Sockeye Salmon Fishing in BC

Sockeye Salmon fishing in British Columbia

Sockeye are plankton feeders taken on small flashers and tiny hoochies fished in the top of the water column, prized for the table above all other salmon. Recreational sockeye is opened - or not - by in-season Fraser and Skeena run size, so an area is often closed or opens only briefly; check the status below and the Fishery Notices before planning a trip.

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

46 closures affecting Sockeye Salmon 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 — Proposed Homayno Marine Refuge - Southern portion (no end date given)
Area 14 — Area 14 - River Mouth Closures (Sep 1 – Nov 30)

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

Sockeye Salmon limits and size by DFO area

Recreational tidal-water limits for Sockeye 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	Sockeye salmon	1,101	30cm	4	Open
Area 2	Sockeye salmon	2,102,130,142	30cm	4	Open
Area 4	Sockeye salmon	4	30cm	0	Non Retention
	Sockeye salmon	104	30cm	4	Open
Area 7	Sockeye salmon	7,107	—	0	Closed
Area 8	Sockeye salmon	8,108	—	0	Closed
Area 13	Sockeye salmon	13	30cm	0	Non Retention
Area 14	Sockeye salmon	14	30cm	0	Non Retention
Area 15	Sockeye salmon	15	30cm	0	Non Retention
Area 16	Sockeye salmon	16	30cm	0	Non Retention
Area 17	Sockeye salmon	17	30cm	0	Non Retention
Area 18	Sockeye salmon	18	30cm	0	Non Retention
Area 19	Sockeye salmon	19	30cm	0	Non Retention
Area 20	Sockeye salmon	20	30cm	0	Non Retention
Area 23	Sockeye salmon	23	30cm	4	Open
	Sockeye salmon	123	30cm	0	Non Retention
Area 24	Sockeye salmon	24	30cm	4	Open
	Sockeye salmon	124	30cm	0	Non Retention
Area 28	Sockeye salmon	28	30cm	0	Non Retention
Area 29	Sockeye salmon	29-1 to 29-5 and 29-8	30cm	0	Non Retention
	Sockeye 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 Sockeye 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.

Sockeye Salmon fishing in British Columbia

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

Sockeye Salmon limits and size by DFO area

Plan a Sockeye Salmon trip

Other species