Pacific Angler Friday Fishing Report: March 6, 2026

OUTLOOK

March has arrived, and with it comes the promise of warmer weather, longer days, and more time on the water - sounds pretty good to us! 🎣

In this week’s report, Taylor checks in with the latest update from the Chilliwack/Vedder, while Eric and Jason are getting us ready for the season ahead with a couple of helpful primers. Eric dives into Spring Trout Fishing, and Jason shares some thoughts on Interior Lake Fishing as things start to wake up.

Back at the shop, we’ve been busy stocking the shelves with fresh spring arrivals. New gear has been showing up daily, so whether you stop by in person or browse online, there are plenty of new toys to check out.

Spring also means the return of a great lineup of in-store courses and events. Be sure to take a look at those, and much more, in this week’s report!

CLASSES AND COURSES

INDUSTRY EVENTS AND UPDATES

Stillwater Jam Session

Our next fly tying jam session will be later this month.   On Wednesday March 25 we will be back at the tying table tying the key flies for the upcoming lake fishing season.  
 
Check out the details here and get your free ticket before the night sells out! 

International Fly Fishing Film Festival

The Pacific Angler team is fired up to host the Vancouver stop of the International Fly Fishing Film Festival (IF4)  

Join us for an evening packed with incredible films, fishy stories, cold drinks, and a theatre full of people who’d rather be on the water but are pretty stoked for a night of fishing films!   

📍 Event Details
Date: Thursday, April 9, 2026
Doors Open: 5:00 PM
Films Start Rolling: 6:00 PM

Location: Rio Theatre – 1660 East Broadway, Vancouver, BC 

Check out all the details and get your tickets here! 

FRESHWATER FISHING REPORT

Chilliwack/Vedder Fishing Report

It’s March and steelhead season on the C/V system continues to be in full swing.  There are plenty of fish around, and fishing has been pretty good as a result.

A lovely wild hen caught earlier this week by @fishaholicjosh

This has been a bit of an interesting season for the C/V, with the late-2025 floods both changing the river and wreaking havoc on the clay slides- as such, anglers have had to re-learn the river while dealing with less-than-optimal water clarity. Low water is usually associated with clear water, but “low and dirty’ was the norm for the first few months of this season; with almost every single rainfall blowing the river out- regardless of how much the water level increased. Thankfully, the clay slides seem to have stabilized a bit, but viz has generally been lower than normal... not that that’s necessarily a bad thing! That’s not to say that things are back to normal, they definitely aren’t... viz still drops much faster than usual whenever it rains.

The river is currently running low with about 3’-4’ of viz... while I would like for the water to be a bit higher, the viz is almost perfect. There are a lot of fish spread throughout the system, so pick your favourite area and cover some water. Float fishing with the usual presentations or swinging spoons/spinners/flies will be your best bets. 

There looks to be a fair amount of rain in the forecast over the next week, so it’s tough to say how long the river will remain fishable before the inevitable blowout comes. Keep an eye on the weather and water levels if you’re planning on heading out in the next week. Fishing should remain good for the rest of the month, so there’s still a lot of time to get out there.

Note that the upper portion of the river (from the fishing boundary 100m below the confluence of Slesse Creek to the Tamihi Bridge) will close at the end of the month.  Also, remember that it’s March, so there will be a bunch of salmon fry hiding in the gravel—please avoid any unnecessary wading to avoid squishing them. 

Taylor Nakatani

Spring Trout Fishing Primer

Spring trout fisheries are starting to take shape in the lower mainland and Sea to Sky. These large systems along with a few local streams and outflows will all fish differently but they all have one thing in common… Salmon Fry.

Salmon fry are a major food source for migratory and resident fish. Some trout species will migrate hundreds of km from one system to the next for these seasonal feeding opportunities. The fall salmon eggs have hatched into Alevin over the winter. The Alevin will mature as temperatures rise in the early part of spring to finally emerge as free-swinging fry. Fry hatches will occur gradually and in differing places at differing times.

