Fraser River sockeye run opens to recreational fishing for first time in years

The Fraser River is seeing extraordinary numbers of sockeye salmon and for the first time in years the government is letting recreational anglers catch them.

Christmas came early for B.C.’s fishing community. The Fraser River is seeing extraordinary numbers of sockeye salmon – and for the first time in three years, the federal government has lifted recreational restrictions on the prized species.

On Friday, licensed anglers lined the shore of Harrison Bar near Chilliwack, reeling in sockeye one after another.

“Man’s gotta eat,” said one fisher.

“We’ve been waiting for this opening for a long time,” added another. “I don’t think there’s a better place in British Columbia or in the world.”

The reopening has sparked a wave of excitement – and business.

“Our emails and phones have been just ringing off the hook,” said Jason Gemperle, owner of Full Throttle Fishing.

Biggest run since 2018

The joint Canada-U.S. Salmon Commission now projects a sockeye run of more than nine million fish on the Fraser River – the largest return in seven years.

Experts point to cooler ocean temperatures as one factor helping the species thrive.

By law, anglers can keep a maximum of two sockeye per day. By late morning on opening day, many had already reached their legal limit.

Conservation groups urge caution

While conservationists support the opening, they’re urging fishers to be careful.

“It’s really important when people are out there that they know their fish species,” said Aaron Hill, executive director of the Watershed Watch Salmon Society. “That they’re not killing the wrong kinds of fish, they’re not killing coho, for example. That they’re not dragging fish up on the beach before they can identify them. And that we have fishery officers out there enforcing the regulations.”

Gemperle echoed the importance of following the rules.

“I just want to make sure that everyone just plays by the rules, you know? And try not to screw this up for everyone. Because we don’t. We got to take advantage of these, right?”

For now, sockeye fishing is permitted on the Fraser River from Mission Bridge upstream to Hope, until Sept. 1.