Click on the Links Below for Information:
Federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans Licensing
Provincial Ministry of the Environment, Fish and Wildlife Branch Licensing
Ucluelet Salmon Ladder Derby
The 3rd Annual summer-long fishing derby runs from May 1st to September 3rd and rewards $5000 cash monthly! Anglers purchase derby tickets for the day or for the entire season. The top 15 fish caught each month, along with the top 50 from the summer FISH OFF for major cash and prizes on September 7th and 8th. Last year the Ucluelet Salmon Ladder Derby rewarded over $60, 000 in total cash and prizes. Proceeds from the Ucluelet Salmon Ladder Derby go to the Ucluelet Salmon Enhancement Society, specifically to the Thornton Creek Hatchery.
To purchase your derby ticket, or to help raise funds and awareness for salmon enhancement on the west coast, visit www.uclueletsalmonladderderby.com.
Fresh Water Fishing in Ucluelet
Fresh water fishing can be done year round in Ucluelet. The saturated population of baitfish spawning into waterways in Barkley Sound create ideal fly fishing conditions at any river estuary along the coast. It is not uncommon to catch a sea-run cutthroat chasing a downstream migration of salmon fry.
Nearby Kennedy Lake is excellent for rainbow or cutthroat trout. Kennedy Lake is located east of Ucluelet along Highway 4 and has a boat launch. Many fresh water anglers cast from the mouth of Thunderous Creek that flows into Kennedy Lake. There is access from Highway 4.
Other lakes like Maggie and Toquart are also pristine for trout but are a little more remote and can only be access by logging roads, water, or a floatplane. There are rivers and streams in Barkley Sound with easiest access from Toquart Bay. Refer to a back roads map or ask the local visitor centre for best access.
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Ucluelet is quickly becoming a world renown fishing destination and offers some of the best salt water fishing in the Pacific Northwest. The west coast of Vancouver Island is rich in fishing history and culture. The love for the sport is evident throughout the community and once you start reeling in one fish after another, you will see why!
Spawning baitfish in the area draw feeder Chinook into the fishing grounds as early as March. By summer's end it is not uncommon to pull in a Chinook salmon over 30 pounds or more. A salmon caught weighing over 30 pounds is referred to as a Tyee. This coastal First Nations word means "the chief."
Offshore there is an undersea plateau that specifically attracts baitfish that the locals have named Big Bank. The waters here are rich in nutrients and create a 'salmon highway'. Larger halibut can be reeled in at these offshore banks as well. If the weather isn't cooperative anglers find shelter in the Broken Group Islands of Barkley Sound. These shallower waters are excellent for fishing halibut, ling cod, red snapper and several species of rockfish.
Drop a crab trap in the Ucluelet Harbour on your way out to fish in the morning. It will have your dinner caught by the time you return to bring it back up. Shellfish like oysters and mussels can also be harvested nearby. Be sure to check with DFO regarding restrictions, limits and closings due to harmful algae blooms in the area.
Ucluelet has full service marinas with moorage available as well as tackle and supply shops. Our local fishing charter operators and guides are extremely knowledgeable about Ucluelet fishing and will help make your fishing vacation a REEL success.
Fishing on the Edge!
The Ucluelet Salmon Ladder Derby Fish-Off and the Ucluelet Salmon Festival
