Area 14 Fishing Regulations
Salmon limits and closures for DFO Area 14: Oyster Bay, Comox, Baynes Sound, Hornby and Denman, Qualicum Beach and Parksville.
Area 14 in one paragraph: Chinook are 2 per day, minimum 62cm (hatchery and wild combined) in 14 of 15 subareas. Comox Harbour (14-14) is Chinook non-retention. Coho are 2 per day, hatchery-marked only, except inner Baynes Sound (14-11) and Comox Harbour (14-14), where you can keep 4 including up to 2 wild. Chum and pink are 4 per day (min 30cm). Sockeye and lingcod are closed. Barbless hooks are mandatory for salmon, and there is a 10-Chinook annual limit coastwide.
Area 14 starts a few kilometres south of Campbell River, at Shelter Point and Oyster Bay, and runs south through the central Strait of Georgia to Nanoose Bay. The water north of that line, including Campbell River, Discovery Passage and Quadra Island, is Area 13, with its own dates and limits. Check which area you are in before you keep a fish.
DFO changes these rules in-season through fishery notices. In 2026 the key notice was: FN0674 โ Chinook retention reopens July 15, 2026 (Area 14): 1/day max 80cm to Aug 31, then 2/day no max size Sep 1+, min 62cm. 14-14 (Comox Harbour) non-retention year-round; several inner subareas non-retention July 15โ31. Always confirm the DFO Area 14 page and current fishery notices before fishing.
Salmon limits by subarea
Daily limits per licence holder. Pink and chum: 4/day, min 30cm, in every subarea. Coho min 30cm.
| Subarea | Where | Chinook | Coho |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14-1 | Parksville BayParksville Bay, Englishman River, French Creek | 2/day, min 62cm | 2/day, hatchery-marked only |
| 14-2 | Parksville Offshore / Glass Sponge ReefParksville Glass Sponge Reef, Mid-Strait of Georgia | 2/day, min 62cm | 2/day, hatchery-marked only |
| 14-3 | Qualicum / Sisters IsletsSisters Islets, Qualicum Beach, Strait of Georgia mid-channel | 2/day, min 62cm | 2/day, hatchery-marked only |
| 14-4 | Qualicum Beach NearshoreQualicum Beach, French Creek, Little Qualicum River | 2/day, min 62cm | 2/day, hatchery-marked only |
| 14-5 | South Hornby / Deep StraitSouth Hornby Island, Deep Strait of Georgia | 2/day, min 62cm | 2/day, hatchery-marked only |
| 14-6 | East Hornby / Ajax BankAjax Bank, Achilles Bank, East Hornby | 2/day, min 62cm | 2/day, hatchery-marked only |
| 14-7 | Lambert ChannelLambert Channel, Hornby Island, Denman Island west | 2/day, min 62cm | 2/day, hatchery-marked only |
| 14-8 | Baynes Sound / Chrome IslandBaynes Sound, Denman Island, Chrome Island | 2/day, min 62cm | 2/day, hatchery-marked only |
| 14-9 | Comox NearshoreComox, Courtenay, Comox Bar | 2/day, min 62cm | 2/day, hatchery-marked only |
| 14-10 | Elma Bay / Kitty ColemanElma Bay, Kitty Coleman Beach, Saratoga Beach | 2/day, min 62cm | 2/day, hatchery-marked only |
| 14-11 | Baynes Sound Inner / Comox BarComox Bar, Inner Baynes Sound, Comox Harbour entrance | 2/day, min 62cm | 4/day, up to 2 wild |
| 14-12 | Ajax-Achilles Bank (Offshore)Ajax Bank, Achilles Bank, Deep Strait | 2/day, min 62cm | 2/day, hatchery-marked only |
| 14-13 | Oyster Bay / Shelter PointOyster Bay, Shelter Point, Mitlenatch Island | 2/day, min 62cm | 2/day, hatchery-marked only |
| 14-14 | Comox HarbourComox Harbour, Comox Marina, CFB Comox | Non-retention (release only) | 4/day, up to 2 wild |
| 14-15 | Rathtrevor / Parksville Provincial ParkRathtrevor Beach, Parksville Provincial Park | 2/day, min 62cm | 2/day, hatchery-marked only |
Exceptions and seasonal closures
14-2 Parksville Offshore / Glass Sponge Reef
- Glass sponge reef closure zone โ bottom fishing (including traps) prohibited within reef boundary.