• Harrison has had reports of active fry for a few weeks. This is typical of the warmer inland rivers. Look to fish the open areas of the Harrison River or hike the estuaries to find a little creek mouth or inflow to fish. This is an easy place to get lost so have a gps handy if you choose to go off trail. Cutthroat are the most common trout here so lighter tackle can be stealthy and effective. The clear slower moving water lends itself to more realistic light flies and smaller gear.
• The Fraser and side channels can yield some excellent seasonal fishing. This time of year clarity can be good before we get the big spring rains. I look for side channels or creek inflows that put food into the system and give those fish a reason to stick around. Cutthroat are your main target but we see a few bulltrout as well. A mix of water conditions here so go prepared with small stuff in calm water and larger presentations for bigger confluences.
• The Sea to Sky and Squamish areas will take the longest to warm with the upper Squamish the last to pop. These are generally faster flowing rivers so I like to have some larger presentations with movement: minnow and fry patters, closer style and rabbit strip patterns. A light sink tip can be handy here as well. We have a variety of jig steamers in some fantastic coastal colours that have become very popular for fishing deep without hanging up. Crocs and Coho spoons are deadly as are a variety of weighted spinners. The main predators are Bull Trout and Rainbows with the outside chance of a Cutthroat in the lower rivers. Spring in Squamish also means chance at steelhead, so I fish a medium weight setup in case of a chance encounter with a unicorn or larger bull trout.
•  Saltwater creek mouths and beaches - I am not going to dive in-to this but I had to mention it. Salt is a whole other hunting ground and a topic on its own. Same principals apply but throw in tides, run timing, current movements, bait, and private property.

Regardless of where you choose to fish there are some common strategies to employ on the water.

• Move fast and look for risers. Look for fry and trout chasing them.
• Look for structure and cover. In clear water fish need to feel safe. Hard structure is cover, Fast choppy surface water with slower currents near the bottom is cover, a grey drizzling day is cover.
• Follow the birds. Plenty of birds feed on fry in spring. Look for mergansers, king fishers, and other bank side predators to locate the fry for you.
• Take note of online river levels before you go. Conditions change daily and some spots only fish well at specific water levels.
• Fly or gear? Why choose? Bring both. I can respect fly only mentality, but if you’re new to a location try brining both setups. It’s a day saver when it’s windy and those buggers are way off from shore. That fly won’t make it but this spoon will.
• You will need to fish an area a few times to get a good sense of that fishery… possibly years. There are no shortcuts here, boots on the ground go see what’s around that next river bend.

Fly Anglers:

• The basic 4,5 or 6 weight fly rod, floating lines, and a classic 9ft tapered leader will get you started. As with anything fly fishing we can specialize and take this setup further. If you are serious about this fishery I recommend:
• A good, sealed fly reel. This will provide years of use and will be useful if you take your adventure to the salt water.
• Fluorocarbon leaders. I like the Fluorocarbon leaders and tippet. These will make your presentations extra stealthy. Fluorocarbon is dense so it sinks well. This will help keep light unweighted flies in the strike zone.
• A good floating line will do the trick when fishing most situations. On some estuary and wide river sections this can be a distance cast game. Newer anglers may go with a shorter faster loading style line for easy distance. (Scientific Angler MPX tapers or Rio Mainstream dry line tapers) This is a good start but can be limiting at range. More intermediate and advanced anglers will benefit from a long head line for control at distance and delicate presentations. I am a huge fan of the Rio Gold once you have a good foundation in the fly cast.

You can't go wrong with these custom tied fry patterns by @frenzyflies

Flies:

I would group flies for cutthroat in 3 categories. A good cutthroat box will have some of each.

• Natural representations:  These are accurate ties of food items. Andre’s fry patterns shown above, rolled muddler minnows and weighted nymphs. These are a must on calm days with clear water. These conditions usually make for picky fish.
• Attractor patterns: these may not resemble food items but get the attention of the fish. Patterns like the Number 9, Micro Rabbit streamers, medusas, and the good old woolly bugger. When the wind is up, and the water is coloured try something loud.
• The third style straddle between attractor and natural. Patterns like the Mikey Finn have bait fish profiles with attractor colours. Surface poppers or gurglers resemble the movement of struggling bait fish but don’t look much like fry. These flies play on the aggressive trout nature while still somewhat resembling a prey item. Great patterns for the days you don’t know what to throw.

