FSC Daily Fishing Report - Saturday, August 8, 2026
A glass-calm summer morning on Discovery Passage delivered a chrome bright Chinook for two first-timers from San Diego. Read the full Campbell River fishing charter report and see what August salmon fishing is all about.
Conditions Report: Saturday, August 8, 2026
Some mornings the strait gives you everything. Today was one of them. We pushed off Coast Marina A Dock at 6 AM to a flat calm Discovery Passage, the water deep blue and barely rippling, the coastal mountains standing sharp across the strait in the clear morning light. Air temp was a comfortable 23°C with just a light northeast breeze at 5 km/h. Visibility ran a clean 10 km. The marine forecast held seas at a metre or less, and it delivered — glass calm the whole trip. There were fog banks reported out in Johnstone Strait fading near noon, but the Passage stayed bright and open for us.
The tide ran our way, too. We worked the flood building toward the morning slack at Seymour Narrows at 7:49 AM, with the low bottoming out at 2.6 feet around 8:17. That moving water is where the bait stacks up, and the solunar chart rated the day Good with the major feeding window from 7:06 to 9:06 AM — lined up neatly with our slack.
The Catch
We trolled classic Tomic plugs at roughly 2.5 knots, downriggers set 80 to 120 feet to match the warm 18°C water that had the fish sitting shallow. Aboard the nimble Boston Whaler Montauk were Satoshi and Hugo, two first-time anglers up from San Diego who'd never held a salmon before. The plug earned its keep. A Chinook came up chrome and silver on the morning slack, about 14 pounds, cold and fighting clean. We put that one in the box and released six more to keep the run strong. The look on their faces said the rest.
What's Running in August
August is prime Chinook season in Campbell River. Most feeder Chinook run 12 to 16 lbs this time of year, with always a chance at a trophy 30-plus pounder cruising through. Under DFO Area 13 rules through August 31, it's one Chinook per day within a 62 to 80 cm slot, and anything over 80 cm goes back to spawn another day. Warm summer water pushes fish shallower and keeps the bite active, and the tides through the narrows keep the bait moving.
Book Your Trip
Summer mornings like this don't last forever, and the calendar is filling fast. Whether you're a first-timer or a seasoned angler, Captain Bruce's calm, patient style aboard the Montauk makes for a fine day on the water. View our salmon fishing charters and Check rates and availability at fishingstoriecharters.com.
Weather: Clear sky, 23°C, light NE wind 5 km/h | Water: Flat calm, deep blue water, light ripple
