouver report

2026-10-18

Chinook and Coho are the story around Vancouver this week

The next 14 days in Vancouver

Data from: ECMWF + GFS + BlueCaster

Two weeks ahead
Most forecasts stop at the weekend. This one runs a full 14 days, so you can pick the day before you book the time off.
One number, out of 100
The best score anything in Vancouver reaches that day. Green is good, amber is fair, red is slow, and you can read it from across the room.
17,808 scores behind it
53 spots, every hour of every day, out to 14. This row is the best of them.

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Hour by hour today at Sandheads

All times PDT

One real spot
A city has no tide or wind of its own, so this is Sandheads, the most fished spot in Vancouver, scored for Coho Salmon.
Six readings, one clock
Tide, current, wind, sea, air and sky, all lined up on the same hour, so you can see what is actually driving the score.
Currents, not just tides
Modelled flow for the water off Vancouver, so you can see slack coming before you leave the dock.

Conditions · now

Time

7 PM

Now

Score

Tough

Tide

6.9 ft ▼

Ebbing

Current

—

Ebb

Wind

12 kn

NW · steady

Sea state

Flat

0.1 m chop

Air temp

12°

Mild

Weather

Overcast

100% cloud

The spots people actually fish in Vancouver

47 more on the map

A year of catch reports
The order here is how much each mark actually gets fished, not today's guess. The busiest water in Vancouver comes first.
Today's number too
Beside each name is the best score that spot reaches today, so you can weigh a proven mark against a good forecast.
Every spot has a page
Its own chart, its own species and its own rules, worked out the same way as everything above.

Every spot we score in Vancouver

Bathymetry: NONNA-10 + NRCan

Real charted seabed
Depth soundings, not a stock map. The banks, reefs and drop-offs are where you can see them.
53 spots, all scored
Every spot we cover around Vancouver, each one carrying its own number for today.
Point at any of them
The name, how busy a mark it is, and the tide, sea and seabed at its best hour.

Create custom spots

Our full model on your custom private spots.

Drop a pinAnywhere on the water. The ledge you found, the bay nobody talks about.
Name itYour name for it, not ours. It stays private to your account.
Choose speciesPick what you fish there, and it starts scoring from the next run.

What you can keep in Vancouver today

Chinook SalmonKeep in places2 a day · min 62 cmOpen at 44 of 48 spots we cover
Coho SalmonKeep in places2 a day · min 30 cmOpen at 44 of 52 spots we cover
Dungeness CrabKeep in places4 a day · min 16.5 cmOpen at 18 of 21 spots we cover
SurfperchKeep in places8 a dayOpen at 13 of 18 spots we cover
Flounder / Sole (Flatfish)Keep in places8 a dayOpen at 13 of 15 spots we cover
HerringKeep in places20 a dayOpen at 16 of 19 spots we cover
LingcodClosedShut at all 30 spots we cover
Rockfish (Aggregate)ClosedShut at all 24 spots we cover

Rules differ between PFMAs and change in season. Check DFO for the PFMA you are fishing before you keep anything.

What you can catch in Vancouver

That was one day. Pro opens the next fourteen.

Every spot on this map, hour by hour, two weeks out, with alerts when your water crosses the score you set.

$0 today, then $33 CAD a year, which is $2.75 a month. Card required, cancel any time.

When to fish Vancouver

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.

Relative abundance by month for each species around Vancouver
Species	January	February	March	April	May	June	July	August	September	October	November	December
Chinook Salmon
Coho Salmon
Lingcod
Rockfish (Aggregate)
Dungeness Crab
Surfperch
Flounder / Sole (Flatfish)
Herring

