Clayoquot Sound & Tofino

Tofino, Clayoquot Sound and offshore waters - DFO Areas 24 and 124.

Other west coast waters: Barkley Sound & Alberni Inlet · Nootka Sound & Esperanza Inlet. Port Renfrew is in South Vancouver Island.

What's working now

The linked September Tofino report places coho in Father Charles Channel and Calmus Passage, using needlefish imitations and bucktailing in the prop wash. It also names Wya Point, Portland Point and Long Beach for late mature chinook. These are September observations, not confirmed October catches.

Source: Island Fisherman magazine report - thank you to this source for its update. Further details in the linked report.

Latest reports

Sep 1

Tofino / Clayoquot Sound: big northern coho arriving - Father Charles Channel and Calmus Passage with needlefish imitations, prime bucktailing in the prop wash; late mature chinook off Wya Point, Portland Point and Long Beach; lingcod moving shallow, halibut sliding to the 200 ft contour.

Source: Island Fisherman magazine report, Sep 1 2026.

Jul 18

Tofino: chinook feeding hard and halibut consistent in calm summer conditions - peak season on the west coast.

Source: Tofino Fish Guides report, Jul 18 2026.

Weather, wind and water

Environment Canada weather forecastTofino
Marine ForecastWest Coast Vancouver Island South

No watches or warnings in effect.

Issued 10:30 AM PDT 13 October 2026

Today Tonight and Wednesday. Wind southeast 10 to 20 knots except southeast 30 northwest of Estevan Point. Wind becoming southwest 15 to 25 this evening except southeast 15 to 20 near the coast. Wind becoming southeast 10 to 20 late overnight then becoming southeast 15 to 25 near noon Wednesday.

Waves: Seas 1 to 2 metres building to 2 to 3 after midnight then subsiding to 2 Wednesday morning.

ThursdayWind southeast 15 to 25 knots.
FridayWind southeast 15 to 25 knots veering to southwest 15 to 25 late in the day.
SaturdayWind northwest 20 to 30 knots diminishing to light late in the day.

Environment Canada marine forecast, refreshed each morning - full details on weather.gc.ca

TidesTofino - 3-day table
DFO openings + closuresAreas 24 / 124 - latest notices
Earlier dated DFO notices

Latest DFO fishery notices touching this region, refreshed each morning - full details and regulations on DFO's page

