Salmon

Chum salmon

Open for retention in 28 of the 29 zones that list chum salmon. Click through to a zone for the full detail.

Rules merged from DFO baseline + notices, refreshed 1h ago

Is this the fish you have?

No spots, and a pupil that nearly fills the eye.

Sockeye, the other spotless one. Chum looks dirtier and yellower, with that oversized pupil.

Compare all five →

In the ocean (tidal)In a river (non-tidal)

Salmon in tidal water follow DFO area rules. The same fish in a river follow separate, non-tidal rules.

How to target chum salmon in the ocean

Chum are the last salmon of the BC season to show up, and in salt water they demand an unusually slow, subtle presentation rather than the fast troll used for other species.

Where they hold

Chum stage in bays and estuaries near their river; an incoming tide brings fresh schools into 5 to 25 ft.

General holding zones, not a fish finder. Confirm depth on your own sounder. Try hootchies (plastic squid) in purple, pink, blue, glow, and uv — the standard chum trolling lure behind a flasher through that band.

Best seasonChum are the last Pacific salmon to return in BC, so the tidal-water season runs roughly mid-September through December, with real regional spread: Vancouver Island/Campbell River area fisheries run mid-September to late October; Fraser River tidal waters and the Lower Mainland see the main push October through November (with fish showing into December); DFO opens Fraser-area recreational chum fisheries via in-season notices once run-size estimates are confirmed, so exact tidal-water opening dates shift year to year.

Best time of dayTide state matters far more than clock time. Anglers time outings to the tide change: an incoming tide pushes fresh schools of chum in from saltwater toward river mouths and estuaries, while a strong outgoing/ebb tide can pull fish back out or shut the bite down. The classic pattern near estuaries and gravel bars is to fish slack water, then slide into a quiet back eddy once the current starts to strengthen — a bar that looks dead on one tide stage can turn on as the current shifts.

TechniquePrimary saltwater method is trolling a flasher/dodger-and-hootchie combo run unusually slow — around 1–1.5 mph, slow enough that the flasher barely turns over/just sways rather than spins, since chum will largely ignore fast-trolled gear. Cut-plug herring is trolled the same way during late migration. Near river mouths and in the tidal estuary/lower-river transition zone, anglers switch to bar fishing techniques: bottom-bouncing bait, casting and slow-retrieving spoons/spinners, or float-fishing a jig (often tipped with prawn) with a slow, waving presentation rather than a tight, spinning cutplug drift — timed to slack tide and back-eddies as described above.

Where to find themStaged in saltwater bays, inlets, and nearshore waters adjacent to their natal river systems before pushing into estuaries and lower river mouths (e.g. the Fraser River mouth, Campbell River area, Sooke estuary) to begin their spawning migration; juveniles use estuaries and nearshore waters early in life before heading offshore.

Bait & lures that work

Hootchies (plastic squid) in purple, pink, blue, glow, and UV — the standard chum trolling lure behind a flasherFlashers/dodgers set to sway or barely rotate rather than dart or spin fastCut-plug herring, especially effective during the final stages of the migrationSmall Spin-N-Glo attractor placed ahead of the hoochiePrawn or a jig tipped with raw prawnSpoons and spinners (e.g. Gibbs spoons, Blue Fox Vibrax) in green, chartreuse, pink, peach, orange and purpleScent added in oil form (rather than gel) to boost strikes

Before you keep oneBC only contributes about 7% of total North Pacific chum abundance, and recent Pacific Salmon Foundation State of Salmon reporting shows steep regional declines — roughly 27% down on Vancouver Island and as much as 89% down in the Skeena — attributed mainly to poor ocean conditions (e.g. the marine heatwave "Blob") rather than overfishing; anglers are advised to check regional openings/closures closely since chum fisheries are managed conservatively where stocks are weak.

