OUTLOOK
Happy Friday, and welcome to the Thanksgiving long weekend edition of the Friday Fishing Report!
We’ve got fresh updates from around the region to get you set for your Thanksgiving fishing adventures. Out in the valley, Taylor has the latest from the Chilliwack/Vedder River. While the water is still running low and clear, the fishing continues to be productive for those adapting to the conditions.
As we move further into Fall, attention shifts to river systems north of the Fraser. Eric checks in from the Harrison, where water levels remain low, making it ideal for walk-and-wade anglers. His report covers a range of tactics, from conventional fishing to fly fishing, so be sure to give it a read if you're heading that way.
If you're planning a trip to the Squamish, the coho are definitely around, but the main challenge at the moment is clarity. Jason has some tips on making the most of your trip and setting yourself up for success so don’t miss his report.
Fall also marks a great time to revisit our local lakes. Mackenzie has a quick update on local lake trout fishing, and it’s good news, as the Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC has kicked off its Fall stocking program, making this a great time to fish close to home.
On the saltwater front, our guide team is still finding a few coho and chinook in local waters. However, we're reaching that point in the season where things begin to wind down, and attention starts turning to winter chinook fishing. On that note, we’ve added another date for our Winter Chinook Seminar—check below for all the details.
Lastly, if you're planning to stop by the shop to grab some gear for a Thanksgiving fishing trip, we’ll be open regular hours throughout the weekend. Just a heads-up—we’ll be closed on Monday for the holiday.
Have a great long weekend, and good luck out on the water!
Thanksgiving Holiday Hours
Friday October 10 | 10AM-7PM
Saturday October 11 | 10am-6pm
Sunday October 12 | 11am-5pm
Monday October 13 | Closed – Happy Thanksgiving!
CLASSES AND COURSES
Introduction to Fly Tying
There is no greater satisfaction than catching a fish with a fly you tied yourself. This Introduction to Fly Tying course was specifically designed to give you the fundamental skills needed to tie proven fly patterns used here in BC for trout, salmon, and steelhead.
This course consists of 3 sessions, spread over 3 consecutive weeks. Each session is 3hrs. Location: At Pacific Angler from 6:30pm - 9:30pm. Choose your 3 dates below.
Students are required to supply their own vise, tools and materials. A 10% discount is available on fly tying materials and tools purchased for the course. Sign up here today!
Cost: $130.00+GST 2 SPOTS AVAILABLE
Class Size: 7
Dates: (Jan 28, Feb 4, 11), (Apr 2, 9, 16), (Nov 18, 25, Dec 2)
Time: 6:30pm – 9:30pm
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Winter Chinook Fishing With Jason Tonelli
Did you know there is excellent chinook fishing in local Vancouver waters from Oct to March? This is the winter chinook season and fishing the last few seasons has been excellent and this season is no different!
Learn the secrets on how to catch these hard fighting chinook, which are prized for their table fare as well. Your instructor, Jason Tonelli, will cover all aspects of what it takes to be a successful winter chinook angler. Jason has been honing his winter chinook skills out of Vancouver for close to two decades and is Pro-Staff for Gibbs Delta Tackle.
You will learn the top producing areas, including how to fish them productively and what tides, correct speed, how to fish close to the bottom, the most productive fishing tackle setups depending on conditions, how to use your sonar effectively to catch more fish, what weather patterns to avoid for boating safety, and many more winter chinook secrets.
Sign up here today! NEW DATE ADDED
Seminar Cost: $100+GST
Date: Dec 6, 2025
INDUSTRY EVENTS AND UPDATES
2025 Sport Fishing Institute of BC - Policy Conference & Big Splash Gala Fundraiser
Mark Friday November 21st on your calendar for the SFI’s Big Splash Conference, Gala and Fundraiser. The theme for this year’s annual conference is Balanced and Sustainable – Sharing Responsibility, Opportunity, and Resources.
BC’s public fishery is almost continually impacted by changes to opportunity and access. Looking ahead, there is much work to do. Without the ceaseless efforts of the SFI and your support over the years, public access to sustainable fisheries would look very different than they do today. In addition to continuous efforts to make the social and economic benefits and values of the recreational fishery known to the government and the public, the SFI addresses emerging and ongoing issues that affect the community and fisheries. Challenges with reliable access to sustainable fisheries opportunities have caused significant impacts for BC's public fishery over the years and require continued attention and focus.
If you are not familiar with The Sport Fishing Institute of BC, it is a non-profit organization established in the early 1980’s and is dedicated to promoting, enhancing, and protecting sustainable sport fishing opportunities in BC.