Chinook Salmon. Vancouver-area Chinook show a clear summer peak (late July–August) as Fraser-bound stocks stage through the Strait of Georgia and Howe Sound, plus a steady winter/spring 'feeder' (resident blackmouth) presence from January through May feeding on herring. The deepest trough is autumn (Sept–Nov) after the spawning runs push into rivers and before winter feeders re-establish.
Coho Salmon. Coho abundance in Vancouver waters (Strait of Georgia/Howe Sound) builds through summer as feeder/resident coho fatten, peaking late August through mid-September when mature returning fish stage off the Fraser, Capilano, and Squamish before river entry in late September/October. A secondary low plateau in spring (weeks 14–18) reflects resident 'bluebacks' before the bulk of smolts return as adults.
Lingcod. Lingcod are resident, non-migratory ambush predators present year-round in Vancouver-area waters (Howe Sound, Strait of Georgia), so abundance never drops to zero. The clearest peak is March–April when males are guarding egg masses on shallow reefs and females stage nearby, with a softer late-summer bump as juveniles recruit and adults feed heavily on herring.
Rockfish (Aggregate). Rockfish (aggregate: quillback, copper, black, yelloweye, china) are extremely resident and long-lived, so biological abundance in Vancouver's waters (Howe Sound, Strait of Georgia, Indian Arm) is nearly flat year-round. Very slight summer bump reflects juvenile recruitment and inshore feeding aggregations on shallower reefs, with a minor winter dip as some fish move slightly deeper — but stock presence never approaches zero.
Dungeness Crab. Dungeness crab are present year-round in Vancouver waters (Burrard Inlet, Howe Sound, Strait of Georgia), but biological 'abundance' of legal hard-shell adults peaks mid-summer through early fall after the spring/early-summer molt has hardened. The dip in late spring (weeks 17–20) reflects soft-shell post-molt crabs that are biologically present but in poor condition, and winter shows a slow taper as crabs move deeper and become less active.
Surfperch. Surfperch (mainly pile and striped perch) are resident year-round in Vancouver's inshore/estuarine waters, so abundance stays broad rather than showing sharp runs. The strongest peak is late spring/early summer (May–July) when perch gather in shallows to give live birth, with a secondary fall bump as juveniles recruit and fish feed heavily before cooler water pushes them slightly deeper in winter.
Flounder / Sole (Flatfish). Flatfish are resident year-round in the sandy/muddy flats of the Strait of Georgia and Vancouver's inshore waters, so abundance stays fairly flat with no true absence. A gradual peak develops through summer into early fall (June–September) as warming water boosts feeding and juveniles recruit onto the flats, before adults move to deeper water in winter, thinning the shallow inshore presence.
Herring. Pacific herring in the Strait of Georgia (Vancouver waters) show a dramatic late-winter/early-spring spawning aggregation, peaking roughly late February through March when mature schools mass in shallow nearshore areas to deposit eggs on eelgrass and kelp. After spawn, adults disperse offshore to feed, leaving lower but persistent presence of juveniles and non-spawning fish through summer and fall, with a modest autumn uptick as young-of-year recruit into local waters.

Before you go

Management areas

Water around Vancouver falls into 18 areas, and the rules can differ between them. Fisheries and Oceans Canada sets them.

16-2
28-1
28-2
28-4
28-5
28-6
28-7
28-9
28-10
28-11
28-12
29-2
29-3
29-4
29-8
29-9
29-10
29-12

Licence you need

Tidal Waters Sport Fishing Licence

Fisheries and Oceans Canada · 2026-27

Annual, Canadian resident, 16 to 64: $25.86

Salmon Conservation Stamp $7.39, required to keep any salmon. Releasing does not need it.

This is the federal tidal licence. Fishing fresh water in BC needs a separate provincial licence, and one does not cover the other.

Full licence guide Buy from Fisheries and Oceans Canada

Fishing Vancouver

Vancouver fishes as a meeting point rather than a single body of water. The Fraser River empties into the Strait of Georgia just south of the city, Burrard Inlet cuts inland past the downtown waterfront to Indian Arm, and Howe Sound opens to the northwest with steep fjord walls that drop into deep water within casting distance of shore. That geography concentrates fish. Salmon bound for the Fraser and for the Capilano and Squamish systems funnel past the same points, banks and tide lines, while rocky reefs and pinnacles hold resident bottom fish year round.

Chinook are the backbone here. Resident feeders work herring through the winter and spring, and the fishery builds strongly through early summer as returning Fraser stocks stage in the Strait and in Howe Sound, tapering off through autumn once fish push into the rivers. Coho follow a tighter curve, fattening offshore through summer and schooling heavily into September before river entry. Lingcod and rockfish are non migratory and stay put on the same reefs, with lingcod holding shallow and aggressive in the colder months. Dungeness crab are best after the spring molt has hardened, from midsummer into early fall.

