Pacific Angler Friday Fishing Report: October 17, 2025

Welcome to mid-October with shorter days and moodier weather. It is really starting to feel like Fall here.    

For saltwater anglers, this is the time of year when our thoughts begin to shift toward winter chinook fishing in Lower Howe Sound. Jason touches on this in his saltwater report this week—be sure to give it a read. 

On the rivers, the Chilliwack/Vedder system continues to produce. We’re hoping the forecasted rain will help bring the river levels up a bit. As always, keep an eye on the weather before heading out to make sure you’re well prepared. Over at the Capilano, things are also low as the dam was closed last week. Check our Eric’s report, before you head out, for his thoughts on adapting to the current conditions.     

For sturgeon anglers on the Fraser River, Fall marks prime time!   The fishing has been excellent and will continue to be great until the river temperatures drop, usually around early to mid-November. 

And if Fall has you thinking about lake fishing, don’t miss Jason’s report this week. He covers the current conditions and shares a few of his must-have lines and reels for this time of year. 

Have a great weekend and we’ll see you in the shop or on the water! 

FRESHWATER FISHING REPORTS 

Chilliwack/Vedder River Fishing Report 

The C/V system is continuing to fish well, as is to be expected for mid-October.  The chinook run is now a couple weeks past its peak, though there are still quite a few of them around.  The coho numbers in the system are also extremely strong; though their numbers will start to decline going forward as that run is also past its peak.  As for the chum, well... their numbers are improving a bit but are still way below what they should be.  As such, chum remain closed to all targeted angling and retention.  

A fairly dark but still feisty chinook that demolished a spinner. 

The river is currently running very low and clear, but there is a fair bit of precipitation in the forecast over the weekend.  The amount of forecasted rain keeps changing, thus making it a bit difficult to accurately predict river conditions but, it looks like they’re calling for more rain than we had last week.  Be sure to keep an eye on the river levels and short-term forecast before you head out so you know what kind of conditions to expect, and bring a variety of presentations to suit whatever the river may throw at you... and don't be too surprised if the river blows out at some point during the weekend. 

We can expect good fishing in the system until early November, at which point the coho will start to thin out significantly, thus marking the end of the 2025 fall salmon season on the C/V system.  As I mentioned before, the fishing is still going strong, so get out there now to take advantage of it before it starts to taper off.  

Taylor Nakatani 

 _______________________________________________________________________________________________

Squamish River Fishing Report 

Fishing on the Squamish River this past week was challenging but rewarding.  There is no shortage of coho in the system right now, but the water clarity has still been less than ideal.  Despite little rain and lower overnight temperatures, the river has remained quite dirty and only marginally cleared up throughout the week even with the drop in height. 

A hungry egg eater. Don't forget the trout rod! 

When a river is actively dropping, it can often be a tougher time to coax fish to bite as they are preoccupied with finding some comfortable water to hold in before tail outs get skinny and deep structure gets scarce.  Looking ahead, there is a fair bit of rain forecasted for the weekend, but it appears to end around Sunday afternoon.  This, paired with cold-enough overnight temperatures, should hopefully clear up the visibility.  If it does clear up over the next few days, and river levels hold steady, we could be in for some pretty solid coho fishing conditions.  

A fresh coho that fell for the jig this week 

While the water is muddy, the techniques don't deviate much from what Jason talked about in last week's report.  Big, bright, flashy, and fast will be the name of the game.  When things start to clear up, that's when you can switch programs to small, subtle, muted, and natural.  Go-to colours for coho in clearer water include, purple, chartreuse,  black, and copper.  Unlike the big intruder patterns you'd use in the muddy water, clear water calls for much smaller.  Typically, the smaller you can get away with the better for coho.  Size 6 to 10 flies are pretty standard for coho fly patterns.  These colours are not end-alls; if you Google "what colours do coho like?", you will quickly discover that every colour of the rainbow has worked for someone somewhere in every condition and situation.  What matters the most for coho is the action you put on the fly.  Coho are extremely aggressive and reactive salmon.  The more sporadic and unpredictable you can be with your stripping the better.  There is a reason twitching jigs are so effective for coho- they are extremely jumpy and fast when twitched properly, a trigger that an aggressive response.  Their predatory instincts kick in and they lunge.  The less time you can give them to think about it the better!  Short and quick strips with random pauses used throughout will be sure to trigger a fresh aggressive coho.  

Tight lines, 

Jake Comrie 

 _______________________________________________________________________________________________

Capilano River Fishing Report 

The Capilano dam was closed last week, and we have had low water conditions since.  We are still in the thick of salmon season, so fish are still there, but anglers may have to adapt their technique to be successful. 

Gear anglers can find fish by using smaller spoons of spinner and twitching jigs.  Most of the canyon pools holding fish will be clear and slow moving.  This makes it difficult to float fish effectively.  My favorite low water lure is a small blue fox.  The rattling bell shape creates all sorts of noise and vibration that drives lock jawed coho to bite.  These are best fished on spinning rods with fluorocarbon leaders.  Keep the leader's strength up as you may encounter a dime bright chinook interested in the same spinner. 

Fly anglers can have an excellent chance at salmon during these seasonal low water events.  It’s been a few seasons since we have had such a good fly season here, so I recommend fly anglers take advantage.  This can be a difficult river to fly fish as the canyons and steep banks leave little room for traditional fly casting.  Fly anglers can use full sink lines in the deep canyon pools and a variety of sink tips in the lower reaches of the river.  Try having a few options for tips and flies and play with different retrieve speeds.  The trick is to get your presentations to the fish without dragging bottom and losing everything… fish look up you don’t need to dredge trough or under them. 

