Recreation Fishers face range of restrictions as summer season gets underway

The Department of Fisheries and Oceans provided for a number of notices for local waters of the Northwest on Tuesday, issuing daily limit reductions for Chinook and Coho salmon in region six, while advising that recreational fishing for Chum salmon will remain closed along the entire Skeena River watershed including its tributaries and lakes.

Among some of the areas of note for recreational Skeena Chinook fishers to review include:

Effective immediately, the maximum daily quota for Skeena Chinook will be reduced to two (2) Chinook salmon, only one of which can be over 65 cm, in the Skeena River mainstem and sections of the Bulkley, Kitsumkalum, and Morice Rivers.

Effective immediately, the Skeena River Watershed, upstream of the Sustut River confluence, will be closed to Chinook fishing.

Effective immediately, all tributaries and lakes of the Skeena River will be closed to Chinook fishing, except for sections of the Bulkley, Kitsumkalum, and Morice Rivers.

The entire Skeena River watershed will be closed to Chinook fishing on August 15, 2019 to protect spawning chinook stocks.

For North Coast Coho, the notifications include:

Effective immediately, the maximum daily quota for Skeena Coho will be reduced to two (2) Coho salmon, only one of which can be over 50 cm, in the Skeena River watershed.

Effective immediately, the maximum daily quota for Coho in all rivers and lakes that flow into PFMAs 3, 4, 5 and 6 will be reduced to two (2) per day, only one of which can be over 50 cm. The Following Skeena River Tributaries and sections of the Skeena River mainstem will be closed to fishing for salmon as follows: Skeena River mainstem waters near the Kitsumkalum River mouth, from the confluence with the Zymagotitz River (also known as Zymacord River), upstream to the Classified Waters boundary at the top of Hell's Gate.

Effective July 1 to Aug 31, 2019: Kitsumkalum River (including lakes and tributaries). Effective July 1 to Aug 31, 2019. Skeena River mainstem waters near the Kitwanga River mouth, from Mill Creek upstream to the Highway 37 Bridge.

Effective immediately until further notice. Skeena River mainstem waters within the three white triangular fishing boundary signs located at the confluence of the Skeena River and Kispiox River. Effective immediately until further notice.

Tuesday's full notice can be reviewed here.

A larger listing of all DFO notifications can be found here.

More background on Sport fishing in British Columbia can be accessed here.

You can also get more information from the BC Sport Fish DFO twitter feed

Further notes related to fishing on the North Coast and in the Northwest can be found from our archive page.

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