Campbell River Fishing Guide

2026 Fishing Season

Mid-Season Campbell River Fishing Report – August 2026

The 2026 Campbell River fishing season has been a great one so far, with strong Chinook salmon fishing and consistent success throughout the summer.

Strong Chinook Salmon Fishing in Campbell River

Chinook fishing has been the highlight of our season. We’ve seen consistent action throughout the summer, with plenty of quality salmon and some especially memorable fish mixed in.

The biggest Chinook we’ve landed so far this season was a beautiful 35-pound Tyee-sized Chinook salmon. Here in Campbell River, Chinook salmon over 30 pounds are known as Tyee, making a fish of this size a special catch and an exciting milestone for any angler.

The 35-pounder was released and sent on its way to continue its journey and spawn this fall.

Overall, Chinook salmon fishing around Campbell River and Discovery Passage has remained strong, and we’ve had great success getting our guests into fish throughout the season.

A Rare 90+ Pound Campbell River Halibut

One of the biggest surprises of our 2026 fishing season came while halibut fishing when we landed a halibut weighing more than 90 pounds and measuring over 130 cm long.

A halibut of this size is an exceptionally rare catch in the Campbell River area. While halibut are found throughout the waters surrounding Vancouver Island, encountering a fish over 90 pounds while fishing around Campbell River is certainly not something that happens every day.

The fish was well over the 112 cm maximum size for halibut retention, so after getting it to the boat, taking some photos and measuring it, we released the fish back into the water.

Large halibut are incredibly powerful fish, and getting a fish of this size to the surface was easily one of the most memorable moments of our season.

Looking Ahead to the Rest of the 2026 Fishing Season

There is still lots of great fishing ahead as we move through the second half of August and into the fall.

Chinook salmon fishing continues to be a major focus through the remainder of the summer. August traditionally provides some exciting opportunities as mature Chinook move through the waters around Campbell River on their way toward their home rivers.

Coho salmon fishing also becomes increasingly important later in the summer and into September. These aggressive salmon can provide fast-paced fishing and are known for their speed, jumps and hard fights.

As we move farther into the fall, the Campbell River salmon fishery begins to change again. September can continue to produce excellent salmon fishing, while October brings another transition as later runs of salmon move through the area.

Bottom fishing for species such as halibut and lingcod can also continue to provide opportunities alongside salmon fishing when conditions, regulations and the day’s plans allow.

Mid-Season Campbell River Fishing Update

As we move through August, we’re very happy with how the 2026 Campbell River fishing season has gone.

We’ve spent a lot of days on the waters around Campbell River this summer, and it has been great to see the quality and consistency of the fishing throughout the season.

With August fishing still underway and September and the fall season ahead of us, there is plenty more fishing to come. We’re looking forward to seeing how the Chinook and Coho fishing develops through the remainder of the summer and what the rest of the 2026 Campbell River fishing season has in store.

2025 Fishing Season