Chum Salmon Fishing in BC

Chum Salmon fishing in British Columbia

Chum are powerful, dogged fighters that return in fall, staging off river mouths before the spawn, and hit green or chartreuse near the bottom. Limits are often among the most generous of the salmon, but subarea closures protecting returning stocks are common in fall — read the closures and status below.

Chum Salmon closures in effect today (September 16, 2026)

46 closures affecting Chum Salmon are in effect. A closure overrides the area-wide limit wherever the two overlap.

Area 2 — Mathers Creek (Aug 15 – Oct 31)
Area 2 — Sachs Creek estuary (Aug 15 – Oct 31)
Area 7 — McLaughlin Bay (Jul 1 – Oct 31)
Area 8 — Namu River (year round)
Area 13 — Discovery Passage (year round)
Area 13 — Phillips Arm (year round)
Area 13 — Proposed Homayno Marine Refuge - Northern Portion (no end date given)
Area 13 — Salmon Bay (Jun 1 – Dec 31)
Area 13 — Village Bay (Jul 1 – Oct 31)
Area 13 — Proposed Homayno Marine Refuge - Southern portion (no end date given)

… and 36 more — see the area pages linked below.

Chum Salmon limits and size by DFO area

Recreational tidal-water limits for Chum Salmon, by DFO Pacific area. An area can list more than one row where the rules split by species group or subarea — read the Species column so a 0 (non-retention) is never mistaken for the neighbouring row. Confirm on the DFO page before fishing.
Area	Species	Subareas	Min size	Daily limit	Status
Area 1	Chum salmon	1,101	30cm	4	Open
Area 2	Chum salmon	2,102,130,142	30cm	4	Open
Area 4	Chum salmon	4	30cm	0	Non Retention
	Chum salmon	104	30cm	4	Open
Area 7	Chum salmon	7,107	30cm	4	Open
Area 8	Chum salmon	8,108	30cm	4	Open
Area 13	Chum salmon	13	30cm	2	Open
Area 14	Chum salmon	14	30cm	2	Open
Area 15	Chum salmon	15	30cm	2	Open
Area 16	Chum salmon	16	30cm	2	Open
Area 17	Chum salmon	17	30cm	2	Open
Area 18	Chum salmon	18	30cm	2	Open
Area 19	Chum salmon	19	30cm	2	Open
Area 20	Chum salmon	20	30cm	2	Open
Area 23	Chum salmon	23	30cm	0	Non Retention
	Chum salmon	123	30cm	2	Open
Area 24	Chum salmon	24	30cm	0	Non Retention
	Chum salmon	124	30cm	2	Open
Area 28	Chum salmon	28	30cm	2	Open
Area 29	Chum salmon	29-1 to 29-5 and 29-8	30cm	2	Open
	Chum salmon	29-6,29-7 and 29-9 to 29-17	—	0	Closed

Read from DFO’s per-area recreational fishing pages and refreshed daily. Openings change in-season and subarea boundaries are set by coordinates, so this is a reading of DFO’s pages, not a substitute for them. Check the Fishery Notices for changes newer than the update dates, and always confirm on DFO before fishing.

Plan a Chum Salmon trip

Pick calm water first: see which areas are fishable tomorrow or this weekend, or open any fishing area for its live wind, waves, tides and hourly fishing score. The full rules for a place are on its area regulations page.

Chum Salmon fishing in British Columbia

Chum Salmon closures in effect today (September 16, 2026)

Chum Salmon limits and size by DFO area

Plan a Chum Salmon trip

Other species