FSC Daily Fishing Report - Wednesday, June 3, 2026

Six Chinook Released at Cape Mudge: A Graduation Day to Remember

The overcast hung low and grey over Quadra Island at 11 AM when the Montauk pulled away from Coast Marina. Twenty degrees, a light westerly at seven kilometres, and the kind of soft diffused light that makes the water look like hammered pewter. Joerg had flown from Germany for this. A graduation present to himself. He had never fished for salmon. He had never been on the Pacific Ocean. Captain Bruce handed him a rod and pointed the bow toward Cape Mudge.

Conditions on the Water

Seas were calm at one metre or less with excellent visibility stretching to ten kilometres. The marine forecast warned of northwest winds building to 20-25 knots by evening, but the midday window was gentle and workable. The morning high tide at 5:18 AM had been draining water south through Seymour Narrows all morning, and the significant low of 2.4 feet arrived at 1:37 PM. Slack water at the Narrows hit at 1:43 PM, creating the textbook slack-before-flood window that concentrates bait and triggers Chinook feeding along Cape Mudge's southern shelf. Water temperature registered 15.1 degrees Celsius, warm enough to push fish into shallower holding zones between 80 and 120 feet.

The Catch

Captain Bruce trolled hoochies behind flashers, working the Montauk's nimble hull along the current seams off the southern tip of Quadra Island. The bite turned on almost exactly at slack. Six Chinook salmon were hooked and released over the four-hour session. The best fish was a thick, chrome bright 15-pounder that came up silver and fighting, with clean fins and the unmistakable shoulders of a healthy summer feeder. All six were released carefully, consistent with current conservation regulations. The solunar forecast rated the day as Fair under a waning gibbous moon at 89 percent illumination, but the major feeding period at moon underfoot aligned almost perfectly with the slack window, and the fish clearly agreed.

Summer Chinook Fishing in Campbell River

June is prime time for Chinook salmon on Vancouver Island. Fish in the 12-16 pound range are the bread and butter of summer trolling around Discovery Passage and Cape Mudge, with the chance at a trophy 30-plus pounder always lurking. DFO Area 13 regulations currently require release of Chinook over 80 centimetres, which means these big wild fish get to swim another day. It is a good trade. The waters around Quadra Island hold bait all summer, and the tidal exchange through Seymour Narrows creates some of the most productive salmon habitat on the coast.

Book Your Campbell River Fishing Charter

Fishing Storie Charters runs 4-hour introductory trips with three departures daily at 6 AM, 11 AM, and 4 PM out of Coast Marina in Campbell River. No experience needed. All gear provided. Captain Bruce and the Boston Whaler Montauk are built for exactly this kind of intimate, targeted fishing experience. View our salmon fishing charters and check rates and availability at fishingstoriecharters.com. Summer spots are filling fast.

Weather: 20°C overcast, WNW winds 7 km/h gusting 11 km/h, good visibility at 10 km | Water: Light chop with moderate ripple, seas 1 metre or less