Salmon runs, limits and closures for Juan de Fuca Strait · DFO Area 20
Juan de Fuca Strait sits in DFO Pacific Area 20 on the Vancouver Island South coast. This page covers when salmon run here and the recreational salmon limits and closures in effect. For live wind, waves, tides and an hourly fishing score, see the Juan de Fuca Strait forecast.
The strait is a migration corridor rather than a destination fishery, which is what makes it productive. Chinook move through from late spring into early autumn, with the summer months generally the most consistent. Coho follow later in the season, typically from late summer into autumn. Halibut are taken on the deeper banks. Because these are travelling fish, timing matters more here than in resident winter fisheries.
chinook 2 per day in 20-1 to 20-5, non retention in 20-6 and 20-7; chum 2 per day; coho 2 per day in 20-1 and 20-3 to 20-7, 4 per day in 20-2; pink 4 per day; sockeye non retention.
Two salmon closure areas are in effect today, including Juan de Fuca Strait Salmon Closure and Swiftsure Bank Salmon Closure. A closure overrides the area-wide limit where they overlap.
See the full Area 20 regulations for the complete limits tables and subarea boundaries. Openings change in-season - always confirm on DFO before fishing.
The full Juan de Fuca Strait guide covers the setting, hazards and how the water behaves, with the live forecast and fishing score. See which areas are calmest tomorrow or this weekend, or browse fishing by species and all BC locations.