DFO Pacific Area 8 recreational fishing regulations

Current tidal-water recreational limits, sizes and closures for DFO Pacific Area 8, 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 8?

LocationTodayTomorrowSave
Bella Coola tidesGood2 kt · –Good2 kt · –

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)

Eight 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)8,10845cm2Open
Chum salmon8,10830cm4Open
Coho salmon (hatchery and wild combined)8,10830cm4Open
Pink salmon8,10830cm4Open
Sockeye salmon8,1080Closed

Finfish other than salmon — area-wide limits

SpeciesSubareasMin sizeDailyStatus
Codfish8,1088Open
Eulachon8,1080kgClosed
Finfish - all other species8,10820Open
Greenling8,1083Open
Halibut8,1082Open
Herring8,10820kgOpen
Lingcod8,10865cm3Open
Mackerel8,108100Open
Northern Anchovy8,10820kgOpen
Pacific sand lance8,1085kgOpen
Pacific sardine8,108100Open
Rockfish - Yelloweye8,1080Non Retention
Rockfish - all species except Yelloweye8,1083Open
Sablefish8,1084Open
Sculpin8,1088Open
Shark - Basking8,1080Closed
Shark - Blue8,1080Closed
Shark - Brown Cat8,1080Closed
Shark - Great White8,1080Closed
Shark - Salmon8,1081Open
Shark - Sixgill8,1080Closed
Shark - Tope8,1080Closed
Shark - all other species8,1080Closed
Skate8,1081Open
Smelt8,10820kgOpen
Sole or Flounder8,1088Open
Spiny Dogfish8,1080Non Retention
Surfperch8,1088Open
Tuna - Albacore8,10820Open
Tuna - Pacific bluefin8,10820Open
Tuna - all other species8,10820Open
White Sturgeon8,1080Non Retention
Wolf Eel8,1080Non Retention
Trout (hatchery and wild combined)8,10830cm2 Combined Total * Consisting of no more than: 2 - Hatchery - marked 50cm or less; 1 - Hatchery - marked over 50cm; 2 - Wild - unmarked 50cm or less; 0 - Wild - unmarked over 50cmOpen

Bivalve shellfish and snails — area-wide limits

SpeciesSubareasMin sizeDailyStatus
Clam - Butter8,1080
Clam - Horse8,1080
Clam - Littleneck8,1080
Clam - Manila8,1080
Clam - Razor8,1080
Clam - Softshell8,1080
Clam - Varnish8,1080
Clam - all species combined8,1080
Cockles8,1080
Geoduck8,1080
Mussel - Blue8,1080
Mussel - California8,1080
Mussels - all species combined8,1080
Oyster - Olympia8,1080
Oyster - all species except Olympia8,1080
Scallop - Pink and Spiny8,1080
Scallop - Purple-hinged rock8,1080
Scallop - Weathervane8,1080
Scallop - Weathervane and Purple-hinged rock combined8,1080
Snail - Moon8,1082
Snail - other8,10875
Whelks8,10875

Crab — area-wide limits

SpeciesSubareasMin sizeDailyStatus
Crab - Box8,1081Open
Crab - Dungeness8,108165mm6Open
Crab - Dungeness, Red Rock and King combined8,1086Open
Crab - King8,1082Open
Crab - Puget Sound King8,1081Open
Crab - Red Rock8,108115mm6Open
Crab - Shore8,10825Open
Crab - other8,1084Open

Other invertebrates — area-wide limits

SpeciesSubareasMin sizeDailyStatus
Abalone8,1080Closed
Barnacles - Giant8,1086Open
Barnacles - Goose8,1082kgOpen
Invertebrates - all other species8,10820Open
Limpet8,10875Open
Octopus8,1081Open
Sand Dollar8,1086Open
Sea Cucumber8,10812Open
Sea Star or Starfish8,1086Open
Sea Urchin8,10812Open
Shellfish - all other species8,10820Open
Shrimp - Ghost8,10850Open
Shrimp including prawn8,108125Open
Squid - Opal8,108200Open
Squid - all other species8,10820Open

Source: DFO Pacific Area 8 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.

All BC fishing areas and tide stations