Please attend to support sport fishing in BC, and to meet with like-minded friends and colleagues. Get your tickets here and we’ll see you there!
FRESHWATER FISHING REPORTS
Chilliwack/Vedder River Fishing Report
The C/V system is continuing to run low and clear as we head into peak season for the C/V system. There are still a ton of chinook around, the coho are pushing into the system in large numbers and the chum are starting to make an appearance as well. There’s a bit of rain in the forecast for the weekend, but the current forecast is for a few scattered showers, so I don’t think it’ll be enough to bump the river up too much. Now, as I like to say, they call it the “forecast” because it has a 4% chance of being right, so make sure you check the water levels and conditions before you head out to avoid any surprises.
Two very nice fish; one coho and one chinook, both of which couldn’t resist a twitching jig in a deep, slow pool.
Chinook numbers remain very strong, with fish spread throughout the whole system ranging from bullet chrome to very coloured up. Coho numbers in the system are also very strong and are likely near their peak; most of the coho in the system are still in good shape. The Chum, on the other hand, seem to be doing very poorly, with the Albion test fishery experiencing the lowest catch numbers in over two decades thus far. As such, please make sure you’re handling every chum that you happen to catch with care, as they are closed to retention and must be released... obviously. The low and clear water conditions can make getting the fish to bite a challenge and watching a pool full of fish just flat-out refuse to bite anything can be quite frustrating, but please refrain from attempting to floss or snag the fish, as that is unacceptable. Small, toned-down presentations can often do the trick if the fish aren’t under heavy angling pressure; switching presentations until you find one that works is also a good idea if the bite is tough.
The C/V system will continue to be productive into November, so there’s still a lot of time to get out there and enjoy this very productive, albeit very busy fishery.
Taylor Nakatani
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Harrison / Chehalis Fishing Report
As we get deeper to the season we start focusing more on the systems North of the Fraser. The Harrison encompasses a large area with canals, side channels and estuary environments along the main river. These areas swell and drain with the rain providing seasonal angling opportunities for migrating salmon. As of writing, the water levels are still sitting fairly low. This should provide plenty of access to anglers fishing the lower riverbanks or hiking up or down river in search of fresh rolling fish. For anglers with a boat, we can travel upriver and hunt the secluded bays and inlets for migrating fish.
We had an excellent return of pinks so expect to still see pinks in shallow spawning areas. Do your best to avoid hassling spawning fish. Some rivers are so low and full of pinks that their backs are coming out of the water. It’s best to leave areas like this alone without disturbing the fish.
The Chehalis is the main tributary of the Harrison. It has a strong run of hatchery coho and can be an excellent angling opportunity in the right water conditions. The system is quick to rise and fall with precipitation and subject to extreme blow outs during large storms. This in turn changes the river some seasons. The river valley is scarred with past blow outs, large log jams, and old river channels, making it a little disorienting the first few times out. Stick to the trails and expect to do a little walking to find fish.
Most anglers will find fish using conventional gear tactics. Twitching jigs and light weight spinners are very effective in slower moving water. Go with a selection of bright colours and a few darker colours for contrast. Spoons can be used to cover water in larger pools and open areas. These can be easy to fish on a medium spinning setup or equivalent light baitcasting setup.
Float fishing will be productive upriver. Your standard west coast setups with roe, beads or wool will find fish. Try using fluorocarbon leaders and smaller presentations when the conditions get tough.
Fly anglers can get in on the action with a decent 7 or 8wt fly salmon setup. If I am fishing the lower, I might be fishing a floating line with a series of sink tips. Go with a of clear intermediate tip for shallow spooky fish and heavier tips to get files down in moving water. In the skinniest water I might even pair down to a full clear intermediate sink line to maximize stealth. Keep the flies small and flashy. Try going with some of Andres flashy coho flies or a sparce rolled muddler.
As I have noted in past reports, the Harrison can be a confusing area to hike around and is frequented by many local bears this time of year. It’s not uncommon to come across piles of salmon carcases hauled up by bears on the feed. Have your head up when hiking around, make noise and pack your bear spray!
We have some rain in the forecast, but don't think it will blow anything out... a little drizzle will provide cover to your angling escapades and make for some great fishing.
Good luck out there!
Eric Peake
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Squamish Area River Fishing Report
As we enter mid-October there are plenty of coho present in the Squamish and its tributaries. Make sure to consult the regulations before you head out so you know where you can and can’t fish for coho and salmon in general, and where there are hatchery coho retention opportunities.
