Fishing in Vancouver BC PDF Print E-mail

Whether trapping for crabs at the Jericho Beach dock or netting for smelts along the Stanley Park Seawall; or angling for salmon in a chartered boat on the Fraser River, fishing in Vancouver, BC is a popular and pleasurable way to pass the time. For the prize of a fishing license and home made bait, you can get to enjoy one of the best available beachside hobbies in this naturally rich coastal town. And even go home with freshly caught seafood for dinner. 

 

In fact, the province of BC itself is one big fishing ground. There are more than 20,000km of coastlines, 25,000 lakes and tens of thousands of kms of rivers and streams here. Whistler alone has at least four lakes to fish from: the Cheakamus, the Callaghan, the Alta, and the Green Lakes, which are glacier fed and far from the madding crowd, excellent for catching steelhead, rainbow trout and salmon in the spring, or coho in the fall. Not mention BC’s two most popular fish, the chinook salmon and the giant white sturgeon, which could go up to 3 meters in length and weigh more than 500kgs. All the while, you can enjoy the scenery, the green mountains around, admire the bluegreen hues of the lake, while waiting for that all-important bite on your line.

Other great areas that offer year-round fishing include the Sunshine Coast, the Fraser and Capilano Rivers, the Howe Sound and the Straight of Georgia.

But as I’ve said before, one doesn’t have to spend a lot of money to fish in BC. I myself have enjoyed digging for clams and oysters on the beaches of Pender Island, or crabbing along the Capilano River in West Vancouver, or splashing around with the trout in Rice Lake in North Vancouver. All you need is a valid fishing license and an innate enjoyment of the activity. Although of course, you can also go as expensive as you want, by chartering a fishing boat.  You can charter fishing boats with Deeprespect off Horseshoe Bay in West Vancouver, and even go off into the edges of the Pacific Ocean to indulge in some saltwater fishing.

And the best part, you can always bring the family along for a boat ride, picnic and sight-seeing, for total enjoyment.