Tahsis, Gold River and Zeballos - Nootka Sound, Esperanza Inlet and offshore Areas 25/125.
No fresh, dated local catch report verified for October yet.
The September Esperanza report remains linked below with its original date. Check current DFO restrictions before fishing.
Esperanza Inlet: John Falavolito's September report describes coho gathering around Centre Island. September observations, not confirmed October catches.
Source: Island Fisherman / Westview Marina report, Sep 1, 2026.
Current forecast and warning status not yet verified. Checking Environment Canada...
Check the official forecast and warningsEstevan Point - nearby coastal forecast, not a Gold River or inlet forecast.
CHS tide predictions - station 08650 →
Predictions, not a live gauge. Timing differs across Nootka Sound and Esperanza Inlet; use the station for your exact location.
Current Area 25/125 regulations and closures →
Click here for DFO area map tailored to each area
DFO tables checked October 13, 2026. Closures and subarea exceptions on the official page override the general limits. Always re-check before keeping fish.
| Species | Areas | Min size | Gear | Daily Limits | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chinook salmon (hatchery and wild combined) | 25,125 | 45cm | barbless hook and line | 2 | Open |
| Chum salmon | 25 | 30cm | barbless hook and line | 0 | Non Retention |
| 125 | 30cm | barbless hook and line | 4 | Open | |
| Coho salmon (hatchery and wild combined) | 25-1 to 25-3 and 25-6 to 25-16 | 30cm | barbless hook and line | 2 Combined Total * Consisting of no more than:
|
Open |
| 25-4 and 25-5 | 30cm | barbless hook and line | 4 Combined Total * Consisting of no more than:
|
Open | |
| 125 | 30cm | barbless hook and line | 2 Combined Total * Consisting of no more than:
|
Open | |
| Pink salmon | 25 | 30cm | barbless hook and line | 0 | Non Retention |
| 125 | 30cm | barbless hook and line | 4 | Open | |
| Sockeye salmon | 25,125 | 30cm | barbless hook and line | 0 | Non Retention |
| Species | Areas | Min size | Gear | Daily Limits | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Codfish | 25,125 | angling, spear fishing while diving | 8 | Open | |
| Eulachon | 25,125 | 0kg | Closed | ||
| Finfish - all other species | 25,125 | angling, dip net, herring jig, herring rake, spear fishing while diving | 20 | Open | |
| Greenling | 25,125 | angling, spear fishing while diving | 3 | Open | |
| Halibut | 25,125 | angling, spear fishing while diving | 2 | Open | |
| Herring | 25,125 | cast net, dip net, herring jig, herring rake | 20kg | Open | |
| Lingcod | 25,125 | 65cm | angling, spear fishing while diving | 3 | Open |
| Mackerel | 25,125 | angling, dip net, herring jig, herring rake, spear fishing while diving | 100 | Open | |
| Northern Anchovy | 25,125 | cast net, dip net, herring jig, herring rake | 20kg | Open | |
| Pacific sand lance | 25,125 | cast net, dip net, herring jig, herring rake | 5kg | Open | |
| Pacific sardine | 25,125 | angling, dip net, herring jig, herring rake, spear fishing while diving | 100 | Open | |
| Rockfish - Yelloweye | 25,125 | angling, spear fishing while diving | 0 | Non Retention | |
| Rockfish - all species except Yelloweye | 25,125 | angling, spear fishing while diving | 3 | Open | |
| Sablefish | 25,125 | angling | 4 | Open | |
| Sculpin | 25,125 | angling | 8 | Open | |
| Shark - Basking | 25,125 | 0 | Closed | ||
| Shark - Blue | 25,125 | 0 | Closed | ||
| Shark - Brown Cat | 25,125 | 0 | Closed | ||
| Shark - Great White | 25,125 | 0 | Closed | ||
| Shark - Salmon | 25,125 | angling, spear fishing while diving | 1 | Open | |
| Shark - Sixgill | 25,125 | 0 | Closed | ||
| Shark - Tope | 25,125 | 0 | Closed | ||
| Shark - all other species | 25,125 | 0 | Closed | ||
| Skate | 25,125 | angling | 1 | Open | |
| Smelt | 25,125 | dip net, gill net | 20kg | Open | |
| Sole or Flounder | 25,125 | angling, spear fishing while diving | 8 | Open | |
| Spiny Dogfish | 25,125 | angling, spear fishing while diving | 0 | Non Retention | |
| Surfperch | 25,125 | angling | 8 | Open | |
| Tuna - Albacore | 25,125 | angling, spear fishing while diving | 20 | Open | |
