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Fishing is the most common sport in the Queen Charlottes,
and fishing is exceptional year-round fishing. Anglers
are drawn by the world-class salmon fishing, as the island
archipelago is the first land mass on the migratory path
of the Pacific chinook, coho, and chum salmon as they
journey from the Arctic feeding grounds to their spawning
grounds in the Pacific Northwest.
The fishing potential in the Queen Charlotte Islands requires
very little introduction, there being ready access to
superb freshwater and saltwater fishing. Salmon fishing
is seasonal. Fishing for just about everything else is
a year-round sport. Catch cutthroat, rainbow trout, or
dolly varden inland, or get out onto the ocean to jig
for lingcod, red snapper, or halibut. Anglers fishing
for halibut have been known to swamp their small boats
while trying to land these potentially huge fish, so be
careful if you snag a big one.!
On many streams, high tide can easily push inland a mile
(1.6 km) or more. As catch limits vary for tidal and non-tidal
waters, tidal boundaries are posted on streams where regulations
are subject to change.
Graham Island
At the head of Virago Sound, off Dixon Entrance on the
northern coast of the Queen Charlotte Islands, is pristine
Naden Harbour,
the remote location favoured by fishing lodges that attract
sports anglers to the world-class salmon fishing offered
by the islands. This location on the northeast coast of
Queen Charlotte islands is ideal to intercept all runs
of Pacific Salmon southbound for the rivers of British
Columbia to the south. Besides the five species of salmon,
halibut and other bottom fish are also in abundance throughout
the fishing season (June through mid-September), as well
as crabs and prawns. In addition to some of the finest
fishing in the world, visitors to this remote wilderness,
anglers and non-anglers alike, enjoy an unparalleled sense
of peace and tranquility, and develop a strong appreciation
for the beautiful surroundings.
Langara Island
is one of the three premier fly-in saltwater fishing locations
in British Columbia. The logging camps, fishing camps
and settlements on Langara Island are serviced by scheduled
or charter flights out of Alliford Bay on Moresby Island.
Remote fishing lodges are located at Port
Louis, offering excellent fishing for Salmon and Halibut,
or fishing for Tuna 15 miles offshore. Amidst unparalleled
scenic beauty, and some of the most rugged shoreline on
the west coast of the Queen Charlotte Islands, Port Louis
serves as a comfortable home base for adventurers seeking
world-class sports fishing. There are no communities in
this part of the remote coastline, only remote fishing
lodges and sport fishing motherships catering to the avid
sport fisherman.
Fishing in Rennell
Sound and the west coast of the islands is very productive,
with Springs caught in May through September, and Halibut
and other bottom fish generally present throughout the
year. Sport fishing is the main attraction, and Chinook
salmon are the main target species for most anglers, although
catches of halibut, lingcod, and rockfish are also great.
Anglers in Rennell Sound will find a boat launch located
in Shields Bay, at the head of the sound, a much-favoured
shelter for fishing boats.
Sport fishing is the main attraction of Kano
Inlet, and Chinook salmon are the main target species
for most anglers, although catches of halibut, lingcod,
and rockfish are also great. Those seeking comfort and
expert fishing guides are accommodated on a luxurious
vessel anchored in Kano Inlet, the neighbouring inlet
immediately to the south of Rennell Sound.
In Masset, fishermen
should try their skills at Hiellen River, Sangan
River or Chown River. If you don't have a fishing
rod, you can try your hand (and shovel) at digging for
razor clams (a 12-clam-per-person limit is in effect;
no licence needed) at low tide at North
Beach in Naikoon
Provincial Park. The clams are found between the high
and low tide lines. Quarter-sized depressions in the sand
show where clams most likely are. If the sand moves when
tapped, there's a clam below. The trick is to dig fast
enough to catch up with the clam, which is burrowing for
safety. It takes a few tries to get the hang of it, and
you have to be quick; these puppies are fast.
There's a boat launch at Mayer Lake in Naikoon
Provincial Park and wilderness camping along the lakeshore
for people making extended fishing voyages. Mayer Lake
and Tlell River are the most accessible freshwater
fishing spots in Naikoon, near Tlell.
