The sockeye, pinks, cohos, and springs are practically begging you to cast your line and tempt them with your bait, and give you the fight of a lifetime. If the salmon aren’t biting, go for a halibut, lingcod, or red snapper, and put out a couple of crab and prawn pots to have the freshest seafood feast ever.
For freshwater fans, there are nearly 10,000 lakes to choose from on Vancouver Island, featuring steelhead, rainbow, Kokanee, and Dolly Vardens, as well as trophy-sized large and small-mouth bass.
The waters around Vancouver Island are filled with trophy-sized salmon and halibut, as well as snapper, cod, crabs, clams, oysters, prawns, and more. The gentle currents and rich biodiversity make the region ideal for all types of saltwater fishing. No matter which community you’re in, from Port Hardy in the north to Victoria in the south, from Campbell River on the Island’s east coast to the shores of Ucluelet, you’ll find world-class fishing year-round.
Charter a professional guide to take your group to the secret fishing holes that consistently produce the biggest salmon and halibut, or launch your own boat to go jigging off Port McNeill, trolling in Tofino, mooching in Port Renfrew, or crabbing in the Sooke harbour. Wherever the tide takes you, Vancouver Island has incredible saltwater fishing for everyone.
With nearly 10,000 lakes on the Island, freshwater fishing is practically within casting distance all the time. Snag a Dolly Varden in Comox Lake or a Steelhead in the Cowichan River, the Fly Fishing Capital of Canada. Watch for eagles and wildlife on the shores of the Nimpkish River, or cast a line from a houseboat on Sproat Lake. Cruise Buttle Lake to catch cutthroat in a secluded cove, or paddle around Cusheon Lake on Salt Spring Island to go after the smallmouth bass. If fishing is your element, you’re going to love Vancouver Island.
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