| Tuna - Pacific bluefin | 25,125 | angling, spear fishing while diving | 20 | Open | |
| Tuna - all other species | 25,125 | angling, spear fishing while diving | 20 | Open | |
| White Sturgeon | 25,125 | angling | 0 | Non Retention | |
| Wolf Eel | 25,125 | angling | 0 | Non Retention |
| Species | Areas | Min size | Gear | Daily Limits | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trout (hatchery and wild combined) | 25,125 | 30cm | angling | 2 Combined Total * Consisting of no more than:
|
Open |
| Species | Areas | Gear | Daily Limits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clam - Butter | 25,125 | hand digging, hand picking | 20 |
| Clam - Horse | 25,125 | hand digging, hand picking | 6 |
| Clam - Littleneck | 25,125 | hand digging | 60 |
| Clam - Manila | 25,125 | hand digging | 60 |
| Clam - Razor | 25,125 | hand digging | 12 |
| Clam - Softshell | 25,125 | hand digging | 25 |
| Clam - Varnish | 25,125 | hand digging | 60 |
| Clam - all species combined | 25,125 | hand digging, hand picking | 60 |
| Cockles | 25,125 | hand digging, hand picking | 25 |
| Geoduck | 25,125 | hand digging, hand picking | 3 |
| Mussel - Blue | 25,125 | hand picking | 75 |
| Mussel - California | 25,125 | hand picking | 25 |
| Mussels - all species combined | 25,125 | hand picking | 75 |
| Oyster - Olympia | 25,125 | 0 | |
| Oyster - all species except Olympia | 25,125 | hand picking | 12 |
| Scallop - Pink and Spiny | 25,125 | hand picking, hand picking while diving | 75 |
| Scallop - Purple-hinged rock | 25,125 | hand picking, hand picking while diving | 6 |
| Scallop - Weathervane | 25,125 | hand picking, hand picking while diving | 6 |
| Scallop - Weathervane and Purple-hinged rock combined | 25,125 | hand picking, hand picking while diving | 6 |
| Snail - Moon | 25,125 | hand picking | 2 |
| Snail - other | 25,125 | hand picking | 75 |
| Whelks | 25,125 | hand picking | 75 |
| Species | Areas | Min size | Gear | Daily Limits | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crab - Box | 25,125 | dip net, hand picking, hand picking while diving, ring net, trap | 1 | Open | |
| Crab - Dungeness | 25,125 | 165mm | dip net, hand picking, hand picking while diving, ring net, trap | 6 | Open |
| Crab - Dungeness, Red Rock and King combined | 25,125 | dip net, hand picking, hand picking while diving, ring net, trap | 6 | Open | |
| Crab - King | 25,125 | dip net, diving, ring net, trap | 2 | Open | |
| Crab - Puget Sound King | 25,125 | dip net, hand picking, hand picking while diving, ring net, trap | 1 | Open | |
| Crab - Red Rock | 25,125 | 115mm | dip net, hand picking, hand picking while diving, ring net, trap | 6 | Open |
| Crab - Shore | 25,125 | hand picking | 25 | Open | |
| Crab - other | 25,125 | dip net, hand picking, hand picking while diving, ring net, trap | 4 | Open |
| Species | Areas | Gear | Daily Limits | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abalone | 25,125 | 0 | Closed | |
| Barnacles - Giant | 25,125 | diving | 6 | Open |
| Barnacles - Goose | 25,125 | hand picking | 2kg | Open |
| Invertebrates - all other species | 25,125 | 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 | 25,125 | hand picking | 75 | Open |
| Octopus | 25,125 | angling, hand picking, hand picking while diving, trap | 1 | Open |
| Sand Dollar | 25,125 | hand picking | 6 | Open |
| Sea Cucumber | 25,125 | hand picking, hand picking while diving | 12 | Open |
| Sea Star or Starfish | 25,125 | diving, hand picking | 6 | Open |
| Sea Urchin | 25,125 | hand picking, hand picking while diving | 12 | Open |
| Shellfish - all other species | 25,125 | angling, dip net, hand digging, hand picking, hand picking while diving, hand pump, ring net, spear fishing while diving, trap | 20 | Open |
| Shrimp - Ghost | 25,125 | hand digging, hand pump | 50 | Open |
| Shrimp including prawn | 25,125 | ring net, spear fishing while diving, trap | 125 | Open |
| Squid - Opal | 25,125 | cast net, jigging | 200 | Open |
| Squid - all other species | 25,125 | cast net, jigging | 20 | Open |
Nootka Sound, Muchalat, Tlupana and Tahsis inlets; Esperanza Inlet, Zeballos, Espinosa and Port Eliza inlets; adjacent offshore Area 125.