The main factor right now is not fish presence, the coho are around, it is river clarity. For the most part the Squamish and tributaries are still fairly dirty, so visibility is an issue. Usually, we want to see nighttime temps in Squamish get down to 0-3C degrees and this means a few thousand feet up there will be some freezing going on and the runoff will be diminished and cleaner. The 7-day forecast is still looking mild, so expect reduced visibility conditions for now.
Visibility isn’t the best but the coho are around!
You can have some good fishing in the dirtier water; the key is to make sure the fish can see and feel your presentations. Also remember the fish rolling in now are fresh and aggressive and it pays to fish big, fish fast, and find those willing biter. Keeping all that in mind, here are a few tips.
Spinners and spoons are excellent choices for coho. In the dirtier water you want big spinners and spoons that offer maximum presence in the water. For finishes you want nickel or better yet silver plate. These finishes give off the brightest flash. Leave the brass and copper finishes for clear water later in the season. Also try finishes that incorporate vibrant paint colours such as fluorescent yellow, chartreuse, red and orange. That bright flash from a silver plate finish combined with those fluorescent paints will get some attention in the darker water. Some of my top choices are the Blue Fox Vibrax in size 5 in Silver with Fl. Yellow and Silver with Fl. Red and the Gibbs Koho in #45 (1/2oz) and #55 (3/4oz) sizes in Silver Fire Orange.
Twitching jigs are also an excellent choice for dirtier water. In general twitching jigs are big and that is great for low visibility situations. Just like spoons, go big and bright and try some of those fluorescent yellow, chartreuse, orange and red colours.
If you are fly fishing the same is true. Swinging or retrieving larger bunny leech or intruder style patterns in the same fluorescent yellow, chartreuse, orange and red colours will produce results. If your flies have lots of flash in them, even better. As the water drops and clears the fish will respond to amazingly small flies, but for now you want to go big and bright, get their attention, and hook the fresh fish that are rolling in.
Good luck out there, we are getting into prime time for the Squamish Valley salmon season. One last thing don’t forget your trout rods as there are plenty of trout feeding on pink salmon eggs, so nymphing egg patterns and trout beads is a great thing to do this time of year also.
See you in the shop or on the water,
Jason Tonelli
STILLWATER FISHING REPORTS
Local Lakes Fishing Report
With the weather down into the single digits and the lakes cooling down, it’s time for one of our favourite fisheries, Fall trout. We’ve heard a lot of great reports of trout being caught in our local lakes, Rice, Como. LaFarge among others have all received a few thousand catchables.
If you’re curious about wanting to stay up to date on your favourite local spot, keep your eye on the stocking reports. To access that go to Fish Stocking Reports - Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC. Before going out always remember to check the regulations on your lake, the rules can vary depending on the waterbody.
All the standard techniques are still producing fish, with cooler waters the fish are more readily caught at shallower depths, this makes taking kids out with some spoons an exciting time. In the shop we have a load of Mini-Gs and Crocs in, don’t forget to throw some spinners like Rooster Tails into the equation either, those are always a staple in my Fall box. We’ve always got an assortment of live and artificial baits whether its worms or power bait; I never hit the water without them, under an indicator or a sliding rig.
The guys at the shop are always keen to direct a new angler into our great hobby so always feel free to give us a ring or drop by for questions!
See you on the water,
Mackenzie
SALTWATER FISHING REPORTS
Vancouver Saltwater Fishing Report
We are still getting some coho and chinook in our local waters, primarily off the Cap Mouth, but it’s that time of year where fishing for mature coho and chinook is starting to wind down. No complaints here, it’s been an excellent season!
The local fishing has continued to produce some nice coho and chinook! Thank you, Capilano Hatchery!
As mentioned in previous reports, we have already been encountering some feeder chinook, aka winter chinook, while fishing for mature fish in August and September. These feeder chinook will be around all winter, feeding aggressively and packing on the pounds. By all measures, it looks like we are going to have another excellent winter season for these fish and we will start exploring and fishing our usual spots in the coming weeks. Stay tuned for more detailed winter chinook reports as things progress.
If you haven’t fished for winter chinook before, we highly recommend it as we think they are some of the finest eating salmon there is. Firm, packed with fat, and very delicious!
It’s a great way to get out of the house in the late Fall and Winter, so give us a call to book your date now for this fun and productive fishery.
Speaking of winter chinook fishing, we just added a second date to our Winter Chinook Fishing Course. This very specific and detailed course will get you and your boat dialed in on the excellent winter chinook fishing we have right here in Vancouver.
This one always sells out, so sign up now. Details and new date in the Classes and Courses section above! Purchase your seat online or call the shop to sign up!
See you in the shop or on the water,
Jason Tonelli
