Kitimat River has plenty of fish stocks 12 months of the year with some of the finest steelhead, salmon, and trout fishing in British Columbia!
Rivers in Northwest BC have their own personalities and fishing the meandering Kitimat River offers a unique, quiet serenity and a much needed change of pace. Spring is when steelhead are abundant, which average 8 to 12 pounds. A little later in the season and through the summer is when the powerful chinook salmon get up to 40 pounds.
Kitimat River has plenty of fish stocks 12 months of the year with some of the finest steelhead, salmon, and trout fishing in British Columbia!
Rivers in Northwest BC have their own personalities and fishing the meandering Kitimat River offers a unique, quiet serenity and a much needed change of pace. Spring is when steelhead are abundant, which average 8 to 12 pounds. A little later in the season and through the summer is when the powerful chinook salmon get up to 40 pounds.
See below tips and relevant information to plan your freshwater fishing adventure in Kitimat:
Trout fishing is bountiful 12 months out of the year.
What’s Good
Cutthroat and dolly varden are the recommended catches.
Water Conditions
Due to winter weather, the Kitimat River will generally be low and clear.
What Else is Good?
Small lures, spinners, flies and bait are all worth trying when fishing for trout.
What’s Good
Steelhead fishing is great from March through April, albeit irregular, peaking in May.
Note: Only Hatchery steelhead fish may be kept because they are products of the Department of Fisheries & Oceans (D.F.O.) Hatchery.
Hot Tip
Chinook (sprint) salmon enter the river late May!
What’s Good
Chinook salmon fishing is the recommended catch although success varies during the first two weeks of the month. Chinook fishing improves in the third week of June and usually continues until the end of the month.
Water Conditions
The Kitimat River is higher now than earlier in the year and can rise very quickly with snow melting, if temperatures rise.
Hot Tip
Popular chinook salmon lures include Kitimat #65 and #80 and the larger sized spin-n-glos. Large gooey-bobs are also worth trying!
What’s Good
While many fish enter the river on each high tide during this time, Chinook peaks during the first week of July – a month known for good fishing.
Dark fish start to show up in catches after the middle of the month. Many pink and chum salmon are also found in the river in July. Late in the month, the occasional early coho is caught.
Straggling chinook can still be caught, but it is illegal to kill these fish after July 31.
Water Conditions
Fluctuations are expected in July as a result of both snowmelt and rain.
What’s Good
Coho fishing is staggered until the middle of the month when the first good runs begin entering the Kitimat River. Fishing improves steadily towards the end of August, particularly with coho.
Water Conditions
The Kitimat River is generally low and clear during this time. Good rainfalls later in the month will raise the river and bring in fresh runs of coho with every high tide.
Hot Tip
Fishing is best when the river begins to drop and clear after a period of rain.
What’s good:
Coho runs peak in the Kitimat River at the beginning of the month and fishing for these salmon remains excellent through the end of September. During this period, coho starts to darken in colour.
Water Conditions
Generally clear throughout most of this month, though heavy rain at the end of September will raise the water levels and many of the coho will leave the main river and head up their spawning tributaries.
What’s Good
If the heavy rain has not yet started, then coho can still be caught in the main river. Most of the coho are now dark, but the occasional silver one can still be taken. Trout fishing is still very good in October!
Water Conditions
Heavy rains during this period can muddy the river, which makes fishing difficult.
What’s Good
Trout fishing remains good during these months and throughout the entire year. There is still a slight chance to catch a coho.
Water Conditions
The Kitimat River is usually fairly high and dirty.
Freshwater sport fishing for species other than salmon is managed by the Government of British Columbia. Everything you need to know is covered online by the British Columbia Freshwater Fishing Regulations Synopsis:
Some of the largest halibut on the B.C. coast are found in the protected waters of the Inside Passage. Dungeness crab, snapper, and prawns can be found as well!
Kitimat’s location at the head of the Douglas Channel – one of BC’s longest inland fjords – provides access to unbelievable saltwater fishing adventures. The Kitimat River and many more feeder creeks and rivers produce migrating salmon along this 90 km stretch of ocean to the Inside Passage.
Some of the largest halibut on the B.C. coast are found in the protected waters of the Inside Passage. Dungeness crab, snapper, and prawns can be found as well!
Kitimat’s location at the head of the Douglas Channel – one of BC’s longest inland fjords – provides access to unbelievable saltwater fishing adventures. The Kitimat River and many more feeder creeks and rivers produce migrating salmon along this 90 km stretch of ocean to the Inside Passage.
See below tips and relevant information to enjoy your saltwater fishing adventure in Kitimat to the fullest:
What’s Good
Winter fishing for spring salmon, although sport fishing is restricted to close proximity to the head of the inlet. Winter feeding spring salmon ranges in weight from 3 to 12 pounds.
Water Conditions
The Douglas Channel and the immediate waters are not always calm in the winter as our area is frequented by north off-shore winds during this period.
What’s Good
Winter spring salmon are now fairly abundant and mixed with the incoming seasonal spring spawners. Our spring salmon spawners are adult mature returning fish with a weight range of up to 75 pounds.
Water Conditions
March starts our busy season and winter northerlies have now swung to southerlies.
What’s good
During these months our fishing spots are broken up as we are now fishing in the waters adjacent to the spawning rivers of the spring, pink, chum, and coho salmon. Work the outer coast with the coming of coho salmon. As these silver beauties work their way in towards our rivers to spawn, the anglers will do the same. Pink and chum salmon are typically commercially caught. Coho range from 3 to 30 pounds.
Water Conditions
Favourable, and it is not uncommon for sportfishers to venture anywhere within a 135 km radius of Kitimat’s three marinas.
What’s Good
The head end of the Douglas Channel is popular for winter spring salmon and is one of the west coast’s prime feeding areas.
Water Conditions
In September as the weather cools, winter winds start.
What Else is Good?
Jumbo prawn fishing is a nice alternative during most winter months.
As you experience the salt spray and ocean wind, be on the lookout for sea lions, eagles, orcas, humpback whales and dolphins at play. You may even spot the elusive Kermode bear exploring the shores of the Douglas Channel or bald eagles as they pick salmon, or dolphins swimming alongside your boat.
When the challenges of catching that trophy fish have you exhausted, relax in the sulphur free, natural hot springs of Bishop Bay, Shearwater or Weewanie!
Fisheries and Oceans Canada manages saltwater (tidal) sport fishing. Everything you need to know can be found below:
