FSC Daily Fishing Report - Tuesday, May 26, 2026

Twelve Chinook Released in Discovery Passage — May 26, 2026

The sun was already warm on the dock at Coast Marina when Terry, Montana, and Jason climbed aboard the Boston Whaler Conquest. They had driven over from Kelowna — three friends who had never fished saltwater, never hooked a Chinook, never felt the deep pull of a salmon running hard two hundred feet below the surface. By the end of the day, they would feel it twelve times.

Conditions on the Water

Conditions were about as good as late May gets in Campbell River. Air temperature hit 24 degrees under mostly clear skies with a light west-northwest breeze at 15 km/h — enough to texture the water but nothing that made the ride uncomfortable. Seas in Discovery Passage were under one metre with visibility stretching well past 10 kilometres. No fog, no haze, just clean open water and the mountains of Quadra Island across the channel. Low tide bottomed out at 10:33 AM at 4.0 feet, and the slack before flood at Seymour Narrows came at 9:21 AM. That slack was the hinge the whole day turned on.

The Catch

We ran Tomic plugs on downriggers set at 220 feet. Water temperature was sitting at 15.1 degrees Celsius, warm enough that the bait was holding in the cooler layers down deep, and the Chinook were right there with them. The first hookup came right around the slack, and then the flood tide began pushing bait northward through the channel and the fish turned on in earnest. Over the course of the full day, twelve Chinook came to the rod. Every one was released in good condition — chrome bright spring fish with silver flanks and intact fins, swimming strong back into the current. The best fish of the day went 14 pounds and fought like it had somewhere to be. The major solunar feeding window from 7:12 to 9:12 AM overlapped nicely with that 9:21 slack, and the combination produced some of the day's hottest action.

Spring Chinook in Campbell River

Spring Chinook in Discovery Passage are averaging 12 to 15 pounds this season, with fish ranging up to 20 pounds. These are feeder Chinook — active, aggressive, and chrome bright. Under current DFO Area 13 regulations, Chinook over 80 centimetres must be released. Most spring fish fall within retention size, but today's trip was catch-and-release from the start, and every fish went back. It is fishing like this — twelve hookups on a single outing — that reminds you why Campbell River earned its reputation as the salmon capital of the world.

Book Your Spring Charter

Spring fishing in Discovery Passage is in full swing. Our full-day salmon charters depart Coast Marina aboard the 27-foot Boston Whaler Conquest, equipped with a heated cabin, private washroom, and Starlink WiFi. Groups of up to four guests, all gear and tackle included, free parking at Tyee Plaza. View our salmon fishing charters and check rates and availability at fishingstoriecharters.com. June is filling up — now is the time to get on the water.

Weather: 24°C, few clouds, WNW wind at 15 km/h (8 knots), good visibility at 10 km | Water: Light chop, manageable seas under 1 metre