Clayoquot / Tofino and Barkley Sound remain under Barkley Sound & Alberni Inlet / Clayoquot Sound & Tofino (Clayoquot & Tofino). Kyuquot lies north of this page's Area 25/125 boundary.
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Chinook salmon
Coho salmon
Halibut
Prawns
Bottomfish
AI-generated summaries · checked October 14, 2026. Dated evidence, not live counts or fishing advice.
Conuma River Chum: DFO's final 2024 estimate was 24,880 natural adult spawners (excluding jacks), the highest of 17 final reported values in this selected 2006-2024 series. This is a within-series comparison, not an all-time or region-wide record. Survey changes and missing years limit comparisons.
DFO NuSEDS source and dictionaryNOAA reported the most juvenile coho and chum on record in its 2025 coastal surveys. Its ecosystem review describes productive conditions off Oregon and Washington, but mixed signals for adult Columbia River returns. This is neighbouring California Current ocean context, not a count of salmon returning to Vancouver Island or a forecast for BC rivers.
NOAA ocean ecosystem reviewAI-generated summaries · checked October 14, 2026. Historical records and scientific findings are dated below. No live animal tracking or unverified social-media sightings.
A white-shark record dated August 17, 1961 at Esperanza Inlet appears in the 2006 COSEWIC assessment. It is a historical occurrence record, not a recent sighting or evidence of a shark currently near shore.
COSEWIC historical records and datesA peer-reviewed study used images of 1,213 sunfish to examine identification, then analysed 1,178 observations from California to Alaska. Researchers found repeated hoodwinker sunfish (Mola tecta) records in both current systems. Six specimens from California and Alaska were confirmed genetically. The study supports a wider known range, not a count of sunfish near this region today.
Read the sunfish study and authorsDFO: report a shark encounter in BC. Observe without approaching or disturbing wildlife.
Choose a salmon species and river. Each bar shows one year: taller means more fish. The latest reported year is orange. These are selected monitored populations, not a complete regional census.
Checked October 14, 2026. Annual history: NuSEDS June 1, 2026 snapshot, with population-specific latest years up to 2025. This is not a live 2026 return estimate. Gaps are not zero; reported DFO estimates are not invented counts.
AI-generated summary: DFO’s preliminary 2026 outlook keeps wild WCVI Chinook at a poor outlook (category 1), while hatchery indicators are average to above average (3–4). It reports above-average 2025 Conuma returns and a preliminary Robertson Creek return of 125,000. Hatchery strength does not establish recovery of wild river populations. This is an early planning outlook, not an October in-season result or a firm future return forecast.
DFO 2026 preliminary outlook, pages 27–28. No multi-year population forecast is generated.
Loading species charts...
2026 brood plan dated August 18, 2026. Many plan rows are Preliminary. Release timing depends on species and stage; a brood year is not a return year. Post-season reports dated February 19, 2026 cover 2023 and 2024 broods. The 2024 cohort has incomplete smolt releases. Juvenile output is not adult return, marine survival or proof of recovery.
Young salmon by brood year. 2024 is incomplete. Orange: 2026 primary release plan, not actual.
Reported releases only; some source rows are blank.
