Saltwater Fish of B.C.

While British Columbia’s unparalleled salmon fishing draws more than 300,000 anglers to our tidal waters every year, our coast and saltwater fishery have much, much more to offer. Check out the variety of saltwater sport fish available.

Our salmon fishing is, of course, spectacular, but B.C. also boasts world-class halibut fishing up and down the coast great bottom-fishing opportunities for ling cod, yellow-eyed rock fish and a variety of other species.

Several coastal locations offer anglers the unique chance to catch sockeye and chum salmon, and youngsters and the young at heart can revel in our abundant pink salmon fishing opportunities. For others, dropping a crab or prawn trap is a veritable right of passage for life on the coast.

Before you head out on your fishing adventure, it is a good idea to know some of the characteristics of local saltwater sport fish so you can correctly identify your catch.

Salmon photos courtesy of Fisheries and Oceans Canada.

Chinook
Also known as: Kings, Springs or Tyee
B.C. record: 57 kg (125 lbs).
Average size: The Chinook is the largest of the five Pacific Salmon reaching weights of over 90 pounds. Each season, many fish in the 40 to 70 lb range are landed along the B.C. coast.
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Chum
Also known as: dog salmon
Average size: 8-12 pounds, with a big fish weighing in the twenties
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Coho
Also known as: Northern Coho or silver salmon
Average size: 2.3 to 6.8 kilograms (5 to 15 lbs.) in late June or early July
After weeks of feeding, they weigh in at 4.5 to 9 kilograms (10 to 20 lbs.) by late August and into September.
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Lingcod
Average size: 3.5 – 7 kg (8 – 15 lbs), Up to 45 kg (100 lbs)
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Pacific Halibut
Average size: 9 – 18 kg (20 – 40 lbs), Up to 180 kg (400 lbs!)
Generally, any Halibut over 71 kg will be a female carrying millions of eggs; many anglers choose to release these females and keep the smaller males because of their superior flavour.
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Pink Salmon
Also known as: “Humpies” due to the large hump that male pink salmon develop on their backs as they approach spawning.
Record size: The record pink salmon weighed in at 13 pounds 1 oz
Average size: The smallest and most abundant of Pacific salmon; average weight is 1.5 – 3 kg (3 to 7 lbs)
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Sockeye Salmon
Also known as: Red Salmon or Kokanee when they are landlocked (see the freshwater Fish of B.C. webpage for more information on Kokanee)
Record: 15 lbs 3 oz.
Average size: 2.2 – 3 kg (5 to 7 lbs), occasionally reaching 6.3 kg (14 lbs)
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Black Rockfish
Also known as: Black Sea Bass
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Yellow Rockfish
Also known as: Red Snapper
Average size: Length 50 cm
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Crabs, Shrimp and Prawns
Although they may not always be considered exciting saltwater species to catch, it’s hard to beat the taste of these shellfish. For this reason alone, crabs, prawns and shrimp should be considered one of the “Top 10” saltwater species for anglers in B.C.
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