Fraser Valley, BC

Rainbow Trout

Oncorhynchus mykiss

The most accessible freshwater target in BC. Rainbows feed on chironomids in lakes and take spinners, flies and bait in rivers.

Largemouth Bass

Micropterus salmoides

Ambush predators of warm, weedy water. Bass reward anglers who fish cover precisely and slow down when the sun is high.

Chum Salmon

Oncorhynchus keta

A big, hard-fighting fall salmon that fills coastal rivers in October and November. Ocean-bright chum strike chartreuse and purple lures aggressively; coloured river fish are powerful and acrobatic.

Sockeye Salmon

Oncorhynchus nerka

The prized red salmon, plankton feeders that travel in dense schools on set migration routes. Sockeye are reluctant biters in the ocean and reward anglers who troll tiny offerings at the exact depth of the school.

Steelhead

Oncorhynchus mykiss

The sea-run form of rainbow trout and one of the most prized river fish in North America. Steelhead hold in fast, broken water, take a wide range of drifted and swung offerings, and fight with long runs and jumps.

Cutthroat Trout

Oncorhynchus clarkii

A native coastal trout that hunts fry and shrimp in estuaries, beaches and small rivers. Sea-run cutthroat follow the tide, ambush baitfish along shore, and rise eagerly to flies and small spinners.

Bull Trout

Salvelinus confluentus

A large, predatory char of cold western rivers and lakes. Bull trout ambush whitefish, trout and salmon smolts from deep pools and cover, and take big streamers and spoons fished deep.

Black Crappie

Pomoxis nigromaculatus

A speckled, paper-mouthed panfish that suspends over brush and timber in clear lakes and sloughs. Crappie bite small jigs and minnows delicately — the strike is often just a slight heaviness.

White Sturgeon

Acipenser transmontanus

The largest freshwater fish in North America and the Fraser River's signature catch-and-release giant. Sturgeon vacuum bait off the bottom in deep slots and, once hooked, make long runs and sometimes leap clear of the water.