14-11 Baynes Sound Inner / Comox Bar
- Coho 4/day, up to 2 wild.
14-14 Comox Harbour
- Coho 4/day, up to 2 wild.
- Chinook non-retention (0/day) year-round.
Rockfish Conservation Areas and sponge reefs
Inside a Rockfish Conservation Area (RCA) recreational hook-and-line fishing for finfish is prohibited year-round. Glass sponge reef closures ban bottom-contact fishing to protect the reefs. Exact boundaries are on the DFO page and our interactive regulations map.
Rockfish Conservation Areas (7)
- Ajax-Achilles Bank (14-6, 14-12)
- Baynes Sound Ship Point (14-8)
- Chrome Island (14-8)
- Savoie Rocks-Maude Reef (14-7)
- Sisters Islets (14-3, 14-4, 14-5, 14-6)
- Oyster Bay (14-13)
- Mitlenatch Island (14-13)
Glass sponge reef closures (2)
- Parksville Glass Sponge Reef (14-2, 14-3): Parksville glass sponge reef โ SARA closure. Bottom fishing (hook & line targeting bottom fish, traps, trawl) prohibited.
- East Hornby Glass Sponge Reef (14-6): East Hornby Island glass sponge reef โ SARA closure.
Rules that apply in every subarea
- Licence: a B.C. Tidal Waters Sport Fishing Licence, plus the Salmon Conservation Stamp to keep salmon. See our licence guide for residents and visitors.
- Record your Chinook: write each retained Chinook on your licence immediately (or in your NRLS account / approved app). The coastwide annual limit is 10.
- Barbless hooks for all salmon fishing.
- Hatchery-marked means a healed scar where the adipose fin was removed.
- Possession limit is twice the daily limit.
Fishing out of Campbell River instead?
Campbell River charters fish Area 13, where the dates differ: a spring Chinook release-only period, a summer slot limit and a winter Chinook season. See the Area 13 limits and the month-by-month fishing calendar. Compare trips on our rates page or check dates; your guide handles the regulations on the water.
Area 14 FAQ
Where is DFO Area 14?
Area 14 is the central Strait of Georgia along Vancouver Island's east coast. It runs from about Shelter Point and Oyster Bay, just south of Campbell River, down past Comox, Courtenay, Baynes Sound, Denman and Hornby Islands and Qualicum Beach to Parksville and Nanoose Bay. Campbell River itself and Discovery Passage are in Area 13.
What is the Chinook limit in Area 14?
In 14 of the 15 subareas Chinook are 2/day (hatchery and wild combined), minimum 62cm, barbless hooks. Subarea 14-14 (Comox Harbour) is Chinook non-retention. The coastwide annual limit is 10 Chinook, and every Chinook you keep must be recorded on your licence right away.
Can I keep wild Coho in Area 14?
In most of Area 14, no. The limit is 2 Coho a day and both must be hatchery-marked (healed adipose-fin scar). In subareas 14-11 (inner Baynes Sound / Comox Bar) and 14-14 (Comox Harbour) the limit is 4 a day, and up to 2 of those may be wild.
Is lingcod open in Area 14?
No. As of October 2026 DFO lists lingcod as closed (0/day) in Area 14. Rockfish Conservation Areas and the glass sponge reef closures also ban bottom fishing year-round in the zones listed on this page.
Do I need a different licence for Area 14 than Area 13?
No. One B.C. Tidal Waters Sport Fishing Licence covers all BC saltwater, plus the Salmon Conservation Stamp if you keep salmon. The daily limits are what change from area to area.
Does Fishing Storie Charters fish Area 14?
Our trips run in Area 13 out of Campbell River: Discovery Passage, Cape Mudge and the Quadra Island shoreline. If you are comparing the two areas, our Area 13 limits page has the same rules for Campbell River.
Sources: Pacific Fishery Management Area Regulations, 2007 (SOR/2007-77), Schedule 2; DFO Pacific Region Tidal Waters Sport Fishing Guide, Area 14. This page is a plain-language summary, not the law. The DFO regulations and fishery notices take precedence.
Reviewed by Captain Jason Storie โ owner & lead guide, 26+ years fishing Campbell River waters. Last reviewed October 15, 2026.
