Ready to fish for pinks? Before we jump into the where and the how, it’s worth spending a little time understanding the species. Pinks are the most populous salmon in the Pacific and can be found in the waters near Washington State, British Columbia, Alaska, Japan, and Russia. At the end of their 2-year lifespan, pinks return to their home waters. Consequently, the 2-year cycle of the small pink salmon makes it possible for hatcheries to witness promising results quickly.

Most fishermen will say that pink salmon runs only happen in odd years. That is only partially true, because pink salmon runs can happen annually with assistance. Climate change and geographic considerations both can have an impact. But for the most part, while Alaska’s pink salmon run occurs in even years, the runs in Washington, BC’s Fraser River, Russia, and Japan happen in odd years.

Pink salmon on its ocean phase. Image courtesy of the Ministry of Forests, Wildlife and Parks, Québec

Pink salmon on its spawning phase. Image courtesy of the Ministry of Forests, Wildlife and Parks, Québec

Campbell River is strategically situated on the east coast of Vancouver Island on the Discovery Passage and Strait of Georgia. Every year, millions of salmon migrate through this confined channel to spawn in their birth rivers along the east coast shores of Vancouver Island and the west coast of mainland British Columbia. Salmon feed on herring, shrimp, squid, and needlefish all year round in the fertile feeding grounds of sheltered waters. This channel has several narrow areas, serving as a marine life and transportation funnel. The city of Campbell River lies at the confluence of the Quinsam and the Campbell Rivers.

Along the Quinsam River, the Quinsam hatchery is a popular tourist destination and a great place for school field trips. The hatchery raises all five of the main species of Pacific salmon—Chinook, coho, pink, chum, and sockeye. The Quinsam hatchery has seen exceptional returns for the pink salmon produced for the Quinsam and Campbell waterways. The rivers now support pink salmon runs for odd or even years, thanks to the pink salmon enhancement. Today, a significant supply of pink salmon from the Quinsam hatchery supports other hatcheries. The hatchery supplies up to 8 million pink salmon eggs to other hatcheries from Courtenay to Nanaimo on the east coast of Vancouver Island.

In 2019, Alistair Taylor wrote in the Campbell River Mirror that, “Pink salmon returns to the Campbell-Quinsam River system are five times what they were last year [2018], about 550,000.”

Where to Fish in Campbell River

Easy access to both rivers is from Golden River Highway #28, which runs parallel to both of them. There are many opportunities for public fishing, and anglers of all ages and genders can catch salmon from the rivers running through Quinsam.

Salmon concentrations are highest from the Campbell River estuary upstream to the Quinsam River confluence. To access Canyon View Trail, anglers can cross the logging bridge at Detwiler Road. This trail is well-used, and you can find easy access to the river. Another option is to park on either side of the Gold River Highway or Campbell River Road to access the Quinsam and Campbell Rivers.

There are two distinct fishing zones on the Campbell River. Anglers are welcome to fish the Quinsam River, and its confluence, as well as the Campbell River. The salmon species retention in British Columbia is on the yearly freshwater synopsis.

Fly fishing is only allowed above the Quinsam River confluence on the Campbell River, with mandatory catch and release.

There are seasonal closures and zone closures on both rivers, and depending on the salmon’s strength when they return to spawn, there could also be species closures or restrictions (Region 1- Salmon limits, openings and closures). Be sure to review the current BC Regulations synopsis.

Peter Latrides with his first Pink Salmon fly fishing on the Campbell River

Overnighters in Campbell River

There are two Quinsam campgrounds for campers: the Thunderbird RV Park and Cottage Resort and the Campbell River Fishing Village RV park. For the less adventurous, the city of Campbell River is loaded with motels, hotels, and Airbnbs. Be sure to book well in advance, as lodging often sells out.

Wading The Campbell River

Brent Barker with his first silver pink salmon

Wading is the only way to fish the majority of the river. Anglers can reach the salmon on a few beaches, which are often crowded.

Due to the rock formations in the river, there are a lot of snags. The best way to fish for pink salmon is for the gear angler to drift afloat with small weights like split shots, pink salmon flies, jigs, or light lures. Allow your float to drift down the river naturally.