The Tlell River is famous for excellent steelhead fishing,
huge fall runs of coho salmon, and good cutthroat trout
fishing during July and August. Cutthroat fishing from
1 September to 30 June is restricted to catch and release
only, below the Highway 16 bridge. Yakoun Lake,
about 15 miles (25 km) northwest of Queen
Charlotte City, is another popular freshwater fishing
destination.
Famous for its steelhead, the Yakoun River, south
of Port Clements
and the largest river on Graham Island, sees a good coho
salmon run in the fall, good year-round fishing for rainbow,
dolly varden and cutthroat trout, and a steelhead run
from October to March. Check for regulations on closure,
possession limits and catch and release restrictions.
The Yakoun River is the only stream system on the Queen
Charlotte Islands that naturally supports a chinook salmon
stock. This wild stock is enhanced by the efforts of the
Yakoun River (Marie Lake) Fish Hatchery.
West of Port Clements, the Mamin River, which flows
into Juskatla Inlet, supports a good run of coho salmon
from mid September to mid October, and a good steelhead
run from January to March. The Port Clements Salmon Enhancement
Club works on the Mamin River and provides Yakoun River
chinook to the Port Clements school feeding and release
program.
Fishing in the Skidegate Inlet is very productive,
between Graham and Moresby Islands, and between Queen
Charlotte City and Skidegate.
Try your luck off the small island near the museum at
Second Beach, for springs and halibut.
Moresby Island
Fishing is excellent in the Sandspit
area, with bluejacks, springs and halibut caught off Sandspit
Bar and Sachs Creek, which flows to Kwuna Point
just before the ferry landing, and pinks and coho are
caught in South Bay and Haans Creek. The
Deena River supports a good steelhead run during
early spring, and good coho salmon fishing in October
and November.
The Coho Salmon Derby runs for consecutive weekends
at the end of September, to coincide with the return of
the bright silver coho salmon from the deep Pacific Ocean.
The coho derby is open to anglers of all ages, and is
one of the largest on Moresby Island. Competitors launch
at boat ramps at Alliford Bay, Sandspit, Copper Bay, and
Cumshewa Inlet, and fishing is restricted to the region
between Gray Bay and the Deena River, west of Alliford
Bay. The popular event closes with the equally popular
Coho Derby Dance.
The best lake fishing on Moresby Island is found in Mosquito
Lake and Skidegate Lake both of which are near
Moresby Camp. Mosquito Lake is closer, about 3 miles (5
km) to the northwest, and anglers fishing for cutthroat
and dolly varden will be relieved to know that Mosquito
Lake was named after the Second World War bomber, and
not the wretched bug. The Pallant River flows out
of Mosquito Lake and has a good steelhead run in the winter
and spring months. Skidegate Lake is about 6 miles
(10 km) beyond Mosquito Lake, and offers good cutthroat
fishing during the spring, early summer and fall months.
Accessible by car from Sandspit, the Copper River
offers a run of sea-run cutthroat and good dolly varden
fishing between May and July. Coho salmon run the Copper
River from mid-September to mid-October.
Service and Facilities
Fishing
guides abound, and luxurious fishing lodges, floating
lodges and sportfishing motherships provide the ultimate
fishing experience in this last frontier. Most of the
fishing spots described are only accessible through private
logging roads. Sportsmen and visitors using these roads
should contact the forestry companies in Juskatla and
Sandspit, for access information.
Both saltwater and freshwater fishing licenses are mandatory.
Supplementary licenses are required for steelhead. All
fishing licences are available on the Islands. For regulations,
restrictions and further information, please contact the
Queen Charlottes Visitor Info Centre.
A fish canning and freezing plant located on the east
shore of Masset Sound is a significant source of employment
in the community, and a hive of activity during the fishing
season. With the downturn in salmon fisheries, the fish
plant in Masset was facing hundreds of lay-offs until
they switched to processing the lowly Dogfish, locally
abundant and a source of high value by-products. The processing
plant offers custom processing, vacuum packing, smoking,
freezing and shipping for locally caught sport fish. Fresh
or frozen fish and crabs are also sold.
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Fishing
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