The practical variable is the Fraser freshet. From late spring through early summer, snowmelt pushes a silty, low salinity layer across the nearshore, creating visible colour lines that both push bait and change where crab sit. Tides run hard through the Narrows. The area is split among several Fisheries and Oceans Canada subareas, and boundaries shift within a short run, so know which one you are fishing.

Local intel

Work the big ebb off Point Atkinson. Bait stacks along the Bell Buoy wall and the chinook sit tight to bottom there, so run the riggers 90 to 130 feet with a glow flasher first thing in the morning. Coho hold way shallower, bucktailing the surface at grey light off the Capilano mouth. Launch early out of Horseshoe Bay. The summer inflow westerly fills Howe Sound by early afternoon and turns the crossing toward Bowen into a slog. Drop your crab gear on the sand flats on the way out.

Common questions about Vancouver

›What is the best time of year to fish Vancouver?

Summer is the strongest all round stretch, with Chinook peaking through July and August as Fraser bound stocks stage through the Strait of Georgia and Howe Sound, and Coho peaking from late August into September as mature fish gather off the Fraser, Capilano and Squamish. Winter and early spring are quieter for migratory salmon, but resident feeder Chinook hold through those months and lingcod fishing is often at its best from late fall into spring.

›What fish can you catch around Vancouver and where do they hold?

Chinook and Coho salmon are the headline targets, moving through the Strait of Georgia and Howe Sound and staging near the Fraser, Capilano and Squamish river mouths in summer. Bottom species share the same water, with lingcod and rockfish sitting tight to rocky reefs and structure in Howe Sound, Indian Arm and the Strait. Dungeness crab work the sandy flats of Burrard Inlet, Howe Sound and the Strait, and you may also encounter Pacific cod, chum and pink salmon, kelp greenling, cabezon and the occasional wolf eel or giant Pacific octopus.

›What techniques work best for salmon in Vancouver?

Downrigger trolling is the workhorse method here because it lets you present flashers and bait or lures at the exact depth Chinook and Coho are holding over open water. Mooching a cut plug herring is a classic Strait of Georgia approach and shines when fish are stacked on bait near structure. Bucktailing on the surface can be deadly for Coho during the late summer staging period, and drift jigging covers you when fish are pinned to a specific depth band.

›Can you fish from shore in Vancouver or do you need a boat?

Most of the productive Vancouver salmon and bottom fishing happens from a boat, since downrigger trolling, mooching and bucktailing all need you out over the Strait of Georgia, Howe Sound or Burrard Inlet. Shore and bank anglers still have options, with bar fishing along the Fraser and bait fishing from beaches, jetties and piers where salmon push close to the river mouths in late summer. Crab can be worked from shore structure with a hoop net, while trap sets over deeper sandy ground generally call for a boat.

›What conditions should I watch before heading out on Vancouver waters?

The Fraser freshet is the big local variable, pushing low salinity water and sediment across the nearshore in late spring and early summer and changing where both crab and salmon sit. Wind and chop in the Strait of Georgia can build fast in exposed water, so check the marine forecast and pick sheltered ground in Howe Sound, Indian Arm or Burrard Inlet when it is blowing. Vancouver waters also span several Fisheries and Oceans Canada management subareas across Areas 16, 28 and 29, so confirm which one you are in and check current notices before you fish.

›When is the best time to catch Dungeness crab near Vancouver?

Crab are present in Burrard Inlet, Howe Sound and the Strait of Georgia year round, but the best condition hard shell adults show up from early summer through early fall once the spring molt has hardened. Late spring can be soft, with post molt crabs that are present but in poor condition, and winter sees crabs move deeper and become less active. Traps and hoop nets set over sandy bottom in the nearshore are the standard approach.

Vancouver report

The next 14 days in Vancouver

Two weeks ahead

One number, out of 100

17,808 scores behind it

Hour by hour today at Sandheads

One real spot

Six readings, one clock

Currents, not just tides

The spots people actually fish in Vancouver

A year of catch reports

Today's number too

Every spot has a page

Every spot we score in Vancouver

Real charted seabed

53 spots, all scored

Point at any of them

Create custom spots

What you can keep in Vancouver today

What you can catch in Vancouver

Coho Salmon

Chinook Salmon

Dungeness Crab

That was one day. Pro opens the next fourteen.

When to fish Vancouver

Before you go

Fishing Vancouver

Common questions about Vancouver

Nearby