Sockeye Salmon Guided Fish Trips to Port Alberni

We offer guided sockeye salmon fishing charters in the Alberni Inlet, in Port Alberni, B.C.   In June and July we target sockeye, which migrate up into the inlet staging to run into the Somas River. These fish are highly sought after as they are very tasty and a perfect size fish for younger fishers.  Sockeye salmon fishing charters are usually 4 to 5 hours in length, departing the dock at first light for the best fishing.

Sockeye salmon are very finicky biters, and it can be tricky at times to get them to cooperate.  Our fishing technique is to stack as many flashers as we can on our down riggers to create attraction and excitement, which often triggers bites.  When we will run 2 to 4 fishing rods on our Sockeye fishing charters to help trigger bites.  As Sockeye have a soft mouth, many will fall off the hook unless the angler uses a lot of finesse to tease them towards the boat.  We often find that children are the most successful anglers because they tend to finesse sockeye to the boat.

Sockeye fishing charters are a great way to introduce children to sport fishing and to create lasting family memories.  Sockeye due to their smaller size (usually 4 to 8 pounds) are idea fish for new fishers to handle successfully.  They are also the best eating salmon species, making these fishing charters very popular with families looking for a great mix of fishing and fun adventures on the water.

Prime time for sockeye salmon fishing charters is the last week of June through to the second and third weeks of July.  The peak run timing is the first week of July, so we encourage anyone interested in a Sockeye Salmon fishing charter to target those times.

Chinook (King) Salmon Fishing Charters to Port Alberni, BC

Around the 3rd week of August, Chinook salmon start congregating near the mouth of the Somas River in Port Alberni.  This creates a unique fishery targeting these Chinook staging to enter the river.  Fishing charters for Port Alberni Chinook depart the dock at first light, and the best fishing is in the first few hours of daylight.  These fishing charters are 5 to 6 hours during the early morning when the best action takes place.

Prime time for this fishery is from the 3rd week of August through to the first week of September.  At times the fishing does start earlier than the 3rd week of Augusts, and extends later into the season, but a lot depends on how the fish stage waiting for the late summer and fall rains to fill the river.  Once the rain hits, fish will start entering the river and this fishery comes to a close.

Because success in this particular fishery depends upon the Chinook staging waiting for the river conditions to favour in-migration, we also encourage guests to have a flexible fishing plan.   That plan should include the possibility of spending a full day running out to Barkley Sound in the event fishing in the Alberni Canal is slow on the day of your fishing charter.

One option is to drop a line in the Canal, and if the bite is not happening, we can run out to Barkley Sound for a full day adventure so long as guests have the time and the full day trip fits their budget.

At times the fishing in the canal can be extraordinarily great, and this is a less expensive option for a quality salmon fishing charter when the fish are stacked up in the canal.