FSC Daily Fishing Report - Tuesday, September 15, 2026

Conditions Report: Tuesday, September 15, 2026

Some September mornings the strait gives you everything. Today was one of them. We pushed off Coast Marina A Dock on the 6am run under a clear sky, air temp at 14°C, wind calm out of the north, and a full 10km of visibility that let you pick out the Coast Mountains clean across the water. Sunrise came at 6:57 AM and we were already on the troll.

The marine forecast called for northwest 20 to 25 knots to build later in the day, but the water we fished stayed flat — seas one metre or less, barely a ripple on the surface. Tides ran the show. Low water sat at 3:16 AM at 4.3 feet, and the flood pushed steadily all morning toward the 10:16 AM high of 11.5 feet. Seymour Narrows was moving hard at 6.6 knots on the ebb, with slack before ebb coming at 9:49 AM. That building flood shoved bait through the grounds, and the fish followed.

The Catch

We fished the historic Tyee grounds off Cape Mudge, on the southern tip of Quadra Island, aboard the nimble 17' Boston Whaler Montauk. The method was classic Campbell River — trolling Tomic plugs at around 2.5 knots, downriggers set between 80 and 120 feet. Water temp read a warm 16.8°C, so the salmon were up in the column and eating. The waxing crescent moon carried a Good solunar rating, and the minor feeding window around moonset lined up with our morning troll.

Gian had come all the way up from Saint Louis for his first Campbell River Chinook. The rod bent, the drag sang, and the fish was there. A chrome bright 17-pounder, thick through the shoulders with sea lice still on her — fresh in from the outside. Four more Chinook came to the boat and went back clean, solid feeders in the 12 to 16 lb range, released to keep the run strong. The look on Gian's face when that big one hit the deck said the rest.

What's Running in September

September is Tyee season, the time Campbell River is famous for. This is when the big Chinook stage through Discovery Passage, and under DFO Area 13 rules there's no maximum size limit right now — two per day, 62cm minimum — so a trophy fish can come home. Most fish this month run 12 to 16 lbs, honest, hard-pulling feeders, with a real shot at a 30-plus pound Tyee for the patient angler. Warm water and active fish make it one of the best windows of the year to be on the water.

Book Your Trip

The Montauk is perfect for one or two anglers who want an intimate, hands-on day with a veteran guide who knows these grounds cold. Tyee season doesn't last, and the calendar is filling. View our salmon fishing charters and check rates and availability at fishingstoriecharters.com.

Weather: Clear sky, 14°C, wind calm from the north, visibility 10km | Water: Flat calm, green-grey water, light ripples, no whitecaps