Click here for DFO area map tailored to each area

DFO species limits - Areas 24 and 124 (tap to open)
Species Areas Min size Gear Daily Limits Status
Chinook salmon (hatchery and wild combined) 24,124 45cm barbless hook and line 2 Open
Chum salmon 24 30cm barbless hook and line 0 Non Retention
124 30cm barbless hook and line 4 Open
Coho salmon (hatchery and wild combined) 24 30cm barbless hook and line 2 Combined Total
* Consisting of no more than:
  • 2 - Hatchery - marked
  • 1 - Wild - unmarked
Open
124 30cm barbless hook and line 2 Combined Total
* Consisting of no more than:
  • 2 - Hatchery - marked
  • 0 - Wild - unmarked
Open
Pink salmon 24 30cm barbless hook and line 0 Non Retention
124 30cm barbless hook and line 4 Open
Sockeye salmon 24 30cm barbless hook and line 4 Open
124 30cm barbless hook and line 0 Non Retention
Species Areas Min size Gear Daily Limits Status
Codfish 24,124 angling, spear fishing while diving 8 Open
Eulachon 24,124 0kg Closed
Finfish - all other species 24,124 angling, dip net, herring jig, herring rake, spear fishing while diving 20 Open
Greenling 24,124 angling, spear fishing while diving 3 Open
Halibut 24,124 angling, spear fishing while diving 2 Open
Herring 24,124 cast net, dip net, herring jig, herring rake 20kg Open
Lingcod 24,124 65cm angling, spear fishing while diving 3 Open
Mackerel 24,124 angling, dip net, herring jig, herring rake, spear fishing while diving 100 Open
Northern Anchovy 24,124 cast net, dip net, herring jig, herring rake 20kg Open
Pacific sand lance 24,124 cast net, dip net, herring jig, herring rake 5kg Open
Pacific sardine 24,124 angling, dip net, herring jig, herring rake, spear fishing while diving 100 Open
Rockfish - Yelloweye 24,124 angling, spear fishing while diving 0 Non Retention
Rockfish - all species except Yelloweye 24,124 angling, spear fishing while diving 3 Open
Sablefish 24,124 angling 4 Open
Sculpin 24,124 angling 8 Open
Shark - Basking 24,124 0 Closed
Shark - Blue 24,124 0 Closed
Shark - Brown Cat 24,124 0 Closed
Shark - Great White 24,124 0 Closed
Shark - Salmon 24,124 angling, spear fishing while diving 1 Open
Shark - Sixgill 24,124 0 Closed
Shark - Tope 24,124 0 Closed
Shark - all other species 24,124 0 Closed
Skate 24,124 angling 1 Open
Smelt 24,124 dip net, gill net 20kg Open
Sole or Flounder 24,124 angling, spear fishing while diving 8 Open
Spiny Dogfish 24,124 angling, spear fishing while diving 0 Non Retention
Surfperch 24,124 angling 8 Open
Tuna - Albacore 24,124 angling, spear fishing while diving 20 Open
Tuna - Pacific bluefin 24,124 angling, spear fishing while diving 20 Open
Tuna - all other species 24,124 angling, spear fishing while diving 20 Open
White Sturgeon 24,124 angling 0 Non Retention
Wolf Eel 24,124 angling 0 Non Retention
Species Areas Min size Gear Daily Limits Status
Trout (hatchery and wild combined) 24,124 30cm angling 2 Combined Total
* Consisting of no more than:
  • 2 - Hatchery - marked
  • 0 - Wild - unmarked
Open
Species Areas Gear Daily Limits
Clam - Butter 24,124 hand digging, hand picking 20
Clam - Horse 24,124 hand digging, hand picking 6
Clam - Littleneck 24,124 hand digging 60
Clam - Manila 24,124 hand digging 60
Clam - Razor 24,124 hand digging 12
Clam - Softshell 24,124 hand digging 25
Clam - Varnish 24,124 hand digging 60
Clam - all species combined 24,124 hand digging, hand picking 60
Cockles 24,124 hand digging, hand picking 25
Geoduck 24,124 hand digging, hand picking 3
Mussel - Blue 24,124 hand picking 75
Mussel - California 24,124 hand picking 25
Mussels - all species combined 24,124 hand picking 75
Oyster - Olympia 24,124 0
Oyster - all species except Olympia 24,124 hand picking 12
Scallop - Pink and Spiny 24,124 hand picking, hand picking while diving 75
Scallop - Purple-hinged rock 24,124 hand picking, hand picking while diving 6
Scallop - Weathervane 24,124 hand picking, hand picking while diving 6
Scallop - Weathervane and Purple-hinged rock combined 24,124 hand picking, hand picking while diving 6
Snail - Moon 24,124 hand picking 2
Snail - other 24,124 hand picking 75
Whelks 24,124 hand picking 75
Species Areas Min size Gear Daily Limits Status
Crab - Box 24,124 dip net, hand picking, hand picking while diving, ring net, trap 1 Open
Crab - Dungeness 24,124 165mm dip net, hand picking, hand picking while diving, ring net, trap 6 Open
Crab - Dungeness, Red Rock and King combined 24,124 dip net, hand picking, hand picking while diving, ring net, trap 6 Open
Crab - King 24,124 dip net, diving, ring net, trap 2 Open
Crab - Puget Sound King 24,124 dip net, hand picking, hand picking while diving, ring net, trap 1 Open
Crab - Red Rock 24,124 115mm dip net, hand picking, hand picking while diving, ring net, trap 6 Open
Crab - Shore 24,124 hand picking 25 Open
Crab - other 24,124 dip net, hand picking, hand picking while diving, ring net, trap 4 Open
Species Areas Gear Daily Limits Status
Abalone 24,124 0 Closed
Barnacles - Giant 24,124 diving 6 Open
Barnacles - Goose 24,124 hand picking 2kg Open
Invertebrates - all other species 24,124 angling, dip net, hand digging, hand picking, hand picking while diving, hand picking while snorkeling, hand pump, ring net, spear fishing while diving, trap 20 Open
Limpet 24,124 hand picking 75 Open
Octopus 24,124 angling, hand picking, hand picking while diving, trap 1 Open
Sand Dollar 24,124 hand picking 6 Open
Sea Cucumber 24,124 hand picking, hand picking while diving 12 Open
Sea Star or Starfish 24,124 diving, hand picking 6 Open
Sea Urchin 24,124 hand picking, hand picking while diving 12 Open
Shellfish - all other species 24,124 angling, dip net, hand digging, hand picking, hand picking while diving, hand pump, ring net, spear fishing while diving, trap 20 Open
Shrimp - Ghost 24,124 hand digging, hand pump 50 Open
Shrimp including prawn 24,124 ring net, spear fishing while diving, trap 125 Open
Squid - Opal 24,124 cast net, jigging 200 Open
Squid - all other species 24,124 cast net, jigging 20 Open

DFO tables checked October 14, 2026. Subarea exceptions and closures on the official DFO page override these tables. Check the latest before keeping fish.

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Coming up on the water

November 2026

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In the news - noteworthy reads

Updated daily

Guides, charters and lodges

Free listings - real operators serving this region, no paid placement.

Tofino Fish GuidesGuide - Tofino. Tofino sportfishing outfitter for salmon, halibut and tuna.Tofino Fishing AdventuresCharter - Tofino. Fishing charters out of Tofino.Charter TofinoCharter - Tofino. Tuna, halibut and salmon charters from Tofino.Lance's Sportfishing AdventuresCharter - Tofino. Salmon and halibut charters in Tofino.Obee Fishing ChartersCharter - Tofino. Fishing charters out of Tofino.Fish On TofinoCharter - Tofino. Fishing charters in Tofino.Coastal ChartersCharter - Tofino. Clayoquot Sound fishing charters from Tofino.West Edge FishingCharter - Tofino / Ucluelet. West coast salmon and halibut charters.

Run a guide, charter or lodge in this region? Get listed free: [email protected]

Out of the ordinary

Earthquakes (last 7 days, M2.5+), tsunami advisories and weather alerts affecting this region - straight from Earthquakes Canada and Environment Canada, refreshed each morning. Nothing listed? Nothing unusual is on the books.

Tips and techniques - by species

Chinook salmon

Coho salmon

Halibut

Prawns

Bottomfish

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Wind, waves and swell (Windy)

Wave height forecast: Seas 1 to 2 metres building to 2 to 3 after midnight then subsiding to 2 Wednesday morning.

West Coast Vancouver Island South - Today Tonight and Wednesday.

Issued 04:00 AM PDT 13 October 2026 - Environment Canada marine forecast. Regional forecast, not a measurement at your boat. Check the latest before heading out.

Check the regs yourself before you fish. Openings, closures and limits change without notice, sometimes mid-season and area by area. Everything here is an aggregation for convenience, not an official source. Always confirm the current rules for your specific management area directly with Fisheries and Oceans Canada (saltwater / salmon) and the B.C. Freshwater Fishing Regulations before you go.