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Fishing limitations

New department of Fisheries regulations in Port Renfrew

Port San Juan salmon fishers

The designated tidal boundary is located at the San Juan River Bridge. This means that Freshwater Fishing Regulations apply upstream of the bridge, and Tidal Water Fishing Regulations apply downstream of the bridge.

The upstream or non-tidal boundary means a Non-Tidal Angling Licence is required, you may fish for salmon but all must be released and a single barbless hook is required with no bait.

Downstream of the San Juan Bridge, including those waters shoreward of a line between a square white boundary sign at Owen Point, the Port of San Juan Light and Whistle Buoy, and San Juan Point. A Tidal Water Sport Fishing Licence is required. The daily limit of coho or chum salmon is four, only two of which can be unmarked (wild) between Sept. 7 and Dec. 31, 2012. The unmarked coho will have the adipose fin intact, and a marked coho has a healed scar in place of the adiposal fin. Barbless hooks are required, but you can pinch down the barbs. No-retention of chinooks in the area specified above is allowed from July 15 to Oct. 25.

It is illegal to wilfully foul hook (snag) a salmon in a lake or stream.