Lingcod Fishing in BC

Lingcod fishing in British Columbia

Lingcod are aggressive ambush predators that hold on rocky reefs and pinnacles and hammer a jig or a live bait dropped into structure. A minimum size protects juveniles, and many areas close the spring spawning period entirely; both the size and the open/closed status are in the table below.

Lingcod closures in effect today (September 16, 2026)

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

• Area 2 — Mathers Creek (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 — Discovery Passage/Campbell River (year round)
• Area 14 — Area 14 - River Mouth Closures (Sep 1 – Nov 30)

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

Lingcod limits and size by DFO area

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 Lingcod 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.

Other species

• Chinook Salmon
• Coho Salmon
• Sockeye Salmon
• Pink Salmon
• Chum Salmon
• Pacific Halibut
• Rockfish
• Dungeness Crab
• Red Rock Crab
• Prawn & Shrimp