FSC Daily Fishing Report - Saturday, July 4, 2026
A hot summer bite off the green can — Yvonne and Shane landed 19 salmon on a full-day Campbell River fishing charter, including a chrome bright 16 lb Chinook. Here's how the day unfolded on Discovery Passage.
Conditions Report: Saturday, July 4, 2026
First light came at 5:18 AM and we were already off the dock. Few clouds, 14°C air, and a light WNW breeze at 11 km/h gusting to 25 through the afternoon. Visibility ran a clean 10 km all day — no fog to slow the start, just open water and good light.
Discovery Passage sat easy. The marine forecast held northwest 10 to 20 knots with seas one metre or less, giving us a forgiving light chop that made for smooth trolling. We worked the flood tide building toward the morning high of 10.1 feet at 8:14 AM, then rode it through to the afternoon low. Seymour Narrows ran hard on the ebb at over 13 knots, so we stayed south near the green can where the current pushes bait without the chaos.
The Catch
We kept it simple: hoochies — plastic squid lures — run behind flashers, downriggers set to 50 feet. Warm 17.6°C surface water had the salmon up and feeding in the top of the column, and the flood tide did the work of stacking bait through our line.
The result was a hot one. Nineteen salmon to the boat, a mix of Chinook and Coho. Most of our Chinook ran the honest 12-16 lb range typical of this run, and the fish of the day came up chrome bright and heavy — a thick 16-pounder that had the rod bucking on the downrigger. Yvonne and Shane put in a full, patient day, and the fish rewarded them. Fifteen went back healthy to keep the run strong.
What's Running in July
July is prime summer salmon season in Campbell River. Chinook are the mainstay — feeder fish mostly in that 12-16 lb range, with an honest shot at a trophy 30-plus pounder for the patient angler. Coho move in through summer and add to the action. Under DFO Area 13 regulations, Chinook must be at least 62cm to retain, and from July 15 through August 31 a slot limit applies — anything over 80cm goes back. We fish those rules hard and release every trophy over the slot to protect the run for the seasons ahead.
Book Your Trip
The calendar is filling fast for July and August, the heart of our season. We fish the 27' Boston Whaler Conquest — heated cabin, private washroom, Starlink WiFi, and room for groups up to four. View our salmon fishing charters and Check rates and availability at fishingstoriecharters.com.
Weather: Few clouds, 14°C, WNW wind 11 km/h gusting to 25 km/h, 10 km visibility | Water: Light chop, blue-green water, 1 metre or less seas
