The Secret Cove area has three marinas which, along with the marinas in Pender Harbour, offer some of the best fishing charters in the Lower Mainland. As successful lures, hot spots, and biting times vary greatly in the waterways around Pender Harbour and nearby Jervis Inlet, it’s important to drop by one of the marinas for the inside line, plus charts, licences, restrictions, and limits. Fishing is what the locals do best, and they’re happy to share their wisdom with visitors!

Bordered by the snow-covered Coastal Mountains, this protected coastline stretches 175 Kilometres (105 Miles) along the northeast shore of Georgia Strait, from Howe Sound to Desolation Sound. Clean sparkling Pacific waters bound secluded sandy beaches and bays with red cedar and arbutus trees sprinkled along the coastline. Canada Geese, bald eagles, blue herons and osprey share the sky and shore.

This region offers relatively protected waters for sport fishing on Georgia Strait, with Vancouver Island protecting the area from the open sea. The numerous islands also offer shelter, so you are not subjected to the high seas of the Pacific Ocean (no swells or fog).

The Sunshine Coast offers year-round guided fishing for Chinook salmon. Feeder Chinooks are present during the winter months, and the migratory Chinook start showing up in late spring, with the best fishing from June to September.

Coho are best from June to September, while the Northern Coho are available from September to October. Pink and Sockeye go by from mid-August to mid-September, and Chum Salmon from September through October.

Another big attraction to anglers is the bottom fish fishery; large red snapper (yellow eye), ling cod, rock cod, flounder and Tommy cod. Most of these species are open year-round, with only ling cod being closed from October to May. For the seafood specialists, the prawning and crabbing is excellent year-round all along the Sunshine Coast. Local fishing spots include Halfmoon Bay, Buccaneer Bay, Secret Cove, Lasqueti Island, Texada Island, Seal Reef, Bejji Shoals, Bargain Harbour, A Frame and Quarry Bay… just to name a few.

Unique to the Secret Cove and Pender Harbour area, mooching is the way most of the guides and local anglers fish for these tail-walking salmon. Most of the fishing is done from larger charter yachts from 26 ft. to 40 ft. The salmon fishing techniques are quite different, as we don’t use a cut plug or troll for the salmon…we mooch. This means that we locate the schooling bait fish off reefs and kelp beds with sounders, and anchor the vessel over the bait fish, using live herring, the natural food of the salmon.

Sechelt Peninsula

If you like to pick mussels and oysters, the beach at Roberts Creek Provincial Park’s picnic grounds is a good place to visit at low tide. Just check for red-tide warnings and harvesting closures beforehand at the entrance to the park.

The sandy beach at Davis Bay less than two miles (three km) south of Sechelt may yield clams, but your best bet is casting from the Davis Bay pier for salmon. So successful has the rearing program been at nearby Chapman Creek that it is the only stream on the Sechelt Peninsula where anglers can keep coho and chinook salmon. It’s still best to check local regulations beforehand. While the hatchery has been experiencing good returns, fish stocks in Georgia Strait and Malaspina Strait have been steadily declining in recent times.

Trout Fishing on the Sunshine Coast

When planning your next saltwater fishing trip, this region is arguably one of the best light tackle salmon fishing destinations in British Columbia. The season never ends, it just gets better at certain times.

Mixal Lake

March is one of the few months on the fishing calendar when anglers get to stay home and tidy their tackle boxes, or tie on a fly and try for surface-feeding trout at Garden Bay Lake, Hotel Lake, and Mixal Lake, which are located beside Garden Bay Road, Irvine Landings Road, and Hotel Lake Road respectively, west of Hwy 101.

Trout Lake

Trout Lake is the easiest to locate as it lies just south of Rockwater Secret Cove Resort on the north side of Hwy 101. This beautiful 14 hectare lake is stocked with cutthroat trout. Best fishing from April to July and September to October