2026 brood primary release target: 3,400,000 juveniles. Stages: Fed Fry, Seapen 0+, Smolt 0+. Objectives: Harvest, Rebuilding. Plan row status: Preliminary. Transfers and alternate strategies excluded from this target.
2023 brood: reported actual releases 3,524,600. On rows with both numbers, 3,447,829 released against 3,400,000 targeted (101%). This measures reported juvenile production only.
Cessation of MM on Burman Chinook commenced with the 2023 brood year and will continue for ~2 generations. Ceasing Burman MM will allow for more effective stray exclusion as a means to halt and revert rapid introgression and prevent complete genetic extirpation of native Burman ancestry genetics. The program will be re-evaluated in ~2032 to see how successful the measures have been and whether MM can be brought back online to prioritize PNI management.
2024 brood: reported actual releases 3,384,954. On rows with both numbers, 893,689 released against 1,200,000 targeted (74%). 1 row(s) have no reported actual; these are not counted as zero. This measures reported juvenile production only.
Not released at this site this year | Released as subyearling seapen smolt
Young salmon by brood year. 2024 is incomplete. Orange: 2026 primary release plan, not actual.
Reported releases only; some source rows are blank.
2026 brood primary release target: 3,500,000 juveniles. Stages: Fed Fry, Seapen. Objectives: Harvest. Plan row status: Final, Preliminary. Transfers and alternate strategies excluded from this target.
2023 brood: reported actual releases 2,275,628. On rows with both numbers, 2,275,628 released against 3,000,000 targeted (76%). 2 row(s) have no reported actual; these are not counted as zero. This measures reported juvenile production only.
Conuma stock was used, natal brood was not available due to logisitical issues and low returns.
2024 brood: reported actual releases 2,666,440. On rows with both numbers, 2,666,440 released against 3,000,000 targeted (89%). 2 row(s) have no reported actual; these are not counted as zero. This measures reported juvenile production only.
No broodstock collected due to logistical challenges and low escapement
Young salmon by brood year. 2024 is incomplete. Orange: 2026 primary release plan, not actual.
Reported releases only; some source rows are blank.
2026 brood primary release target: 150,000 juveniles. Stages: Seapen 1+. Objectives: Harvest. Plan row status: Preliminary. Transfers and alternate strategies excluded from this target.
2023 brood: reported actual releases 154,885. 1 row(s) have no reported actual; these are not counted as zero. This measures reported juvenile production only.
Released as two year seapen smolt.
AI-generated summary: The 2026 brood plan lists Chinook, Chum, Coho production, with harvest, rebuilding objectives. Targets are planned juvenile releases, not adult returns. Compare the post-season rows below for reported production; blanks and incomplete cohorts are not failures.
Young salmon by brood year. 2024 is incomplete. Orange: 2026 primary release plan, not actual.
2026 brood primary release target: 300,000 juveniles. Stages: Seapen 0+. Objectives: Rebuilding. Plan row status: Preliminary. Transfers and alternate strategies excluded from this target.
2023 brood: reported actual releases 212,246. On rows with both numbers, 212,246 released against 300,000 targeted (71%). This measures reported juvenile production only.
2024 brood: reported actual releases 258,800. On rows with both numbers, 258,800 released against 300,000 targeted (86%). This measures reported juvenile production only.
AI-generated summary: The 2026 brood plan lists Chinook production, with rebuilding objectives. Targets are planned juvenile releases, not adult returns. Compare the post-season rows below for reported production; blanks and incomplete cohorts are not failures.
Young salmon by brood year. 2024 is incomplete. Orange: 2026 primary release plan, not actual.
2026 brood primary release target: 20,000 juveniles. Stages: Fed Fry. Objectives: Stewardship. Plan row status: Preliminary. Transfers and alternate strategies excluded from this target.
2024 brood: reported actual releases 4,500. On rows with both numbers, 4,500 released against 20,000 targeted (22%). This measures reported juvenile production only.
AI-generated summary: The 2026 brood plan lists Chum production, with stewardship objectives. Targets are planned juvenile releases, not adult returns. Compare the post-season rows below for reported production; blanks and incomplete cohorts are not failures.
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