DFO Pacific Area 18 recreational fishing regulations

Current tidal-water recreational limits, sizes and closures for DFO Pacific Area 18 (Finlayson Arm, Mayne & Saturna Islands, Pender Islands), 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 18?

LocationTodayTomorrowSave
Finlayson ArmGood5 kt · 0.5 ftGood5 kt · 0.4 ft
Mayne & Saturna IslandsGood10 kt · 0.9 ftGood10 kt · 1.0 ft
Pender IslandsMarginal13 kt · 0.9 ftMarginal13 kt · 1.0 ft
Saltspring Island SouthGood8 kt · 0.5 ftGood8 kt · 0.5 ft
Saltspring Island NorthGood5 kt · 0.5 ftGood5 kt · 0.6 ft
Cowichan BayGood4 kt · 0.3 ftGood3 kt · 0.4 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)

Six 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)1862cm2Open
Chum salmon1830cm4Open
Coho salmon (hatchery and wild combined)1830cm2 Combined Total * Consisting of no more than: 2 - Hatchery - marked; 0 - Wild - unmarkedOpen
Pink salmon1830cm4Open
Sockeye salmon1830cm0Non Retention

Finfish other than salmon — area-wide limits

SpeciesSubareasMin sizeDailyStatus
Codfish188Open
Eulachon180kgClosed
Finfish - all other species1820Open
Greenling183Open
Halibut182Open
Herring1820kgOpen
Lingcod180Closed
Mackerel18100Open
Northern Anchovy1820kgOpen
Pacific sand lance185kgOpen
Pacific sardine18100Open
Rockfish - Yelloweye180Non Retention
Rockfish - all species except Yelloweye180Closed
Sablefish184Open
Sculpin188Open
Shark - Basking180Closed
Shark - Blue180Closed
Shark - Brown Cat180Closed
Shark - Great White180Closed
Shark - Salmon181Open
Shark - Sixgill180Closed
Shark - Tope180Closed
Shark - all other species180Closed
Skate181Open
Smelt1820kgOpen
Sole or Flounder188Open
Spiny Dogfish180Non Retention
Surfperch188Open
Tuna - Albacore1820Open
Tuna - Pacific bluefin1820Open
Tuna - all other species1820Open
White Sturgeon180Non Retention
Wolf Eel180Non Retention
Trout (hatchery and wild combined)1830cm2 Combined Total * Consisting of no more than: 2 - Hatchery - marked; 0 - Wild - unmarkedOpen

Bivalve shellfish and snails — area-wide limits

SpeciesSubareasMin sizeDailyStatus
Clam - Butter1820
Clam - Horse186
Clam - Littleneck1860
Clam - Manila1860
Clam - Razor1812
Clam - Softshell1825
Clam - Varnish1860
Clam - all species combined1860
Cockles1825
Geoduck183
Mussel - Blue1875
Mussel - California1825
Mussels - all species combined1875
Oyster - Olympia180
Oyster - all species except Olympia1812
Scallop - Pink and Spiny1875
Scallop - Purple-hinged rock186
Scallop - Weathervane186
Scallop - Weathervane and Purple-hinged rock combined186
Snail - Moon182
Snail - other1875
Whelks1875

Crab — area-wide limits

SpeciesSubareasMin sizeDailyStatus
Crab - Box181Open
Crab - Dungeness18165mm4Open
Crab - Dungeness and Red Rock combined184Open
Crab - King180Closed
Crab - Puget Sound King181Open
Crab - Red Rock18115mm4Open
Crab - Shore1825Open
Crab - other184Open

Other invertebrates — area-wide limits

SpeciesSubareasMin sizeDailyStatus
Abalone180Closed
Barnacles - Giant186Open
Barnacles - Goose182kgOpen
Invertebrates - all other species1820Open
Limpet1875Open
Octopus181Open
Sand Dollar186Open
Sea Cucumber1812Open
Sea Star or Starfish186Open
Sea Urchin1812Open
Shellfish - all other species1820Open
Shrimp - Ghost1850Open
Shrimp including prawn18125Open
Squid - Opal18200Open
Squid - all other species1820Open

Source: DFO Pacific Area 18 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 18

All BC fishing areas and tide stations