The Campbell River is not deep, so the angler can identify signs where pink salmon move or hold. Often the pink salmon will be close to shore, so start fishing within 10′ of the shore. It is best to short float the drift to avoid snags on the bottom rocks. Short floating is when the weights are not touching the bottom of the river bed. Some anglers cast lures and keep the rod tip high to avoid snagging structures.

Gil d’Oliveira landing a pink salmon

Smooth, round, and large-to-medium loose boulders make up the Campbell River bottom: perfect for snagging the angler’s gear—but also ankle twisters. I have often used a strong wading staff if I go out above my knees to maintain my balance. Furthermore, brown algae will form on the boulders when it is hot and the river level is low, making stability even more difficult.

Even though they are the smallest member of the salmon family, pinks can put on a major power run, using the river flow against you.

Pink Salmon Fishing Gear

Spinning for Pink Salmon

The spinning reel is the most common reel you will see. Level-wind reels and centerpin reels will be more challenging for the experienced angler. Whatever gear you choose, keep it light. Monofilament from 8-lb to 10-lb test is perfect.

Lures should be between 1/8 oz and ¼ oz. One to three split shots size #4, 3″-4″ inches apart, are recommended. Hooks should be barbless and size #2, #1, or #1/0. Although pink salmon tend to be attracted to pink, the angler can also succeed with other colours, such as blue, green, and red. Your imagination is the only limit. My first catch of pink salmon was on a ¼ jig with a pink squirrel tail plastic worm.

Modified curly tail to a jig head

Fly Fishing for Pink Salmon

Many fly anglers use a six- or seven-weight rod. There are three types of fly rods: the single hand, Spey rod (two-hand) and switch rod (two-hand or single-hand). I have found the best result using a fly line that floats and a leader or floating line with a sink tip matching the rod weight.

Spey rod lands a pink salmon showing its spawning colours

Some anglers will use the roll cast technique with a float fly line with 3′ to 4′ of 15-lb mono line using a split shot about a foot from the fly. You can use weighted or unweighted flies, and the best approach is to use sparse flies and avoid oversizing the barbless hook. Ideally, an angler should use a floating line with interchangeable speed sink tips. Using this technique, fly anglers can more effectively cover all river flow and depth changes.

Remember that the salmon can be in 2′ waters, so to avoid snagging, a shallow fishing setup is your best friend.

My favourite pink flies

Pink salmon showing spawning colours fall for optic fly

Preserving Pink Salmon

As with all spawning salmon, pinks are tasteless once they change into their spawning colours and deformed shapes, but the accessible fishing areas of the Campbell River are close enough to the ocean that anglers can catch many silver-fresh pink salmon.

Some anglers prefer the light taste of pinks to the strong coho, chinook, and sockeye flavours. Because they are delicate, pinks will spoil very quickly. If you decide to keep a pink salmon, it is best to clean it immediately. Cut the gills, bleed the fish, and keep it submerged in the river’s cold water. Afterwards, place on ice as soon as you return home. Failure to properly process them will result in rapid deterioration.

Cooking Pink Salmon

Salmon fillets, steaks, and whole fish are excellent prepared on a charcoal grill. My favourite way to prepare pink salmon on the barbeque is with a large iron skillet. When grilling fillets, it is best to cook them skin-side down in a high-temperature oil, such as peanut oil, grape seed oil, or avocado oil. You’ll want the skin to be crusty, so wait until the oil is hot. I often dust both sides lightly with sea salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Covering the pan in the last two minutes ensures the fillet is cooked.

If you’re baking the salmon in an oven, I recommend doing so with garlic butter, sea salt, and pepper in a preheated oven at 360˚F. The fillets are generally not thick, so about 10 minutes will do. Once out of the oven, scoop some juice and layer it over the fillet. Then drizzle with lemon juice and layer thinly diced green onions over them.

But why not think outside the box? My favourite recipe is to steam the fillet with fine julienne ginger spread over it. Steam on high for 20 minutes, then drain all the liquid. Cover the fillet with some julienned green onion. Make a dressing of 1/4 cup peanut oil, 1/8 cup of seasoned seafood soy sauce, and a light sprinkle of garlic powder. Drizzle it over the full fillet and serve with steamed rice.

Article author GiIl d’Oliveira on the Campbell River

This article appeared in Island Fisherman magazine. Never miss another issue—subscribe today!