Where it's open right now

28 total

Zone	Rule	Source
Area 4Prince Rupert, Porcher Island	Chum salmon is catch-and-release only (non-retention) in 4; open in 104 (daily limit 4, minimum size 30cm, barbless hook and line required). A recent Fishery Notice (FN0723-RECREATIONAL, issued July 15, 2026 at 1534) may change this in-season -- check it before you fish.	July 15, 2026 at 1534 view source
Area 3Portland Inlet, Alaska border	Chum salmon is catch-and-release only (non-retention) in 3; open in 103 (daily limit 4, minimum size 30cm, barbless hook and line required). A recent Fishery Notice (FN0723-RECREATIONAL, issued July 15, 2026 at 1534) may change this in-season -- check it before you fish.	July 15, 2026 at 1534 view source
Area 12Port Hardy, Robson Bight	Chum salmon is open in 12 (daily limit 2, minimum size 30cm, barbless hook and line required). A recent Fishery Notice (FN0723-RECREATIONAL, issued July 15, 2026 at 1534) may change this in-season -- check it before you fish.	July 15, 2026 at 1534 view source
Area 17Nanaimo	Chum salmon is open in 17 (daily limit 2, minimum size 30cm, barbless hook and line required). A recent Fishery Notice (FN0723-RECREATIONAL, issued July 15, 2026 at 1534) may change this in-season -- check it before you fish.	July 15, 2026 at 1534 view source
Area 14Comox, Denman Island, Hornby Island, Parksville	Chum salmon is open in 14 (daily limit 2, minimum size 30cm, barbless hook and line required). A recent Fishery Notice (FN0723-RECREATIONAL, issued July 15, 2026 at 1534) may change this in-season -- check it before you fish.	July 15, 2026 at 1534 view source
Area 23Port Alberni, Bamfield, Ucluelet	Chum salmon is catch-and-release only (non-retention) in 23; open in 123 (daily limit 2, minimum size 30cm, barbless hook and line required). A recent Fishery Notice (FN0723-RECREATIONAL, issued July 15, 2026 at 1534) may change this in-season -- check it before you fish.	July 15, 2026 at 1534 view source
Area 9Rivers Inlet	Chum salmon is open in 9,109 (daily limit 4, minimum size 30cm, barbless hook and line required). A recent Fishery Notice (FN0723-RECREATIONAL, issued July 15, 2026 at 1534) may change this in-season -- check it before you fish.	July 15, 2026 at 1534 view source
Area 29Delta, Ladner, Richmond, Tsawwassen, Fraser River	Chum salmon is open in 29-1 to 29-5 and 29-8 (daily limit 2, minimum size 30cm, barbless hook and line required); closed in 29-6,29-7 and 29-9 to 29-17. A recent Fishery Notice (FN0723-RECREATIONAL, issued July 15, 2026 at 1534) may change this in-season -- check it before you fish.	July 15, 2026 at 1534 view source

Everywhere else

Zone	Status	What applies	Source
Area 21Nitinat Lake,Tzuquanah Point	non retention	Chum salmon is closed in 21; catch-and-release only (non-retention) in 22. A recent Fishery Notice (FN0723-RECREATIONAL, issued July 15, 2026 at 1534) may change this in-season -- check it before you fish.	July 15, 2026 at 1534 view source

This is a plain-language summary, not the regulation itself. Always confirm at the source link before you fish. Rules can change without notice.

You need a licence before you fishSaltwater / tidal waters (salmon, halibut, rockfish, crab, prawn): get a BC Tidal Waters sport fishing licence (DFO).

How to target chum salmon in a river

Chum are the last salmon of the BC season to show up, and in salt water they demand an unusually slow, subtle presentation rather than the fast troll used for other species.

Where they hold

Chum hold in the deeper 3 to 10 ft of lower-river pools and tailouts.

General holding zones, not a fish finder. Confirm depth on your own sounder. Try chartreuse/pink jig through that band.

Best seasonLate October into December, one of the last runs of the year.

Best time of dayLow light and after rain; chum colour up fast, so target fresh chrome fish low in the system.

TechniqueSwing a bright fly, jig, or Colorado-blade setup on a short float through the holding water; chum are strong and hit a slow presentation near bottom. Fish the lower river close to tidewater.

Where to find themDeeper holding water in the lower river, tailouts, and estuary approaches.

Bait & lures that work

Chartreuse/pink jigColorado bladeBright flyRoe

Where you can fish chum salmon in a river

Non-tidal, federal (DFO) river rules, separate from the tidal-area rules and the Province's trout and char rules on the same water. Type a river or region to filter.

20 total

River	Region	When	Limit & gear
Atnarko River including tributaries	Cariboo (Coastal Watershed)	Apr 1 to Mar 31	1 per day.
Bella Coola River including tributaries (not including Atnarko River)	Cariboo (Coastal Watershed)	Apr 1 to Mar 31	1 per day.
Chuckwalla River	Cariboo (Coastal Watershed)	Apr 1 to Mar 31	No fishing for chum.
Kilbella River	Cariboo (Coastal Watershed)	Apr 1 to Mar 31	No fishing for chum.
All waters	Cariboo (Fraser River Watershed)	--	No fishing for salmon in Region 5A - Cariboo (Fraser River Watershed) until further notice.
All waters	Kootenay	--	No fishing for salmon in Region 4 - Kootenay until further notice.
All waters	Omineca-Peace	--	No fishing for salmon in Region 7 - Omineca-Peace until further notice.
A. All Region 6 watersAll lakes or streams or parts thereof in the aggregate (combined total), in Region 6, unless otherwise stated below. Please review sections B, C, D, E and F carefully.	Skeena	Apr 1 to Mar 31	No fishing for sockeye, pink or chum salmon, unless otherwise stated below

Plain-language summary, not the regulation itself. River salmon rules change in-season, confirm at the DFO source before you fish.

You need a licence before you fishThe licence you need depends on the water, not the fish. In non-tidal fresh water (rivers and lakes above the tidal boundary), salmon go on the BC freshwater fishing licence (Province of BC) plus a Salmon Conservation Stamp. The BC Tidal Waters licence (DFO) is only for tidal waters. The rules on this page are DFO's either way.

Other salmon

Chinook salmon Sockeye salmon Coho salmon Pink salmon All salmon species Chum salmon in a river instead Fishery Notices behind these statuses

See something wrong?

Rules change in-season and we'd rather hear it from you than have someone fish on bad information. Tell us what looks off and we'll check it against the source.