Hi and welcome to the GRFA fishing report updated on the 20th of June.
We are on the eve of the official start of summer; however with the incredible weather we’ve been experiencing and an extremely mild run off season it seems we are running ahead of schedule in fishing terms. Locally the spring freshet has already crested and has been dropping hard and most rivers are in fabulous shape. Please keep in mind to check the regulations as many streams and rivers are closed through June.
STURGEON:
The Fraser River has crested and is currently dropping hard… it is in prime shape for this early in the season and we have seen some incredibly large fish of late!! Last week we had a milestone day as not one but TWO fish over 10 FEET in length were landed on the SAME DAY! To put this into perspective; most ardent hardcore sturgeon fishers may be lucky enough to hook a couple behemoths like these in their life time… never mind land them. These incredible fish were the icing on the cake to a week that saw an amazing number of large fish in the 6 to 9 foot range come to hand, in short, the big boys are awake and feeding hard!
Todd and crew with a very healthy 10 Foot 5 inch fork length (11’2″ total length) sturgeon. Girth on this fish was 48 inches and estimated weight of 746 lbs!! Congrats guys!!
Ken and John with their 10 foot 6 inch monster of a sturgeon (11’4″ total length). This fish boasted a 46 inch girth and weighs in at 730 lbs… Wow! Fantastic Job!!
The river has fallen to the tune of 7 feet in 2 weeks and this has opened up all sorts of fishing hot spots! This also gets the fish more spread out however they still seem to be clustered in small groups. What this means to the angler is that they should be moving more. Rule of thumb, if you haven’t had a bite in 30 – 45 minutes move a little, even 100 feet can make the difference.
Most feeding fish can be found in shallower water (under 30 feet) at the moment and the most consistent bait has been coarse fish and lamprey. Like most fish, sturgeon typically become very active as the river levels drop and will move actively searching out food. The trick is finding them… and then its “hang on” time as they have been jumping repeatedly and making blistering runs!
With the falling water levels many gravel bars are starting to be exposed on the river and many more are now just under the surface. This is especially true from the mouth of the Vedder River upstream all the way to Yale. Be very vigilant and remember that just because you ran through an area the week before doesn’t mean it’s safe to do so now. It’s always safer to run a new area upstream first, preferably with a sounder that shows depth while on plane, so you can use the current to hold the boat under power if you need to come off step quickly.
The Fraser Canyon has been fishing very well as of late and we have seen some truly huge fish. If you are thinking of running this special piece of water keep in mind that is very “heavy” water and not for the timid or unexperienced jet boater. Please be very careful!! The canyon is a high water fishery and the sturgeon haunts are not obvious as the water levels tend to hide the really good spots. It’s also an area with massive rocks and underwater crevices that love to snag anchors and fishing gear, if you are uncertain about an area it would be wise to keep moving. If you’re interested in trying your hand at biggest of the big in one of the most spectacular venue’s in the world drop Rick a line and he’ll be more than happy to help organize one of our Ultimate Fraser Canyon Sturgeon trips with you. rstahl@greatriverfishing.com
What better way is there to spend a spring day than sitting in a comfortable covered jet boat waiting on another bite from the almighty sturgeon. With limited fishing pressure on the river this is a great time of year to get out and experience these dinosaurs of the deep. We offer half and full day outing’s via jet boat with nothing but the finest in guides and tackle. We pride ourselves in ensuring your day is as comfortable, safe and enjoyable as possible. Whatever your speed, we will cater to your needs. Call or email today. rstahl@greatriverfishing.com
UPPER PITT RIVER.
With the majority of the freshet being behind us the Pitt has started to drop as a whole. Because the Pitt is glacier fed, water levels fluctuate with any warm weather bumping the river up and cool days bringing it down fast, sometimes over a foot in an 8 hour period! This is a shallow water fishery and not the place for an unexperienced jet boater. The river has changed dramatically from last year and will continue to “move” around as the season progresses. This is not the place to run into trouble as it is a remote river and help can be far away…
The biggest bull trout of the season are typically caught through June and into the first part of July and our last few charters saw some awesome specimens. Fishing seems to be day to day with new bunch’s of fish pushing in every few days. The fish have been scattered and it’s been best to keep moving. Fly fishing is the choice of most anglers and a fast sink tip with different colored leach style streamer patterns in different color schemes are the norm. Having said that the almighty spoon and spin combo has been deadly.
Coming soon! The timing on the salmon runs up the Pitt River is from mid-July through mid-August. These free rising fish are super charged chromers that love to smash a lure or fly. This is the height of the season for the river and we are filling up fast. If you are interested in trying this incredible fishery don’t delay, contact us today.
Great River Fishing Adventures guides have many years’ experience fishing the Upper Pitt River watershed and are knowledgeable about the area and effective techniques to target all species. As Jet Boats and experienced boat handling skills are required to access and fish this river, you rarely see other anglers, and more importantly this area is not over fished. It is truly an adventure that is easily accessible within a day from Vancouver. For a free personalized quote please drop Rick an email at rstahl@greatriverfishing.com
Vedder / Chilliwack River:
Opens July 1st!! The river will have a few red Chinooks in it but really gets going towards the end of the month. Water levels are typically mint and with the nice summer weather, should make for a great day out. Stay tuned and we’ll keep you posted. Please keep in mind that if you do happen to catch a sockeye that they are closed and should be released as carefully as possible. These special fish are a species of concern and we all need to do our part to ensure their survival for future generations.
That’s it for now. Conserve our waters and here’s to great fishing, forever…
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JUN