Riverside Lodge British Columbia | Variety of Wild Fish

Wild Fish

Variety of Fish

The Skeena River is famous as a producer of large wild fish. The river supports all 6 species of salmon, including steelhead, as well as 4 species of trout and Char. The genetics here are superb, with multiple world records for salmon and Steelhead coming from these waters. If you are fishing the lower Skeena you have the chance to catch these fish while they are in the best possible condition, still bright from the ocean, strong and aggressive to the fly.

Steelhead are the most famous of BC’s gamefish and the Skeena is home to both summer and winter runs of these fish. These beautiful, wild sea-run Rainbow Trout are lauded for both their strength and willingness to take a well-presented fly. The Skeena River system is known for consistently producing the largest Steelhead on the planet, with numerous world records coming from these waters. Many fish are caught every year close to 20lbs and some even up to 30lbs.

Chinook (King) Salmon are the largest of the Pacific Salmon. With advancements in equipment and technique the King Salmon has emerged as the ultimate quarry for the dedicated spey angler. The largest of these fish are often caught mid-river and eat the biggest flies you can cast. They are so strong that some fish may simply be ‘unlandable’. Our fish range in size from 10 to 70 or more pounds. In 2001, a 99-pound Chinook was caught and releasedby a gear angler on the Skeena.

Coho Salmon are some of the most sought after game fish in the Skeena River. Smaller than the Chinook, Coho salmon are known for their acrobatic jumps and powerful runs. The legendary Skeena ‘Northern’ Coho that return in the fall months can reach a tremendous size. Anglers come to the Skeena specifically to target these larger Northern Coho, many of which are in the 20 pounds .They respond well to the fly and can be caught swinging flies in the same manner as Steelhead.

Chum salmon have the power of a Chinook salmon and the acrobatic prowess of a Coho. There aggressive take is often mistaken for a Steelhead. Chum Salmon range in size from 5 pounds to 30 pounds with an average of 12-15 pounds. Chum are found throughout the pacific and tend to colour up quickly once in the freshwater environment. Our proximity to the ocean gives as the opportunity to catch these fish while they are still nice and bright.

These plentiful salmon are best known for being a sought after food fish of significant importance for indigenous peoples and commercial fishers. Some anglers doubt the Sockeye’s willingness to take a fly however he truth is that Sockeye will take a fly especially when fished at the right speed. Sockeye encounters are similar to small steelhead with the ability to remove line from your reel at a fast pace and lots of acrobatics. They range in size from 4-10 pounds

Run size varies from odd to even years as these fish are on a unique 2 year cycle. When pinks return in numbers they can provide consistent action and with their smaller size are a natural choice to get kids and beginners into salmon fishing . Pinks can be caught on a variety of flies, though are best known for their preference to the colour pink or cerise. When pinks are found in good numbers they can provide consistent action and will even attack surface flies.

With both rainbow trout and sea run cutthroat(pictured), trout fishing can be nothing short of spectacular. Most of our guests choose to target larger Steelhead and Salmon and only encounter these fish as by catch on larger tackle. Guests that choose to target Trout with appropriate sized tackle(3-6 weight) have a fantastic experience with both wet and dry flies. A 20” native Pacific Sea Run Cutthroat is a memorable fish, a true trophy to be cherished for a lifetime.

There are both Bull Trout(Char) and Dolly Varden Char in our waters. They are olive in colour and are distinguished by light coloured spots and a brilliant white leading edge on their pectorial fins. When fresh from the sea, they can be bright silver inn colour. Char have been regulated catch and release for a few years now so we are starting to see an increase in fish size. Expect fish between 14’ -20” to be most common with some large fish approaching 10 pounds.