MARCH 15 - JUNE 01: During this time period you will fish many different coastal streams as well as the Copper, Kalum, Kitimat and main stem of the Skeena River. The Steelhead and Trout fishing is great from the beginning, and by early May the Spring Salmon (Kings) are in many of the larger rivers. Spring Steelhead and Trout can be found in literally hundreds of small rivers and streams all along coastal British Columbia. These streams generally have less than twenty miles of flow from source to sea. It is very common for Spey Lodge guests to find themselves exploring two or three of these remarkable little fisheries on the same day, via jet boat or whitewater raft.
The Lower Skeena River can be an amazing place to be in early spring. April seems to be the month that when timed right can produce some of the most amazing fishing. This area of the Skeena was named as one of the top 5 areas in BC for incredible scenery.
JUNE 15 - AUGUST 15: With an incredible amount of water to fish in June and July, the toughest part of fishing out of Spey Lodge is deciding exactly where to go! During the summer season the primary target species is the King Salmon, averaging 22 pounds with fish exceeding 40! The days are long and eventful, and quite often you will fish a split day; morning and evening. Hopping in the jet boat behind the Lodge and running the Skeena in search of runs of fish is an incredible way to spend the day.
The Skeena is a highway for all the species of Salmon and Steelhead running fresh from the sea to reach their native waters and is the river that all the steelhead must travel to reach the upper tributaries that many books and articles have been written (Morice, Kispiox, Bulkley, Sustut & Babine to name a few!). Every one of those fish passes right by the back door of Spey Lodge. This river can be unpredictable but sometimes the most rewarding fishery in the world. It is home to the largest Steelhead and Salmon in the world with incredibly strong stocks of wild fish.
The Copper is primarily a King Salmon fishery in early summer, with the possibility of seeing the beginning of the amazing Steelhead run typically showing in August. The King fishery is astounding on the fly. You will often hook these fish on floating lines with large weighted flies or light sink tips. The Kings in the Copper are all Chrome in summer.
The Kasiks is a tributary of the Skeena and is only accessed by jet boat or helicopter. As a bonus, the trout fishing can be great in summer months on the Kasiks, large Dolly Varden and Sea-Run Cutthroat can be taken on streamers swung into beautiful clear runs.
JULY 15 - SEPTEMBER 15: Late July is the beginning of the summer run Steelhead season! Simply put, there is no greater place to be in the world if your interest is to raise giant migratory trout to dry flies and skating bugs! Spey Lodge guests enjoy guided trips to the most limited guided steelhead fishing on the Skeena watershed, chrome Steelhead that show up as early as the first week of July. These along with chrome bright kings & early Coho Salmon make August hard to beat in the Skeena area.
Fishing the Skeena can seem a little overwhelming for some people due to the immense size of the water... until they start hooking up. You will generally fish some of the braided sections of the Skeena in addition to some of the largest runs you'll ever encounter. Access is by jet boats, which allows your guide to show you new water all the time. Envision hooking one of the legendary giant Steelhead that is headed to the Kispiox or Babine Rivers in the main stem of the Skeena, but at this point the fish is still chrome and in giant water. Many that have been hooked have never been seen! Perhaps you will be the angler that can turn one of these brutes before he gets back to the Pacific!
The Copper River has been rated in the top 6 Steelhead rivers in the world; this is for good reason! Unlike the other famous tributaries of the Skeena, the Copper produces incredible Steelhead fishing starting late July and following through until late November. Because the Copper is close to the mouth of the Skeena, these fish are chrome bright and very aggressive. Some anglers call these fish "crazy" due to their madness for dry flies; often rising to flies 6-10 casts in a row. The Copper River is the most limited guided fishery on the Skeena having only 5 allocated guides on it with minimal rod day use. The Copper is minutes from the Lodge and offers more than 30 miles of river to float. Generally, your day is spent floating 5 or 6 miles of water, stopping at irresistible pools and runs holding wild fish reaching 30 lbs.
SEPTEMBER 01 - NOVEMBER 01: Nestled amongst the white peaked mountains of Northern British Columbia, Canada lays a small lodge known as Boundary. Beside this lodge flows an untamed wilderness river teaming with Wild Steelhead. Boundary Lodge is a remote exclusive Steelhead Lodge catering to a maximum of six rods per week from September through November. The location of the lodge offers the angler unparalleled access to the entire length of the Bell-Irving River. Boundary's four home pools are, without a doubt; some of the finest Steelhead water that British Columbia has to offer. With jet boat access, only the knowledgeable guides of Spey Lodge will put you on some of the greatest water for Steelhead in the fall months.
As an added incentive, few anglers ever get to experience fishing the Nass River; it is rugged, deceiving, often glacial and simply hard to understand. But, Spey Lodge has an outpost camp in the heart of some of the best fishing on the Nass watershed and offers the same all-inclusive packages for it in September & October.
OCTOBER 01 - DECEMBER 01: The last of the many options Spey Lodge offers for excellent Steelhead throughout the year is the limited entry November Steelhead time slots on the Copper River. Steelhead enter the Copper River from mid-July all the way through January. In November the river provides an excellent opportunity for the fly angler with great numbers of fish willing to take your fly!
By November the leaves have fallen, the mountaintops are whitening, and many Steelhead are stacked and holding in the pools of the upper Copper River. Although the mornings can be cool, and the days are getting shorter; the hookups per angler ratio is at a yearly high. You will catch a mixed bag of bright fish and Steelhead looking like giant red-striped rainbows. Floating lines and wet flies are all that is required while rafting two to four miles of fly-friendly water each day.
