DFO Pacific Area 16 recreational fishing regulations

Current tidal-water recreational limits, sizes and closures for DFO Pacific Area 16 (Sechelt), read from DFO’s own area page and refreshed daily. Last updated 2026-10-20. Openings change in-season and subarea boundaries are set by coordinates — always confirm on DFO before fishing.

Can you get out in Area 16?

LocationTodayTomorrowSave
SecheltGood5 kt · 0.6 ftGood5 kt · 0.9 ft
Pender Harbour tidesGood3 kt · 0.1 ftGood2 kt · 0.1 ft

Peak wind and biggest seas for the day: Good ≤10 kt & ≤2 ft, Rough ≥15 kt or ≥3 ft. Tap a location for the hourly Fishing Score, tides and best window. Save one and the site opens there next time.

Elsewhere in BC? Check which BC areas are calmest tomorrow or this weekend, or browse fishing by species.

Closures in effect today (October 31, 2026)

Three closure areas are in effect. A closure overrides the area-wide limits wherever the two overlap.

Salmon — area-wide limits

SpeciesSubareasMin sizeDailyStatus
Chinook salmon (hatchery and wild combined)1662cm2Open
Chum salmon1630cm4Open
Coho salmon (hatchery and wild combined)16-1 to 16-4 and 16-6 to 16-2230cm2 Combined Total * Consisting of no more than: 2 - Hatchery - marked; 0 - Wild - unmarkedOpen
Coho salmon (hatchery and wild combined)16-530cm4Open
Pink salmon1630cm4Open
Sockeye salmon1630cm0Non Retention

Finfish other than salmon — area-wide limits

SpeciesSubareasMin sizeDailyStatus
Codfish168Open
Eulachon160kgClosed
Finfish - all other species1620Open
Greenling163Open
Halibut162Open
Herring1620kgOpen
Lingcod160Closed
Mackerel16100Open
Northern Anchovy1620kgOpen
Pacific sand lance165kgOpen
Pacific sardine16100Open
Rockfish - Yelloweye160Non Retention
Rockfish - all species except Yelloweye160Closed
Sablefish164Open
Sculpin168Open
Shark - Basking160Closed
Shark - Blue160Closed
Shark - Brown Cat160Closed
Shark - Great White160Closed
Shark - Salmon161Open
Shark - Sixgill160Closed
Shark - Tope160Closed
Shark - all other species160Closed
Skate161Open
Smelt1620kgOpen
Sole or Flounder168Open
Spiny Dogfish160Non Retention
Surfperch168Open
Tuna - Albacore1620Open
Tuna - Pacific bluefin1620Open
Tuna - all other species1620Open
White Sturgeon160Non Retention
Wolf Eel160Non Retention
Trout (hatchery and wild combined)1630cm2 Combined Total * Consisting of no more than: 2 - Hatchery - marked; 0 - Wild - unmarkedOpen

Bivalve shellfish and snails — area-wide limits

SpeciesSubareasMin sizeDailyStatus
Clam - Butter1620
Clam - Horse166
Clam - Littleneck1660
Clam - Manila1660
Clam - Razor1612
Clam - Softshell1625
Clam - Varnish1660
Clam - all species combined1660
Cockles1625
Geoduck163
Mussel - Blue1675
Mussel - California1625
Mussels - all species combined1675
Oyster - Olympia160
Oyster - all species except Olympia1612
Scallop - Pink and Spiny1675
Scallop - Purple-hinged rock166
Scallop - Weathervane166
Scallop - Weathervane and Purple-hinged rock combined166
Snail - Moon162
Snail - other1675
Whelks1675

Crab — area-wide limits

SpeciesSubareasMin sizeDailyStatus
Crab - Box161Open
Crab - Dungeness16165mm4Open
Crab - Dungeness and Red Rock combined164Open
Crab - King160Closed
Crab - Puget Sound King161Open
Crab - Red Rock16115mm4Open
Crab - Shore1625Open
Crab - other164Open

Other invertebrates — area-wide limits

SpeciesSubareasMin sizeDailyStatus
Abalone160Closed
Barnacles - Giant166Open
Barnacles - Goose162kgOpen
Invertebrates - all other species1620Open
Limpet1675Open
Octopus161Open
Sand Dollar166Open
Sea Cucumber1612Open
Sea Star or Starfish166Open
Sea Urchin1612Open
Shellfish - all other species1620Open
Shrimp - Ghost1650Open
Shrimp including prawn16125Open
Squid - Opal16200Open
Squid - all other species1620Open

Source: DFO Pacific Area 16 recreational fishing. Check the Fishery Notices for changes newer than the update date. This page is a reading of DFO’s page, not a substitute for it, and does not reproduce the coordinate-defined subarea boundaries.

Fishing areas in Area 16

All BC fishing areas and tide stations