I tend to fish with similar colours for my flies and lures.  Copper, orange, chartreuse, blue, red, and pink will all find coho.  Have a few colours to swap through if you aren’t getting bites.  Last day out I had two fish on the first cast after a dramatic colour change. 

A quick note on river safety.  We can get complacent during low water and expect things to slay low and calm.  We have rain and the forecast.  I don’t expect the dam to open but check water levels and keep an eye out for ever changing river conditions when you're out there.  With the abundance of salmon, we have also started to encounter some furry friends on the trails.  If you’re out hiking at first lite be bear aware.  Also, dispose of fish entrails well into the water to not encourage scavenging on the banks. 

It can get busy so please respect the fishing environment and your fellow anglers. 

Eric Peake 

STURGEON FISHNG REPORT 

Fraser River Sturgeon Fishing Report 

It’s prime time for Fraser River sturgeon fishing.  The fish have been on the feed all Fall, primarily on the abundant pink salmon, and over the coming weeks they will start to key in on salmon eggs from these spawning fish.  The fishing has been excellent and will continue to be great until the river temperatures drop, usually around early to mid-November. 

It’s been a fantastic fall and the next few weeks the hot fishing should continue! 

If you haven’t experienced the raw power of these commanding fish, we highly recommend it.  They rip line off the reel, come flying out of the water, and pull hard till the very end of the battle.  

Give us a call at 778-788-8582 to book your jet boat sturgeon fishing adventure while we are still in prime time! 

Jason Tonelli  

STILLWATER FISHING REPORTS 

BC Interior Lakes Fishing Report 

It’s mid-October and the cold weather has officially arrived in Regions 3 and 5.  There was one day this week where it was -11C at the Roche Lake boat launch.  Now that’s a chilly start to the morning! 

The good news is lakes in that area and similar elevation have temps in the mid-forties F now, the fish are in the shallower water, and they are on the feed.  Lower elevation lakes and larger bodies of water, like Stump, still have temps in the mid-fifties F and have a way to go before the real shallow water game begins. 

Fishing has been good on Roche, Tunkwa, Leighton, just to name a few.  The 2,500 to 3,500 elevation lakes seem to be fishing well now and as the cooler temps continue, the lower elevation lakes will come into their own in the back end of the month. 

Leeches, Boobies and Blobs, oh my! 

Productive flies have been leeches or balanced leeches, blobs, shrimp and scuds, and of course boobies and blobs on the retrieve.  This time of year, it pays to have a few rods ready to go for quick changes.  I like to start off with two indicator rods and will hang a leech on one and a blob on the other.  If that isn’t working, I will swap one of those rods out with a sinking line and start stripping leeches, boobies or blobs.  Depending on the water depth and speed of retrieve, you will need lines from a clear intermediate to a fast sink.  Let’s take a deeper look at these, pardon the pun. 

The SA Sonar Stillwater Series  

SA Sonar Stillwater Clear Camo  This line is a must have as far as I am concerned.  It’s stealthy and sinks at 1.25 ips, making it the perfect line for stripping leeches, shrimp, boobies and blobs in the shallow bays and shoals.  It’s also a great line for damsels and mayflies in the spring and summer months, or anytime you are sight casting to fish in shallow water. 

SA Sonar Stillwater Seamless Density  This series of lines is density compensated so it keeps the line nice and straight on your presentation for a direct connection to your fly.  This means you feel those subtle takes and the low stretch core makes for solid hook sets.  The I/S3 is perfect for retrieving flies in that 5-10 foot range depending on the rate of retrieve.  The S3/S5 is the one to choose for getting down a bit deeper or for super-fast retrieves in shallow water.  The S5/S7 is the fast sink and will get you down and keep you there, making it a popular line for stripping boobies quickly or walking dragons across the bottom.  Do you really need all 4 sinking lines?  Clear Camo, I/S3, S3/S5, S5/S7.  The answer is yes, eventually you will, but most anglers build up their collection slowly.  If I were to get 3 for fall lake fishing in BC it would be the Clear Camo, I/S3, and the S5/S7.  Those are the ones I use the most.  

If you are looking for a great reel system to put these lines on, check out the Orvis Clearwater 3 Pack and the Lamson Liquid 3 Pack.  Both these reels are fantastic and allow you to purchase a reel and multiple spools at a reasonable price. 

Good luck out there this Fall and I will see you out there! 

Jason Tonelli  

SALTWATER FISHING REPORTS 

Vancouver Saltwater Fishing Report 

Welcome to mid-October, the days are getting shorter, the weather is getting moody, and most of the mature migratory fish are in their rivers now.  So, what does the Vancouver ocean salmon fisherman do this time of year?  Well, we go winter chinook fishing of course.   

It’s that time of year where we start to poke around the usual winter chinook spots in Lower Howe Sound.  It seems there are more winter chinook around each season and there are already a few being caught with many more on the way.  These are also known as feeder chinook, so these are fish that hang around our local waters and feed on the abundant herring and anchovy all winter long, making for some great fishing. 

It's a long season, so pick your days, as this fishery is just getting going now and will continue right until it closes on April 1st.  In the meantime, if you are itching to get out there, try Lower Howe Sound, the Bell Buoy, and the Freighters.  Find the bait and find the fish and your presentation will usually be on the bottom for best success as that is where the bait is. 

I am doing a winter chinook seminar and both dates have sold out.  I will likely announce a third date soon, so if you are interested, please call the shop at 604-872-2204 and ask to be put on the wait list for the third date.  We will call you before we release the date to make sure you get a spot.  I love teaching this course and talking about winter chinook fishing, so if this is a fishery that you want to get dialed in on, make sure to take to enroll. 

See you in the shop or on the water, 

Jason Tonelli