Best Time to Fish Vancouver

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.

Chinook Salmon: January poor, February fair, March good, April good, May good, June excellent, July peak, August peak, September good, October poor, November poor, December poor. Coho Salmon: January none, February none, March poor, April fair, May fair, June excellent, July peak, August peak, September peak, October fair, November none, December none. Lingcod: January good, February good, March good, April good, May fair, June fair, July fair, August fair, September fair, October fair, November good, December good. Rockfish (Aggregate): January fair, February fair, March fair, April good, May good, June good, July good, August good, September good, October fair, November fair, December fair. Dungeness Crab: January fair, February fair, March fair, April fair, May good, June excellent, July excellent, August excellent, September good, October good, 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 poor, December poor. Flounder / Sole (Flatfish): January poor, February fair, March good, April good, May good, June excellent, July excellent, August excellent, September good, October fair, November fair, December fair. Herring: January peak, February peak, March peak, April poor, May poor, June poor, July poor, August poor, September poor, October fair, November good, December excellent.

• 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.

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