FSC Daily Fishing Report - Thursday, June 18, 2026

Conditions Report: June 18, 2026

Summer showed up in full this afternoon. Air temperature held at 23°C under broken clouds, with a northwest wind running 16 km/h and gusting to 23. Visibility stretched a clean 10 km — far enough to pick out the mountains beyond Quadra Island. With sunrise at 5:11 AM and sunset not until 9:33 PM, June gives us long, generous days on the water.

The marine forecast for Johnstone Strait and Discovery Passage called for northwest 20 to 30 knots, but tucked into the main channel we found seas of a metre or less — light chop and an easy ride. Tides framed the day: a high of 11.2 feet at 7:51 AM, a low of 2.6 feet at 3:06 PM, and a Seymour Narrows slack before flood right around 3:08 PM. That afternoon slack was the window, and we built our troll around it.

The Catch

We ran Michael Jackson hoochies behind flashers, downriggers set at 150 feet, working the main channel between Vancouver Island and Quadra at a steady 2.5 to 3 knots. Water temperature sat at a warm 17.4°C, which kept the fish active and willing to chase.

The timing paid off. The major solunar feeding period ran from 1:52 to 3:52 PM and lined up almost exactly with that afternoon slack. The rods loaded up and stayed busy. Lia, Walter and Stephen — first-time anglers visiting from Victoria — limited out on hatchery Coho with six in the box, then released sixteen Chinook back to keep the run strong, the best a chrome-bright 15-pounder. By the end, as Lia laughed through one more fight, the words came out: "My arms are getting sore." The good kind of sore.

What's Running in June

June is prime time on Discovery Passage. Chinook are around year-round, typically running 12 to 16 pounds with a genuine shot at a trophy 30-pounder, while summer Coho start filling in nicely — today's hatchery limits a sign of what's ahead. Under DFO Area 13 regulations we release wild Chinook over the slot to protect future runs, and we keep our retention honest and conservation-minded. Warm water this time of year keeps fish shallower and feeding hard.

Book Your Trip

The summer bite is on, and dates are filling fast through June and July. Our 27' Boston Whaler Conquest offers a heated cabin, private washroom, and Starlink WiFi, with room for groups up to four, departing Coast Marina A Dock with free parking at Tyee Plaza. View our salmon fishing charters and check rates and availability at fishingstoriecharters.com.

Weather: 23°C, broken clouds, NW wind 16 km/h gusting 23, visibility 10 km | Water: Light chop, blue-green water, seas 1 metre or less