FSC Daily Fishing Report - Saturday, July 4, 2026

Conditions Report: July 4, 2026

Some mornings are made for a boys trip, and this was one of them. We pushed off Coast Marina A Dock under grey summer skies, the air a comfortable 14°C with a light WNW breeze running 11 km/h and gusting to 25. Visibility was a clean 10 km, the sun long up since 5:18 AM, and the water off Discovery Passage lay green and easy. Environment Canada called northwest 10 to 20 knots with seas one metre or less, and that's exactly what we got — light chop and workable water all morning.

The tide ran the show. A high of 10.1 feet filled in around 8:14 AM before dropping toward a 4.6-foot low at 2:38 PM. At Seymour Narrows the slack before ebb landed at 9:40 AM, with the current building hard afterward — peaking near 14 knots on the ebb. We worked the window either side of that slack, because that's when the Narrows turns on.

The Catch

The program was simple and deadly. We trolled hoochies — plastic squid lures — behind flashers, downriggers set to 50 feet. Water temp read a warm 17.6°C, which had the fish holding shallow and feeding hard. We ran a steady line through the current and let the tide do the work.

And it worked. Nineteen fish to the boat across the morning, a mix of Chinook and Coho. The best of the bunch came up chrome — a 16-pound Chinook, silver from green water and fat off the bait. The rod bent, the drag screamed, and the fish was there. Most Chinook ran the honest 12-16 pound range we see this time of year. We released the good ones to keep the run strong, and the young anglers learned why that matters. Thumbs up all around.

What's Running in July

July is prime time in Campbell River. Chinook are moving through Discovery Passage in solid numbers, mostly 12-16 pounds with a real chance at a trophy 30-pounder, and Coho are filling in through summer and fall. DFO Area 13 rules require Chinook to be at least 62 cm to retain, and from July 15 through August 31 a slot limit applies — anything over 80 cm goes back to keep the big fish spawning. Warm water this season has fish shallow and active, which makes for exciting, fast trolling in the current lines.

Book Your Trip

If you want to put your crew on chrome salmon this summer, now's the time. Our 27' Boston Whaler Conquest keeps everyone comfortable with a heated cabin, private washroom, and Starlink WiFi, and we host groups up to four. View our salmon fishing charters and check rates and availability at fishingstoriecharters.com. The Narrows are firing — come see for yourself.

Weather: 14°C, few clouds, WNW wind 11 km/h gusting to 25 km/h, 10 km visibility | Water: light chop, green and cold, 1 metre or less