Gear Angling:

• Invest in a light weight spinning combo. Something in the 6-8ft range with a lighter crisp action. The Daiwa Presso and Fenwick Eagle spin rods are great rods for this fishery. These rods have an added bonus of coming in a 2, 3 and 4 piece options for any adventure.
• Lightweight spinning reels in a 1000-2500 size to balance the rod. Most reels will suffice for trout but it’s important to pick something light and comfortable for all day fishing. Again, a saltwater sealed reel can be an excellent choice should you hit the estuary and salt water. Check out some the Daiwa reels we stock. The Legalas, Fuego and BGMQ make for some great pairings on trout sticks.
• For maximum distance try using a braided line in the 6-10lb range. I like10lb braid as it is very thin, and I benefit from the added durability.
• Flourocarbon leaders or 6-10ft flouro top shot. 6-8lb for most locations will do.

Terminal tackle for gear anglers usually consist of selection of croc spoons, rooster tails and blue fox spinners. Again, a good tackle kit will have some small med and large presentations. Some anglers even opt to cast and retrieve flies behind a small water bobber… don’t be surprised if a greedy trout tries to eat your bobber!

A nice early spring trout from last year!

The hunt for spring trout can be very rewarding. If you need a hand getting started feel free to stop by the shop and we can get you set up. I hope you get a chance to get out yourselves and do some exploring.

Cheers,

Eric Peake

STILLWATER FISHING REPORTS

Interior Lake Fishing Primer

It’s the first week of March and that means it’s time to start talking about lake fishing!

Locally the lakes have recently been stocked and if that is your jam, or you want to take the kids out, the time to go is now. 

For the rest of us that have our eye on Region 3 and Region 5, here is what is going on.  Yes, it is looking like an early year, especially in Region 3. The typical fist to come off, lower elevation lakes around Kamloops in that 600m zone are already off.  No that is not a typo.  Others will soon follow, especially when we get to that stretch of March 16-19 where the daytime temps are forecast to be 14C with nighttime temps at 5C.  Those temps with some wind will make quick work of this year’s thin ice.  Around the end of March there will likely be quite a few lakes you can fish, certainly more than normal.

Looking at Region 5, I would say things are more “normal” if you can call the weather normal these days.  On the 14-day forecast we are seeing nighttime temps as low as -12C on some nights and trending to -2C mid-month.  We still have a long way to go for this area and will have a better idea of potential ice offs later in March.

If you want to tie up some lake flies, learn, hang out, or pick up a few materials at a great price, make sure to join us at the Stillwater Fly Tying Jam Session on March 25.  Click on the link to learn more about this free event (you need to sign up to attend).  I will be there tying some of my favourite lake flies, including chironomids with wing buds.

If you want to take your chironomid game to the next level, join me for the Contemporary Chironomid Tactics Course on April 7^th.  This one will sell out, so make sure to sign up now.

Orders are coming in daily and the shop is fully stocked for all your lake fishing needs with the latest tying materials, leaders, tippet, lines, rods and reels. 

It’s time to gear up and get ready because it always comes faster than you think it will, especially this year!

See you in the shop or on the water,

Jason Tonelli

SALTWATER FISHING REPORTS

Vancouver Winter Chinook Salmon Fishing Report

We’ve been out quite a few times this past week on charters and fishing has been good for us in Lower Howe Sound.  Some of our staff were also out this week and got some nice fish along West Van, the Bell, and around the freighters. 

 An absolute beauty from Lower Howe Sound.

There has been lots of bait around on most days and if this bait sticks around, so will the fish.

Almost 200 feet of bait!  Certainly no lack of food for the salmon in local waters.

Crabbing and prawning has also been productive and that should continue for the rest of the month and into the spring. 

A reminder that chinook fishing regulations (currently 2 per day, 62cm or greater) will change to no fishing for chinook effective April 1^st.  So, if you have a few spots left on your license or want to take advantage of our Winter Chinook Special pricing, act now while the fishing and prawning is good and things are open.

Winter Chinook Special  

1-4 Guests, 8 Hours, Salmon Fishing & Prawning, $1,300 + GST

5-6 Guests, 8 Hours, Salmon Fishing & Prawning, $1,500 + GST

Give us a call at 778-788-8582 to book your trip or email us at kathryn@pacificangler.ca