Sturgeon fishing has improved in the last 10 days with the arrival of pink salmon in the Fraser river. The crew of Clayton, Rob and Brett have put a number of 8 foot sturgeon to the beach where excited anglers quickly take a photo to remember the event for a lifetime before they are carefully released. The early pink salmon are moving into the interior and it won’t be long before the local pink salmon begin arriving. With the pink salmon in the river, sturgeon are beginning to key in on them as a dominant food source. It is anticipated that sturgeon fishing should be very good for the next three weeks.
Salmon fishing remains closed after a brief opening on August 3. I believe the opening lasted approximately 10 days before Fisheries and Oceans Canada closed the river to all salmon fishing citing concerns about sockeye salmon migration. Last weekend’s FN gill net opening did not result in a recreational angling opening for chinooks, and you can bet bottom bouncing as the reason why recreational angling sat on the sidelines.
It would be an assumption, based on pure numbers of pink salmon entering the system, that Fisheries and Oceans Canada will re-open the Fraser river around September 1. Recent estimates indicate the size of the pink salmon return to be in the vicinity of 17 million fish! Currently, there is a very small area open for pink salmon retention in the lower Vedder canal near the Sumas river confluence downstream to the triangles near the mouth of the Fraser river. Low water will not allow a great number of pinks to hold in that area for long, but the pinks are in there if you are looking to catch a few.
With any luck, a September 1 opening in the Fraser will allow those that wish to bar fish an opportunity to catch a chinook salmon or two before the summer chinooks are done for the season. Some of the best summer chinook fishing is in the first week of September.
Looking ahead, pink salmon fishing should be excellent throughout the Fraser with great water conditions and clarity. Flies, spoons and jigs will all produce fishing success. If you are new to fishing, have young anglers in tow, or are looking to enjoy some success fly fishing, a Fraser river opening for pinks will provide all the fun you will want. If you don’t have a boat, there are plenty of places to walk to that will allow you to access this fishery. By scanning the slack water along the edges of the river, you won’t have to wait long to see if the pinks are present – they are regularly rolling and flipping near the surface in backwaters and the slacker water seams.
Speaking of water conditions on the Fraser, the river levels are a bit lower than normal for this time of year, yet water temperatures are right near normal and perhaps even a bit cooler than we have seen in the past at this time of year. Cool, night time temperatures in the interior may account for the 2 degree drop in water temperatures in the last few days.
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